Jonathan Breindel

Jonathan Breindel

Member Since 2016

Jonathan originally hails from New York, and has been both working behind the scenes and on stage since early childhood. For those times when he is not making people laugh at Bring Your Own Improv, Jonathan’s grown up job is as a Mad Scientist teaching children that science isn’t just educational but entertaining. When not “edutaining,” he can often be found singing or sword fighting at renaissance faires and pirate reenactments throughout New England.

BYOI Cast Member David Brunell

David Brunell

Member Since 2014

Dave found his way into improv the old fashioned way, he lost a job. What’s a sales pitch other than some scripted stuff at the beginning and then improvising the rest. The rest as they say, is history. Classes led to performing with another short form improv troupe. Then on into short films, one act plays, and full length theater productions. Yes, improv was his gateway drug, and he loves it!

Audrey Dubois

Audrey Dubois

Member Since 2017

In her distant youth, Audrey performed with Wheaton College’s Dimple Divers. Upon graduation, she joined BYOI in order to keep the spirit of comedy alive in her heart forever. Audrey serves on the executive board of Swamp Meadow Community Theatre and is currently working toward a master’s degree in poetry (as if being a comedian wasn’t enough). She is making great strides in achieving her dream career as a philosopher hermit. In life, as in improv, she’s just making it up as she goes along.

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Erich Gottschalk

Erich Gottschalk

Member Since 2011

Erich got his start in Improv back in high school at LaSalle Academy and dabbled through college at Bradley University where he got a theatre minor in just 2 semesters. After college, he applied to the Second City’s Conservatory program on a whim and on 2 weeks notice, was accepted and moved to Chicago. After two years he graduated and got a job in the real world but has performed with Those Meddling Kids, The Speed of Thought Players, and Bring Your Own Improv.

Amy Kahn

Amy Kahn

Member Since 2014

Amy grew up with the desire to make people laugh. In college, she co-hosted a comedy talk show on Penn’s UTV, helped start a sketch comedy group, and performed standup at local comedy clubs before assuming her secret identity as a data analyst. Years later, after suffering from major comedy withdrawal symptoms, she intended to return to standup when a referral to an improv comedy workshop lured her away with the appeal of unpredictability. She’s been hooked ever since, performing intermittently with The Speed of Thought Players, and is now excited to join BYOI! Amy comes from a long line of Shetland people and refuses to act her age.

Tim Killilea

Tim Killilea

Member Since 2018

Tim is honored to be a part of BYOI, and joyful for the opportunity to perform improv. His experience with theater started in middle school, continued until college, and helped him when he previously worked as a substitute teacher, a preschool basketball coach, and any of his other seven jobs. When Tim is not firefighting or baking caveman-friendly food, he is squeezing every ounce of laughter he can out of his friends, family, and wife. He is excited to work with BYOI, and looking forward to the laughter you bring to our shows!
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Krissy Larsen

Krissy Larsen

Member Since 2011

Krissy works full-time as a marketing professional and part-time as a Princess performer. Music and performing are two of her biggest passions – she has acted in dozens of musicals and stage productions, sung in choir and a capella groups, and performed both short form and long form musical improv. She first discovered improv through BYOI, and is so happy to be part of the cast. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband Chris and two dogs, and absolutely loves unicorns.
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Alex Mann

Member Since 2019

Being disqualified from his high school yearbook superlative for class clown, Alex was inspired to find his funny bone and yours. Since 2017 Alex has been studying and performing long form improv in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. When not trying to make friends, family and random strangers in line at the market laugh he can be found in the kitchen making homemade pasta, bread and other meal prep dinners.
Ian Sokoloff

Ian Sokoloff

Member Since 2012

In a prior improv life, Ian performed with San Diego Theatresports and co-founded the Subatomic Jenkins Clan (also in San Diego). Since arriving in New England, Ian discovered long-form improv (in addition to discovering weather), performing irregularly at ImprovBoston, training in and performing with the IB Harold On Deck program, and spending a stint with the IB Harold team Plan B. Now he’s transporting his stretched mind across state lines to play with BYOI’s audiences. Excelsior!
Emily Taft

Emily Taft

Member Since 2015

Emily has performed on stage throughout her childhood and young adulthood, finding her passion in singing and acting. After training for a year and a half in BYOI’s Youth Collective, she became a fully fledged BYOI cast member. When she’s not on stage, Emily is at the University of Rhode Island earning her Bachelors of Science in Psychology and minoring in Gender and Women’s Studies. Emily enjoys making personal connections with others and loves how a good joke can bring people together.
Daniel Lee White

Daniel Lee White

Producer
Member Since 2008

Daniel Lee White is an award winning director and actor with over 20 years of experience, including his feature film Cost of the Living, numerous plays, short films, commercials, and industrials. He is currently a producer and performer at Bring Your Own Improv and he also regularly directs performances at the Newport Playhouse. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife Kerri and their dog Captain Jack Harkness.

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Rose Wood

Member Since 2019

Rose saw a show at BYOI in 2014 and immediately started doing improv as part of the Youth Collective. She is pursuing a career at one of the fashion houses in France. Her life goal is to visit all 7 continents and all 50 states. She loves travel, dogs, books, food, snow, renaissance faires, fencing, and of course…improv!

Our Awesome Door Crew

Kerri Baggesen

Kerri Baggesen

Member Since 2011

Kerri is the self proclaimed door chick of BYOI and is rarely seen on stage. Sadly, hanging around with funny people has not given her any comedic skills. She likes hanging with friends for game nights, watching movies, assorted geekery, Drag Bingo, and spending time with her one-eared cat.
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Cat's Headshot-3 2020

Caterina Brunell

Member Since 2019

Growing up, Cat was always in love with the arts. Drawing, acting, and singing often kept her occupied. With a few plays under her belt, nine years of chorus, and a few years in a (mostly) acapella group, she graduated. Now attending college, Cat decided that she couldn’t get enough of the arts and followed in her father David’s footsteps to BYOI.
Cyn Brunelle

Cyn Brunelle

Member Since 2014

A former performing member of BYOI, Cyn just couldn’t stay away. She misses being on stage with a live audience, both with us and as a Mad Scientist. Cyn spends her vast free time volunteering with Comic Conventions, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and creating art.