History
Atlas Improv was founded in early 2004 by Mary Parmentier and Bryan Judkins. Their dream was to explore and innovate beyond what was familiar.Our story goes back further than just a few years though. In the mid 1980s, Dick Chudnow, founder of ComedySportz, brought his brand of competitive improv comedy to Madison, and a figurative seed was figuratively planted.
As ComedySportz - Madison, we performed mainly short-form, a type of improvisational theatre where a show is segmented into five-to-ten-minute scenes and games. We loved what we were doing, and, during that time, we developed one of the show formats that we still perform today. It's as engaging for audiences and performers as ever. Each show is fresh and fun.
As managers, Parmentier and Judkins sought a creative environment that challenged and fulfilled us artistically. They knew that we were capable of more and wanted to push us to new heights. They realized short-form wasn't enough. In 2004, they started Atlas Improv. The active members of ComedySportz - Madison followed Parmentier and Judkins to do something new and amazing.
Today, Atlas Improv fosters an expert in each of its players. In story arc, character building, or pure wit, every performer is a master.
Company Auditions
We're always looking for new talent in the area. Whether you're a seasoned improv veteran or you've never been on a stage before, we'd love to see what you've got. We'll run you through some basic exercises in a low-pressure two-hour open audition.Call us at (608) 259-9999 to hear more about our audition process. We're easy to talk to.
Upcoming Auditions
Saturday, September 15, 1 PMSunday, September 16, 1 PM
Bios
Amanda Connors
A student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Amanda studies theatre and journalism. She hopes to one day pursue a career in acting and writing (which is obvious from her majors). She also enjoys traveling and learning languages like Spanish and Norwegian. She likes to play cards and has a great poker face. Amanda has been a member of Atlas since 2011.
Ben Taylor
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ben Taylor is a UW-Madison graduate with a degree in entomology. He became a member of Atlas in the winter of 2008 and is currently back in school earning his secondary teaching certificate. He is interested in no-conflict scenes, stand-up comedy, and teaching as many introductory improv classes as possible.
Bryan Morris
Bryan Morris has been a member of Atlas Improv Company since 2005. Since then he has taught classes, served as a judge of The Cut, and wowed audiences with his one-man, multi-character, monologue braid team. Bryan is also active in the stand-up comedy community in Madison. Although born in Illinois, Bryan studied Spanish and journalism here at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Jess Schuknecht
Jess began studying and performing improv in 1997 and teaching it in 2000. A founding member of Atlas, he has worked with everyone from 8-year-olds to celebrities. Despite being the biggest member of Atlas, Jess is as soft and cuddly as the prizes he constantly wins from skill crane games.
Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson has been improvising with Atlas Improv Co. since 2005. Highlights of his career at Atlas include his time on the Shakespeare team, hosting The Cut, and living with three other company members in the hallowed "Atlas House."
Kristina Martinez
Kristina Martinez is the business manager and owner of Atlas Improv Company. A graduate student in the School of Library and Information Studies at the UW-Madison, Kristina moved to Madison from Holland, Michigan, and became a member of Atlas in 2008. She is interested in character development, storytelling, and leading corporate training sessions.
Matt Mantsch
Matt Mantsch has been improvising in Madison since 2001 and is a founding member of Atlas. During his time in Atlas, he's performed a one-person format, taught classes, and made a few friends along the way. When he's not on stage, you can find him reffing roller derbies as Rev. Riot across the country.
Megan Kaseman
Megan Kaseman is thrilled to have been a member of Atlas since winning The Cut in November of 2006. Megan was recently accepted into the Second City Training Center Conservatory Program and has been acting since she was eight with theatre groups in the Madison area. She loves improv to pieces, highly recommends it, and is so grateful for the opportunity to be part of Atlas and be constantly inspired by the other incredibly talented company members. When not improvising, she teaches Spanish at Comprendo Language Services and tellers at a local credit union.
Mike Brania
Mike Brania has been an improviser with Atlas since 2004. He has a fascination with bicycling and currently works for American Family Insurance. When on stage, Mike loves creating dynamic characters and singing his lungs out.
Neil Baron
Neil Baron joined Atlas in December 2011, shortly after moving to Madison from Austin, Texas, to be a graduate student at UW-Madison. He sure is excited to be here! His interests outside of improv include mathematics, stand-up comedy, games of all types, and just hanging out and shooting the breeze.
Neil Pohl
Neil Pohl has been improvising since late 2000. He is a founding member of Atlas Improv as well as its artistic director. Once a member of sketch comedy group Free Love Forum, Neil still enjoys writing. Check out his latest project: dailypremise.com.
Rachel Byrd-Felker
Rachel Byrd-Felker has been a member of Atlas since 2005, including a year-long hiatus to teach English in the Marshall Islands and one year in Boston, where she took workshops with Improv Boston. A Madison native, Rachel manages a youth center for middle schoolers in McFarland, WI, and spends her spare time running, painting, and keeping track of major league baseball stats.
Sam Blake
Sam became a member of Atlas in December of 2011. Born and raised in Detroit, he studied history at the University of Michigan, where he performed with his college improv group. He really digs Madison and is happy to have the opportunity to improvise with such talented and friendly people. In his spare time, he loves to read, play and watch sports, and think about meta-dope stuff.
Stacey Kulow
Stacey Kulow hails from Lake Mills, WI, where she performed musically and theatrically throughout her K-12 education. She received a bachelor's degree in interior design from UW-Stout, where she was also a pioneering member of an improv comedy troupe. After graduating, she began taking classes with Atlas, becoming a company member in 2008 after winning The Cut. She hopes to travel the world, become a noted designer, and to always be performing in some capacity.
Tom Johannsen
Tom Johannsen, a Madison native, joined Atlas in December 2010. A life-long musician, it was only 3 years ago that Johannsen first took to the stage in any capacity, attending one of Atlas' many free workshops. He graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in International Natural Resource Economics and currently works within a mile of where he grew up, which is kind of weird for him. He loves to play board games and team sports, and handles losing pretty well.