About Curious Comedy

Nathan has been a part of Curious Comedy since the early days. Nathan was an original cast member when Curious opened its doors and has consistently performed at Curious ever since. Nathan officially joined the Curious board in June 2011 and became the Board Chair in fall 2013. Nathan serves as Regional VP of Sales at Kryptiq and combines his marketing and business management skills with his perspective as a performer to bring incredible value to the Curious board.

Stacey founded Curious in 2008 – establishing the organization as well as acquiring and building out the space. She has served as Artistic Director ever since. She also served as Board Chair from 2008-2013. Stacey works closely with the Board, its committees, the Managing Director and the staff to develop and implement the theater’s five year strategic plan. Artistically, she is responsible for working with the theater’s teachers, performers, producers and tech team to develop the artistic voice of the theater’s classes, shows and outreach programs to ensure fulfillment of our mission and artistic satisfaction for performers, students and our audience.

Heather has always had a passion for making people laugh, making up silly songs and breaking the tension with a well-timed joke, so it is no surprise that she found herself here.During her career in Business Operations over 13 years, she has worked and consulted for dozens of small businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. In January of 2019, she joined Curious Comedy Theater as a student, and found where she belonged. Five years later, she was appointed Managing Director, and today she is thrilled to work hard applying all her skills—creative, administrative, and otherwise—in service of the comedic performing arts and the people who make them great.

Outside of the work she does for Curious, Heather can be found on stage in Showdown and Dropped Notes, producing shows such as Variety Society and Sizable Shenanigans, baking sweet treats, or working on craft projects that have a 50/50 chance of being completed someday.

Stacey founded Curious in 2008 – establishing the organization as well as acquiring and building out the space. She has served as Artistic Director ever since. She also served as Board Chair from 2008-2013. Stacey works closely with the Board, its committees, the Managing Director and the staff to develop and implement the theater’s five year strategic plan. Artistically, she is responsible for working with the theater’s teachers, performers, producers and tech team to develop the artistic voice of the theater’s classes, shows and outreach programs to ensure fulfillment of our mission and artistic satisfaction for performers, students and our audience.

Virginia has loved the theater since she played a stubborn bunny who wouldn’t hop in elementary school. Onstage or backstage, she enjoys the collaborative and ephemeral aspects of creating theater. She gained experience in just about every aspect of theater at Portland State University, and served as a board member and producer for the student theater company there. Drawn to Portland’s vibrant comedy scene, she then volunteered for several comedy festivals and events, and also wrote several articles for the Portland Mercury about local theater and comedy.

Virginia has held a variety of day jobs, including a career in software support that led her to learn to code. After years in the corporate grind, she was delighted to join Curious Comedy’s staff in 2022 as a “technical improviser,” bringing lights, sounds, and projection wizardry to the main stage. As of March 2024, Virginia now leads the technical department at Curious, managing all technical equipment and staff, as well as continuing to run tech for shows. She just might be the disembodied voice you hear welcoming you to Showdown!

Skelly and Improv Comedy met in 2010 at a small intro class. Since then, Skel has performed short form and long form in states across the USA, improvising on formats based on everything from card games to Ken Burns documentaries. They are the creator and producer of such shows as The Gauntlet, Dropped Notes, Cheeky Shorts, and more. Their improv superpowers are all-out-enthusiasm, whimsical goofitude, and musical improv (which is their very favorite both to perform, teach, and produce.) They believe in improv as a craft that helps us bring out the best in ourselves, celebrate one another, and make the world a better place with new and better stories—together.

When not at Curious, Skel lives in a house at the end of a rainbow sidewalk, that they share with their chosen family and a much-aggrieved black sphynx named ’Mo. They also illustrate the series “Little Dudes Have Feelings” which can be found online at skellyharrington.com, and are the author of the horror fantasy series “The Willful Instruments” at https://www.sooliebeetch.com/

Stacey founded Curious in 2008 – establishing the organization as well as acquiring and building out the space. She has served as Artistic Director ever since. She also served as Board Chair from 2008-2013. Stacey works closely with the Board, its committees, the Managing Director and the staff to develop and implement the theater’s five year strategic plan. Artistically, she is responsible for working with the theater’s teachers, performers, producers and tech team to develop the artistic voice of the theater’s classes, shows and outreach programs to ensure fulfillment of our mission and artistic satisfaction for performers, students and our audience.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 6, Noir Genre Performance Class, FREE BIPOC IMPROV CLASS, Advanced Scenework, The Harold, and more.

Betse Green has been a very active member of the Portland Improv scene since 2002. Currently, she is an ensemble member and teacher at Curious Comedy Theater and CSz (ComedySportz) Portland. She also performs regularly with the acclaimed indy teams B&B, B.A.B.E., Broad Selection and Unbreakable Chain. Her talents have been showcased performing and teaching at Improv Festivals and Theaters across the Globe. Her studies have included ComedySportz, IO Chicago and under Master Class instructors including Jill Bernard, Susan Messing, Joe Bill, Dave Razowsky and Tracy Burns. As a Certified Applied Improvisation Architect/Teacher she has created and facilitated applied improv curriculum in classrooms and corporate business.

Teaching: LEVEL 3 - LEVEL 5, The Harold, Yes And Family, To The Beat of a Different Drum: Rhythm Bonanza, and more.

Skelly and Improv Comedy met in 2010 at a small intro class. Since then, Skel has performed short form and long form in states across the USA, improvising on formats based on everything from card games to Ken Burns documentaries. Their improv superpowers are all-out-enthusiasm, whimsical goofitude, and musical improv (which is their very favorite both to perform, teach, and produce.) They believe in improv as a craft that helps us bring out the best in ourselves, celebrate one another, and make the world a better place with new and better stories—together.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 6, Team v. Team Performance Class, Advanced Short-Form, Intro to Musical Improv, and more.

Nick Medina is an actor, director, and educator with a decade of experience working at the intersection of theater and education. Originally an actor from the SF Bay Area, Nick started his improv journey at this very training center. He is a regular performer on the Curious Comedy stage, specializing in intense characters and witty Game-driven scenes. His classes are fast paced and energetic, drawing on clowning, classical theater training, and 20th century acting technique. Nick aims to create emotionally intelligent, confident, stage-ready performers.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 6, Shakespeare Genre Performance, The Movie Genre Performance, and more.

Alex Disney has been performing short & long form improvisational comedy for over 10 years. She started performing at Curious Comedy Theater in 2017 and has been a member of Mainstage team Rogue and the Curious Showdown ensemble. She performs regularly with indie team Press Conference and her drag king boyband group XXXY (triple XY). When she's not onstage, she is hanging out with her dog Monty and watching reality TV shows on Netflix.

Teaching: LEVEL 1

Ndem Nkem is an actor/comedian based out in Portland, Oregon. He started improv in 2020 and has taken classes with kickstand comedy and curious comedy. He performs stand-up, improv, and clowning and loves teaching folks the beauty of improv comedy. He believes improv comedy can improve our lives and would love to show you how.

Teaching: LEVEL 2 - LEVEL 4, BIPOC Drop-In Workshop and Improv Class

Dave took his first improv class in 2017 because he wanted to do something fun and scary. He quickly realized that improv provided so much more, and has dedicated himself to learning, playing and teaching every chance he gets. He started playing at Curious Comedy in 2022 and has been a member of the Gauntlet ensemble. He will willingly hop into any improv group if invited, but can usually be seen playing with the indie team, Julius Polonius, and the silent group, Score!. Dave 100% believes that improv can fix humanity, and is excited to help others discover, and find their voice in this art-form.

Teaching: LEVEL 1, Genre Class

Joe John Sanchez III is a lifelong silly goose who began their standup comedy journey in 2019. They have since appeared on Willamette Week's Funniest Five and the Portland Mercury's Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy, along with producing several local showcases committed to uplifting local queer talent. Across the country, they have performed at SF Sketchfest, the LGBTLOL Comedy Fest, and were selected for Best of Fest at the 2023 Burbank Comedy Festival. They are a champion of new, emerging voices within the Portland comedy scene and firmly believe that everyone has a story worth telling.

Teaching: Adanced Stand Up

Aimee Sinclair is a queer Portland comedian, born and raised in the mystical land of Florida. A featured performer on Ha Ha Harvest Festival & ComedyFort Festival, Aimee focuses on merging her bizarre Florida-Catholic upbringing with her feminism and her commitment to being silly. Aimee has been running joke workshops focused on bringing new comedians into the fold for the past few years and previously has taken classes with UCB, Reductress, & ACI to lay the foundations of their comedy writing techniques. They run a women-focused open mic called Tits Up & a panel style show called You Oughta Know where comedians get passionate & goofy about their niche special interests. Aimee is very excited to meet the new stars of the Portland comedy scene and impart any wisdom she has to offer!

Teaching: Intro to Stand Up, Adanced Stand Up

A Portland-based comedian, Jay showcases his broad comedic prowess in several different rodeos around town. Jay is a main stage fixture at Curious Comedy Theater, and performs in the popular improv troupe, J Names (SF Sketchfest, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Vancouver International Improv Festival). He is also apart of Not Just Pizza a 10 time winning Friday Night Fights hall of fame team.

There are many facets to Jay’s comedic talents. Though a comedic performer at heart, he has also made a name for himself through his outstanding and compelling storytelling skills. Jay has been featured on NPR’s LIVE WIRE!, Kevin Allison's RISK!, Mortified , and has performed with Kevin McDonald (The Kids in the Hall) and Colin Mochrie (Who’s Line is it Anyway?).

Teaching: LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2, LEVEL 3, LEVEL 4, LEVEL 5

Peri Ahmadi is a Portland based improviser who got her start at Curious Comedy theater. She's a regular on the Curious main stage, and has also taken part in other long and short form ensembles in the Portland area. She believes improv is a tool anyone can use throughout their lives, and she tries to impart that onto her students.

Teaching: LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2, LEVEL 3

Kevin has been performing short and long form improv since 2012. A transplant from southern California, Kevin spent over a decade in the Orange County improv scene. The first thing he did after moving to Portland was finding Curious Comedy Theatre and he couldn't be happier with that decision! You can often find him performing as a member of the ensemble in the Gauntlet or in one of Curious Comedy's jams!

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - Intro to Improv

Matthew Aranda fell in love with improv comedy in undergrad and performs at Curious Comedy with the BIPOC ensemble and Gauntlet ensemble. With a blend of whimsy, curiosity, and hope, he aims to prepare improvisers based on the level they want to achieve using a skills-based approach. Matthew uses a socratic style of coaching, be prepared to get silly and cerebral! Matthew has also held dynamic roles within education in both formal and informal settings, such as an education designer with a non-profit, a role in a higher education career service office, and as an instructor for various subjects at an innovation camp for kids.

Teaching: LEVEL 1

Nate May hails from New Jersey. He has been performing Improv with Curious Comedy for several years(first with classes, and then with the house team and special projects). His hobbies include camping and hiking, dancing, woodworking, playing music, and getting together with his weekly D&D group.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - Intro to Improv, LEVEL 2 - Intro to Scene Work, LEVEL 3 - Objective & Relationship, LEVEL 4 - Character & Environment

Ally is a storyteller based out of the Pacific Northwest. They strive to bring joy, compassion, and silliness to their work as a teaching artist and comedian. An improvisor since 2014, Ally has performed long-form, short form and musical improv and particularly enjoys performing in the Curious Playground family show. They take great delight in teaching devised theater, improv and physical comedy classes. Ally has a passion for creating a space of learning and encouragement for others to explore and play.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - High School, LEVEL 2 - High School

Matt Tominaga discovered his passion for improv while studying at the University of Portland and has been performing since 2014. A graduate of Curious Comedy’s training program, Matt has played on multiple house and indie teams, including Step/Sisters, which performed at festivals in Nashville and Santa Monica. He’s currently a cast member of Showdown at Curious Comedy, where he brings energy and creativity to every performance.

Teaching: LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2, BIPOC CLASS

Ally J. Ward is a stand up comedian, improviser, and storyteller based out of Portland, Oregon. Her comedy style can be described as dry in delivery with a mischievous energy, subverting societal expectations with a queer and trans lens all through a strategic narrative approach. She produces and hosts several shows in Portland including Hear You Loud & Queer, Lady Killers, and Punchlines & Piledrivers. She is a cast member of the improv competition the Gauntlet, and the kink comedy education show Giggle Bottom. She also organizes and hosts Portland’s Comedy Pageant an annual comedy competition at Curious Comedy. In her short time doing comedy she’s earned honors including winning a Moth Story Slam, in 2024 she was named one the hottest queer comedians of today by Out Magazine, and in 2025 she was named one of the Undisputed Geniuses of Comedy by the Portland Mercury and Portland’s Funniest Person by the Willamette Week.

Teaching: Intro to Stand Up

Amanda Lynn Deal is a writer, improviser, producer, host, and a super poor “full time” stand-up comedian. In 2012 she attended Chicago’s Second City where focused on sketch & improv.
In 2017 she moved to Portland, OR where she focused on stand-up & finding her voice.
She was voted 2023’s “Funniest Five Comedians in Portland" & 2024's "Best Comedian in Portland" by the Willamette Week. You can catch her being a real goofy loud-mouthed broad all over the PNW.

Teaching: Intro to Stand Up, Adanced Stand Up

Blake (he/him) started his improv journey at the age of 15 as a student and performer. He has since gone on to coach various troupes and teams in Portland, OR, Denver, CO, Los Angeles, CA, and NYC. Blake received his B.F.A. in Acting from Adelphi University and holds a degree in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Blake was a resident artist with the New York Deaf Theater and is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA. He has worked as a teaching artist/arts administrator for the past 13 years with arts organizations across the globe (Tanghalang Pilipino, Integrating Art, ArtsInsideOut, ArtsIgine, PEAK Acting Studios, Portland State University), and more. He is currently the Education Director at Oregon Children’s Theatre and directs the award-winning Improv Troupe, Impulse! Outside of the arts, Blake spends most of his time supporting Liverpool Football Club, running, and being a Dad!

Teaching: Cultivating Presence, and more