You're only given one spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.
Robin Williams
Level 1 Improv – Kimberly Cope McCrary
Kim has been a student and performer of Improv for nearly 10 years. Throughout her professional career, she has instructed and presented on several topics in the academic, corporate, and non-profit arenas. Since completing improv training at the CCT Training Center she has performed short-form and long-form improv for weekend shows, corporate events, and comedy festivals. She is an original member of CCT’s all-female ensemble “That’s What She Said”.
Kim is a wife, mother, financial services professional, and community volunteer who credits improv with helping her navigate life’s uncertainties.
Level 2/3 Improv, Sketch & Musical Improv – Stuart Ranson
Stuart has been performing, writing, and teaching improv and sketch comedy since 1997. He completed the training programs of The Second City, Annoyance Theater, and Improv Olympic. In addition to performing with The Second City National Touring Company, and being a founding member of the internationally renowned music improv troupe Baby Wants Candy, Stuart has also performed in New York with the Magnet Theater and the People’s Improv Theater. As a faculty member of The Second City Training Center, he has taught improv from the beginning to conservatory levels, sketch writing, storytelling, music improv, and youth/teen courses.
Level 4 Improv – Amy Gascon
Amy Gascon is happy to have found a new home at Charlotte Comedy Theater after performing improv for the past decade in the Midwest. She is a Second City Chicago Conservatory Graduate and helped build up the improv and sketch comedy scene in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Amy performs with That's What She Said and Bummerland as well as coach of The Jagbots. She is part of the level 4 long-form teaching team and loves being around students experiencing improv for the first time at CCT. When she's not performing comedy, she's an Education Program Manager working in entrepreneurship and innovation programs.
Meisner for Improvisors – Mandy Butler
Mandy Butler has been an active improviser in Nashville, Richmond, Atlanta, Savannah, Charlotte, and Greenville. She is a Featured Performer and Teaching Artist at Dad’s Garage Theatre Company and leads the improv program at Newberry College, where she is a tenured Associate Professor of Theatre and Speech and the Director of Performance. She holds a BA in Theatre Performance from Georgia State University and an MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Mandy has trained and performed with instructors from the Annoyance Theatre, BATS Improv, Second City, Upright
Citizens Brigade, iO, and Steppenwolf West. She has taught master classes at improv festivals and studios across the United States, Istanbul, and Iraqi Kurdistan. Mandy specializes in applying the Meisner Technique to long-form Improvisation and earned her Meisner teacher certification through the True Acting Institute.
Founder – Keli Semelsberger
Keli Semelsberger is the Owner of Charlotte Comedy Theater and a 29-year Chicago Improv Comedy Veteran. She is one of the co-founders of the VAPA Center, the author of “Improv Shaman – The Transformative Journey of Divine Play”, a tribe/team-building specialist, energy medicine practitioner, class V raft guide, and a veteran of the US Army. Her classes are legendary in their life-changing messages and inspired energy. Keli is currently focused on re-opening our sister theater, Big Island Comedy Theater, and works remotely.