About

Cornerstone Improv is a 501c nonprofit, created to add an inclusive community space to study and perform this art form with world-class instructors brought in from all over the country.

Our collective believes in equitable access and is the only improv theater in San Diego to offer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion spots. We work on a non-hierarchal collective model, with everyone pitching in to produce shows and workshops at spaces around the city.

Matt

Co-Founder

Matt has been improvising for 16 years and he wouldn't have it any other way. He started his training in Improv Asylum in Boston where he developed his love of this art form. Outside of Improv Asylum, Matt has trained at IO West, Annoyance Theatre, and UCB. He has performed improv in every city he has lived including Boston, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, and San Diego. In San Diego, he performed at the National Comedy Theater on their Sunday Company and Mainstage teams, Sidestage Improv, and Finest City Improv. He currently plays with indie team Slack to the Future. He loves long, committed scene work but is also content with fast tags and following the fun.

Ryan

Co-Founder

Ryan re-kindled his love of improv back in 2010 when he joined the National Comedy Theater as a member of their College Team and, later, their Sunday Company and Mainstage teams. He has studied at NCT, FCI, Sidestage Improv, The Pack Theater and more. He currently plays with San Diego indie teams Slack to the Future and We Krooked Swedes. He loves honest and slow improv but is very comfortable jumping into the more whimsical side of things.

Amber

Guest Instructor Manager, Show Producer, Inclusion Coordinator

Amber holds a BA from UCSD with a major in Theatre and minor in Dance. While she was first exposed to improv in junior high and played on a short form team in college it wasn’t until 2016 when she was gifted a Level 1 class at Finest City Improv that she gave herself over entirely to Improv. Since then she has performed on over 20 indie and house teams in San Diego and at improv festivals in eight US cities and at two international festivals. She has taught for Cornerstone Improv and coaches several teams in San Diego. While she has performed in musical improv shows, Armandos, JTS Browns, improvised clown shows, and Pretty Flowers (among others) her absolute favorite is genre based narrative improv.

Brandon

Guest Instructor Management

Brandon Hensgens has been performing improv since 2011. He is a performer based in Finest City Improv in San Diego. Brandon started his improv journey by auditioning for his first group, Roar. Since then, he has been non-stop. He has trained at iO West, Pack Theater, Dosage Improv, and Roar Theatre. You can catch him perform with Roar, Greg Hess’ Hair, and JACKIE: The Improvised Karate Movie. He is also the director of the Harry Potter improv show, Dungeons and Dementors. Since 2013, Brandon has worked as an actor in the cast of Dinner Detective. He loves physical and silly improv but also thrives in grounded, patient scene work.

Gosia

Registration Coordinator

Gosia started her adventure with improv in 2016. She studied at Finest City Improv, Old Town Improv Co., and Cornerstone.

She currently plays with San Diego indie teams Rug of Love, Fem&ms, and Unreleased Files.

She enjoys slow, grounded improv but also loves it when things take a turn for the fast and silly. She believes physical comedy is a wonderful spice and she likes to add it as often as she can.

Julius

Show Producer

Julius is an improv performer and instructor currently based in San Diego. He is an ensemble member at Finest City Improv and primarily performs with resident Saturday-night Armando show “Found Family”. Previously, he performed with “The World According to…” at FCI and “The Fellow Travelers” at Old Town Improv Company. He is also an instructor and coach with a focus on scene-work and advanced forms. He trained and performed improv and sketch at The Second City Hollywood and iO West in Los Angeles, as well as Finest City Improv and Sidestage Improv in San Diego.

Claire

Communications & Show Producer

Claire is a San Diego improviser and part of the musical house team ensemble, “On that Note,” at Mockingbird Improv. She is also in a duo with her husband called “Maxed Out!” and has been on several indie teams, including “Busy Signal,” “Gals & Dolls,” “Fast Eddie,” “Centipettes,” “Route 11,” and the soon-to-be smash-hit duo with her BFF, “Smaller Boat.” She has also performed in several sketch and holiday shows at FCI and Mockingbird and is part of The Plot Dickens Players, a Charles Dickens group that performs “A Christmas Carol,” annually via livestream.

Interested in being more involved with the Cornerstone community collective? Let us know what you’d like to do and how much time you can commit!