Instructor: Vinny Valdivia

Vinny has been studying and performing Short Form and Long Form Improvisation since 2008. He is currently on DSI's House Harold Team Escape Plan, is one half of the improv duo, Mixed Signals and is a member of BoneCracker. Vinny also performs with DSI's short form company, Improv Slam. He has performed at the Del Close Marathon in New York City, the Cape Fear Comedy Festival in Wilmington, NC and Spontaneous Combustion in Atlanta, GA. Vinny has also had the pleasure of taking workshops with some wonderful people including, Joe Bill, Jill Bernard, Eric Hunicutt, Rene Duquesnoy, Jet Eveleth, Rachael Mason and Armando Diaz.

On his days off, Vinny loves to make music by playing drums and pretending he's good at guitar. From 1997 to 2003, Vinny played drums and toured with several bands including Bayside and The Prizefighter. To sum up his feelings on improv comedy; it's all about doing. There is no point in thinking about what you could have done and if you're busy thinking about what you're going to do then you're missing out on now. Instead of worrying about what's going to happen, make something happen.

Vinny also wants a saxophone.

Follow him on twitter: @vinnyvaldivia

Instructor: Paula Pazderka

Paula has been performing improv and sketch comedy for over a decade. Paula trained in Chicago, studying the art of improvisation with Mick Napier, Charna Halpern, Noah Gregoropoulos, Susan Messing, and Joe Bill.

A former COMEDYSPORTZ CHICAGO ensemble member, Paula dazzled audiences improvising with THE PLACEBO EFFECT, The SPEAKEASY PLAYERS, and CHEETARAH, performing at some of Chicago’s finest improv theaters (IMPROV OLYMPIC, THE PLAYGROUND THEATER, SPEAKEASY TAVERN, and DONNY’S SKYBOX). A writer as well as performer of sketch comedy, Paula is one third of the sketch troupe ASTERISKS which appeared in THE CHICAGO SKETCHFEST from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, she performed her solo show BACKFIRE at Chicago’s PROP THEATER’S RHINOFEST and BEST SHOW EVER at DSI COMEDY THEATER.

Since moving to North Carolina in June of 2007, after receiving her MFA in Creative Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Paula has continued to study comedy at DSI with Zach Ward. She currently teaches and coaches at DSI, as well as performing with MISTER DIPLOMAT.

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