The main thing I believe is that you can take comedy seriously.
I’ve been doing improv since middle school (cool!). I’m a member of Second City’s National Touring Company, meaning I get to travel around the country performing improv and sketch comedy. It’s rad—we write and create our own material. I also perform and teach at the Annoyance Theatre, where I improvise weekly with Sight Unseen and with Chicago’s longest-running improv team, Deep Schwa. I’ve taught at the Annoyance since 2018 and have directed multiple sketch shows as well as 2019 & 2021’s It’s Christmas, Goddamnit! and 2022’s Splatter Theatre.
Previously, I performed on the Village Theatre Mainstage team in Atlanta and on house teams at the Washington Improv Theater in DC. My two-person team, Rufio, performed across the country—at the Del Close Marathon, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Alaska State Improv Festival, Atlanta Improv Festival, Atlanta Fringe Festival, Atlanta Black Box Comedy Festival, Ocean State Improv Festival, and Vancouver Improv Festival. I told you I take comedy seriously. Guys, I've been interviewed about improv twice on NPR. I'm not cool.
I have a whole lot of coaching and teaching experience. In addition to teaching at the Annoyance, I’ve taught classes and workshops for Second City, the Revival Theater, Northwestern University, and the Village Theatre in Atlanta. I spend my summers teaching improv and comedy writing to elementary through high schoolers in Alaska, at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, which is an absolute dream. I’ve also done comedy residencies through Chicago Public Schools and have mentored multiple teachers about how to bring the arts into their non-art-focused classrooms. My teaching pedagogy involves taking care of yourself first, approaching scenes with the intention of being delighted, and a healthy balance of selfishness mixed with the feminist ethics of care. I really love teaching, and I won a lot of high school theater awards, so I know what I’m talking about.
Need a performer? A teacher? A coach? Let’s do it.
“I admired Cassidy as a performer before I was able to be taught and coached by her. I was so pleased to find out that she was giving with her time, energy, and feedback, so that we could all become performers worth admiring, too. Many of her notes have since become my mantras I use when I need an extra pep talk before shows.”
“Cassidy’s coaching style is detailed and constructive. Through working with her, I’ve developed the skills to create strong character relationships, listen to my partners, understand the flow of a set, and more importantly when to do nothing at all. Her feedback is always authentic and supportive.”
“Cassidy has an uncanny ability as a coach to offer you a note after even the most horrendous rehearsal or show with something to be proud of; something to work on, too, of course, but also something that helps you believe, ‘yes, I can do this, I’m going to get back up there.’”
“Cassidy is the most thoughtful, quick and smart teacher I’ve ever had. She is in tune with her students and knows exactly what to say to push them to their highest potential.”
“Cassidy did a great job keeping everyone positive while giving criticism. Best teacher I’ve had of everywhere I’ve studied.”
“She teaches you the song of your own feelings and experiences, the one written on your heart that you didn’t know you knew. If that sounds dramatic, then you haven’t taken her class.”