Hawk & Wayne

American Stage Improv co-founders

About the Hawk &  Wayne

Gavin Hawk grew up in the Los Angeles area. He studied Long-Form Improvisation and Sketch Comedy in Chicago at Second City and The Annoyance Theatre, and he earned his undergraduate degree in Theatre from The Juilliard School, and his masters degree in Theatre from California State University, Long Beach. In addition to improvising, he regularly acts and directs for theatre companies in the Tampa Bay area. Recent acting credits include The Pitmen Painters, Art, Barefoot in the Park,The Foreigner (American Stage), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (freeFall Theatre). Recent directing credits include Cloud 9, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Closetland (Jobsite Theater), One Slight Hitch (American Stage), Death and the Maiden, Congratulations, Joe!, Good Egg, and Miracle on South Division Street (A Simple Theatre). He received a Theatre Tampa Bay award along with his fellow cast members in The Pitmen Painters in the category of Outstanding Ensemble in a Play, and was nominated by Theatre Tampa Bay in the category of Outstanding Director of a Play for his direction of Good Egg. In addition to co-creating and being a Teaching Artist for the Long-Form Improvisation program at American Stage, Gavin is also a Professor of Theatre at Eckerd College, a member of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, and a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Ricky Wayne is the co-founder of American Stage Improv in his 11th year in residence at American Stage performing as one half of the long form comedy duo, Hawk and Wayne Their current show is THE HAWK & WAYNE SHOW (past shows include: THE DUMB SHOW, 321, THE MEMORY, NEWS OF THE WEIRD: LIVE!, IT’S A LIVING!, THIS IS A COMEDY SHOW, THE MOCKUMENTARY, ANYWHERE, USA, KARAOKE-PROV and #ASKUSANYTHINGLIVE). He studied at The Groundlings in Los Angeles in improvisation and sketch comedy writing. American Stage audiences might remember him as Carl from OPUS in 2010, Marc in ART in 2013, as Tartuffe in TARTUFFE in 2016 and Lt. Dave Caro in BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY in 2018. Other local theatre credits include A Simple Theatre’s CONGRATULATIONS, JOE! and The Heather’s SPEED-THE-PLOW, ON TIDY ENDINGS and GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. He currently works as an actor in television and film and runs an audition taping service in Oldsmar. He is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association.  www.rickywayne.com

Definitely Not Murderers

A Musical Improv Team
You can’t spell man-slaughter without laughter!

Definitely Not Murderers Cast

Culver Casson has had a diverse performance career, spanning both the world of opera and musical theater.   She attended both Northwestern University and The Juilliard School and was graduated from the prestigious William Esper Studio, a Meisner technique 2-year program in New York City. In New York, she performed the lead role of  Jessica Gatewood in the acclaimed OFF-Broadway musical SPLENDORA by Stephen Hoffman/Mark Campbell/ Peter Webb as well as the role of Agnes Pullens, which earned her praise from NY critics. She also performed a one woman cabaret show, “Island Magic”, to critical acclaim at Judy’s and Don’t Tell Mama  in Manhattan and a second cabaret, “Heart and Home,” at the Marion Anderson Studio’s inaugural event in Danbury as well as a third cabaret show entitled “Wishful Thinking” for Westport, CT’s 1st night.  Regional roles include Sophie in MASTER CLASS at Playmakers Rep, Johanna in SWEENEY TODD at Skylight Opera, Monica in THE MEDIUM at Bronx Opera, Rosabella in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA and Penelope in THE GOLDEN APPLE at  Chicago’s Light Opera Works, Gretchen in THE STUDENT PRINCE at North Shore Music Theatre, Mary Turner in OF THEE I SING at Madison Opera , Anne Draper in STRIKE UP THE BAND at Lyric Opera Cleveland,  Maria in WEST SIDE STORY with Chicago Sinfonietta  which toured the Canary Islands as a part of the International Festival di Musica.  OFF-OFF Broadway productions include an Obie Award Nomination for Norma Aho in THE CRY PITCH CARROLLS at HERE Theatre,  Monica Lewinsky in REWRITING LEWINSKY at New Dramatists,  Linda Solo in THE MINISTER’S  WIFE at The Women’s Project,  Vampyre Harpie in Fred Ho’s vampyre opera  NIGHTVISION at Cooperarts  at Cooper Union , Isabella’s Number One Girl in THE RISE AND FALL OF ISABELLA RICO at The Director’s Company and Redwood Mother in FLORIDA by Randall Eng at the Public Theatre. Favorite regional opera roles are Despina in COSI FAN TUTTE , Susanna in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Adele in DIE FLEDERMAUS, Susanna  in SUSANNA’S SECRET, and Flora in THE TURN OF THE SCREW. She sang an evening of Broadway’s greatest its with the Connecticut Ballet at the Stamford Palace. Hat City audiences saw Culver sing at Danbury Green’s band shell for two consecutive summer pops concerts and at the Hat City Christmas Pops concert under the baton of acclaimed Maestro David Katz. Culver spent two years as a performer for New Dramatist’s Nautilus Music Theater Program, performing  over 25 new works by upcoming composers from around the country, and  partaking in readings of new plays and musicals by New York-based authors/composers/playwrights. Culver studied with  WORKING /SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS composer/lyricist and teacher Craig Carnelia, and acclaimed director/ Broadway/TV performer Eric Michael Gillet.

Colleen Cherry is a St. Pete based actor, singer, and Definitely Not A Murderer. Theatrical credits include starring in the the Straz/Jobsite Theater co-production of LIZZE and all three years of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE at American Stage. Local regional credits include: BLITHE SPIRIT (Stageworks); THE THREEPENNY OPERA, SILENCE! (Jobsite Theater/Straz Center); MY FAIR LADY (Asolo Repertory Theatre); GREASE (Show Palace Dinner Theatre); ROCKY HORROR (Straz Center), and performances with The Radio Theatre Project at the Studio@620. She has recently performed in ensembles backing Sarah Brightman and Josh Groban. She is a vocalist with The Florida Bjorkestra previously featured in Life on Venus: The Florida Bjorkestra Plays Bowie and as everyone’s favorite vampire slayer in BuffyFest.

Jeremy Douglass is a pianist, deep sea welder and leader of acclaimed megasuperband The Florida Bjorkestra. Recently he’s been Jobsite Theater’s resident music director in productions of LIZZIE: A Killer Rock Musical, The Threepenny Opera, and Jobsite’s #1 selling show Hedwig And The Angry Inch. He’s composed original music for Jobsite’s productions of The Tempest, Edgar And Emily and Othello. He’s also the improv music director and instructor at American Stage Improv, and a performer with their house team Definitely Not Murderers. Currently he’s resident pianist at Straz Center for the Performing Arts and can be found during Broadway series opening nights on the piano in the lobby of Morsani Hall. If you’re looking. He makes records, too, but jeez this bio is getting long already and we can talk about that later.

Kara Goldberg, a St. Petersburg native, graduated from Flagler College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts in 2010. Since then, she has been working as a professional theatre artist for companies throughout the Tampa Bay area such as, American Stage, freeFall, The Straz, Tampa Rep, Early Bird and more. Kara recently started her own company, Kara Gold, LLC., which specializes in digital marketing consultation for the theatre, with a focus on publicity photography and videography. Kara can also often be seen on stage as well as behind the scenes in various roles. For more info, visit Kara-Gold.com.

Taylor Gaines is an improviser based in Tampa, Fla. When he’s not making up musicals with Definitely Not Murderers, he’s performing all around the Bay Area, including with the long-time longform group Dear Aunt Gertrude and the genre-based group Abridged. He hosts a podcast about “Survivor” called On The Island and a podcast about Pixar movies called Natural Selection. In his free time, he works in marketing.

Tiffany Ford is a director, producer, and teaching artist dedicated to igniting artistic, intellectual, and emotional growth through Devised Works, Theatre for Young Audiences, and Theatre Education. She is the Director of Education & Outreach, and the Director of Improv at American Stage in St. Petersburg, FL. Prior to her work with American Stage, Tiffany worked with Asolo Repertory Theatre as the Education Specialist. While she is a native Floridian, she spent the first 8 years of her career in Washington DC where she worked with The American Alliance for Theatre & Education, Imagination Stage, and founded the youth improv theater, Wobble Rocket Stage. Her teaching and directing work additionally includes The Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival, Washington Improv Theatre, Art Stream, Source DC, Madcap Players, The National Cathedral School, and more. Tiffany is a graduate of Theatre UCF, where she founded Project Spotlight (the student-run production company still running for over a decade), and was a recipient of the Gene Columbus Award.

PATRICK A JACKSON is an actor, teaching artists and creative from Richmond, VA. He is an alumnus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he received his B.A. in Drama and has studied with the British American Drama Academy. Patrick is the Adult Education Associate at American Stage, where his is a founding cast member of the theatre’s musical improv team, Definitely Not Murderers and is currently the director of Swipe Right. He likes to imagine he’s a cross between Janelle Monae, Lizzo and Chance the Rapper. www.patrickajackson.com

DYLAN RENFROW is a graduate of Auburn University with a BFA in Theatre Performance and Dance Minor. Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, Dylan moved to St. Petersburg to complete a year-long apprenticeship with American Stage where he developed a love for teaching theatre. He made his professional debut as the titular character in American Stage’s 2018 school tour production of WINNIE THE POOH, followed by the Nurse in BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, and a member of the ensemble of MAMMA MIA. DNM is his first experience with musical improv and he cannot wait to see what the future holds!

Christian Torres is an improviser. He loves improv. He likes to think that he’s pretty good at it.

Swipe Right

A Short Form Improv Team

Swipe Right Cast

PHILL HILL is a Saint Petersburg native. His introduction to improv began as a dare and turned into an enjoyable adventure. Phil’s day job includes directing, editing, writing and filming various commercial, documentary and live television projects. TV has been in his blood since the age of four when he made his television debut on Romper Room. Phil has been a member of American Stage house teams Possible Side Effects, The Marvelous Marvin Show and Fable Attraction. Phil has a Bill Murray story.

PATRICK A JACKSON is an actor, teaching artists and creative from Richmond, VA. He is an alumnus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he received his B.A. in Drama and has studied with the British American Drama Academy. Patrick is the Adult Education Associate at American Stage, where his is a founding cast member of the theatre’s musical improv team, Definitely Not Murderers and is currently the director of Swipe Right. He likes to imagine he’s a cross between Janelle Monae, Lizzo and Chance the Rapper. www.patrickajackson.com

PAULO KARUKIN is a visual artist, musician, and alumnus of the American Stage Improv Long-Form Foundations Program; currently residing in Pinellas Park Florida. Paulo has been a performance artist since the age of three starting with the group “Music With Mare” recording three albums and performing to raise money for children with disabilities. Paulo then went on to perform with Largo High Schools Advance Choir with performances at Disney World’s holiday show Disney Candlelight, Carnegie Hall, and returning as an alumni to perform at the Classical Music Festival, Eisenstadt, Austria with Dr.Richard Zalinski in 2014. Paulo’s favorite thing in the world is his cat Giggles.

SADIE LOCKHART is an improviser with Swipe Right and Definitely Not Murderers.  You may also see her on the long form improv team Fable Attraction, or previously on The Marvelous Marvin Show.  Select regional credits include: MIDSUMMER (Jobsite); AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (ThinkTank Theatre); THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS; MISS.BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY; HAIRSPRAY; AMERICA: A MOSAIC; WINNIE THE POOH; RIKKI TIKKI TAVI; GEORGE’S MARVELOUS MEDICINE (American Stage);  THE LITTLE MERMAID (Missoula Children’s Theater); JULIUS CASEAR (St. Pete Shakes Festival).   Training: BFA in Acting from Towson University; Acting & Production Apprentice and Emerging Arts Leader Fellow with American Stage.  Sadie is a founding member of ‘The Oven,’ a theater for social change company in Baltimore where she was a producer/creator/performer for COMMODITIES and GONE.  Sadie is looking forward to an awesome season of laughter and improv!

CAT LIM is a graphic designer, podcaster, miniature enthusiast, and dance party initiator with a newly found obsession for improv. She works as the Creative Team Leader for Pyper, Inc., a branding & advertising agency. Cat currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Advertising Federation of Tampa Bay as a chair for the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. When she’s not designing for clients, Cat creates for art shows such as those at the MIZE Gallery and for the Goldmined Collective. You can find her online sharing hot takes and cringe moments on her podcast “Officially Legit” and whispering food reviews with her ASMR group “Spicy Girls Network.” Cat lives by her motto “Bad Puns & Finger Guns.”

JOSHUA RIVERA began acting in high school, after being faced with the only other elective choices of art and orchestra. After graduating, he studied at various schools and studios in the Tampa Bay Area, as well as the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. He has since gone on to appear on Fox’s The Resident, the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Queen Sugar, and now, American Stage’s critically-acclaimed improv troupe Swipe Right. You can find him on Facebook @ActorJoshuaRivera

BRIAN SCHUETT is delighted to be back for the second season of Swipe Right. What started as a passion for humorous storytelling a few years ago, grew into a fascination with spontaneous group storytelling in the form of improvisational theater. Brian’s improv journey has included a variety of performances with shortform and longform teams around the Tampa Bay area and at the UCB East Village Theatre in New York. He believes that the joy of any performance is about creating a bond with fellow improvisors and the audience in a way that illuminates the lighter side of the human condition!

TRAVIS TYLER is a full-fledged comedy nerd. He is also an alumnus of Eckerd College and the American Stage Improv Long-Form Foundations Program. Currently, Travis plays on American Stage’s short-form house team: Swipe Right. When he’s not performing, he dabbles in other improv formats such as musical and long-form.  During the day, Travis is a content writer for a global software company, where he tries to make people laugh in the private sector (spoiler: it’s not easy). While his driver’s license says his name is Travis Scott, he is regrettably of no relation to the popular hip-hop artist. Twitter:@iamtravistyler

DONOVAN WHITNEY is from Indianapolis, Indiana but lives here in St. Pete. He is overjoyed to be joining old and new friends in SWIPE RIGHT! He takes improv classes at American Stage (go sign up!), loves Rick & Morty and Stranger Things (I’ll share my passwords!), and has read all of the  Harry Potter books (FACTS!). He would like to thank Tiffany and Patrick for their hard work in helping create a space for improvisers, and also the fact they’re pretty awesome people!

Small Talk

A Longform Improv Team
More Details Coming Soon

Small Talk Cast

LAUREN BONE has been practicing and performing improv for the past eight years. She currently lives in St. Pete and performs on a variety of local indie teams such as Abridged, CARL, Coven, and The Wet Bandits. She has performed in shows across the U.S. at the Del Close Marathon in New York, Detroit Improv Festival, Atlanta Improv Festival, Sarasota Improv Festival, Asheville Improv Festival, and Countdown Improv Festival in Tampa. IG: @heylaurenbone

LANDON CASSMAN hails from the improv capital of the world, Chicago, Illinois. Landon trained as an improviser at the famous The Second City, and more recently at the American Stage Improv Long-Form Foundations Program. Landon was a cast member on several teams in Chicago, as well as on The Box house team Trademark Pending Improv, American Stage Improv’s The Marvelous Marvin Show, and now Small Talk. Landon hosts a local improv showcase with his indie team The Escape Artisans in Saint Petersburg’s Avid Brew Company. While he’s not improvising, Landon can be found emceeing events as part of MattLand Entertainment, and petting cats and dogs.

AS IF!
(American Stage Improv Festival)