Our Educators
Nathan Zimmerer
Nathan Zimmerer is a veteran improviser who has been performing around the valley for 9 years with Improvmania and is happy to share what he's learned at the Bridge! When he's not making a silly little fool of himself onstage he's drawing silly little pictures and animating them. Don't feed him after midnight or he'll melt​.
David Raftery
David has been performing and teaching improv in the Valley of the Sun since 2012. His travels of improv have taken him to ASU, MCC, GCU, Mesa Arts Center, The Torch, and JesterZ, where he has either performed, taught or learned from some of the greatest people on earth. He ran the improv troupe, "Names from a Hat" for 5 years, learning how to produce a show and lead within improv.
Johnny Kalita
Johnny has been an actor/improviser for 15+ years. Hailing from Chicago, he is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory, i.O. Chicago, and The Annoyance. He has performed in dozens of improv teams, sketch shows, plays, films, and commercials. Johnny studied Meisner in Chicago for over 6 years. He started his Meisner journey at Act One Studios and later transitioned to Black Box Acting Studios where he trained in Meisner, run by Steppenwolf Ensemble member Audrey Francis. He then graduated from their conservatory. Johnny also created his own company (Black Mamba Theatre Co) where he produced and starred in “The Pillowman." Johnny shares his experience and knowledge to help students build confidence and skills in creating compelling characters, fostering teamwork/groupmind, exploring environment/object work, and adding value to scenes with dynamic editing/scene painting. Johnny values improvisation, not only as a wonderful artform in itself, but as a great tool to become a better actor/writer/director and a way to approach life.
Jess Klemm
Jess began her improv journey in 2018, taking classes with David Raftery and through the Torch Theater. She quickly found herself committed to the craft and loves that improv encourages failure, connection, and creativity but is also something anyone can do.
Meghan Ramos
Meghan Ramos is currently studying to get an associates degree in the performing arts. She has performed with The Blackbox Foundation (The Unmanageables, Exit 185, Battlemoose), The Torch Theatre (Franklin Institute, Around The House), and The Bridge Improv Theatre (MainStage cast, Hot Girl Summer. She has also co-founded/directed the teams Ordered Chaos and Casa Grande Middle School Varsity Advanced Choir.
Meghan has a history of acting, music, technical theater, and stage and production management. She has been doing short and long form improv for over 10 years and she has since been deemed as “ruthlessly playful'' and fell in complete love for the art of listening, laughing, and trusting that comes from improv comedy.
Jacob Stovall
Jacob Stovall is a mainstage performer at the Bridge Improv Theater. Prior to improvising, Jacob spent 7 years performing in community theater productions throughout the valley. During his time performing, he earned two national youth arts awards nominations and was an Arizona Young Artists Competition finalist for acting. He then went on to perform at the Torch Theater where he performed on teams like the Light Rail Pirates, The Dangerous Trio, and one of the Torch Theater’s house teams, Franklin Institute. He can currently be seen on mainstage and performing with Socrates Fish Fish Descartes Philosophy Treehouse.
Dan Thomson
Dan Thomson is a comedian, actor, and improviser from Phoenix. He performs all over the valley and is happy to call the Bridge Improv Theater his new home for improv comedy.
Prior to performing at the Bridge, Dan is most proud to have produced the (locally) acclaimed, “Literally The Worst Show Ever”, and his own show, “One Night Only!”. He has also been a regular in TV commercials, industrial training videos, and at Stand Up Live, the Tempe Improv and Copper Blues Live, opening for headliners you both have and haven’t heard of! Dan also enjoys coaching high school improv troupes and teaching the next generation of improvisers how to shamelessly guilt friends and family into attending more shows than they ever thought they would.
Eric Cohen
Eric Cohen is an educator, team builder, and improviser. He was introduced to
improv on a high school date where he fell in love…with improv…and has studied and performed since then. He credits his improv education and training to In Between the Lines Improv Troupe (IBTL), Geva Theater, and The Bridge Improv Theater. He was previously a high school math teacher and middle school STEM tutor and is excited to merge his passions of teaching young minds and doing improv comedy.
Solomon Cruz
Solomon was born a baby and grew to be a child when his mother noticed he could reenact scenes from movies perfectly after just watching them once. She enrolled him in an acting school where he discovered his love for acting, and his gift of improv.
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He was taught the many applications of improv, from storytelling, interpersonal communications, and scene work enhancement.
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Once he entered college he was equipped with the tools to be put on the radar of seasoned and self-taught improv leader: David Raftery.
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David took Solomon's skill and molded it into Organized Chaos to be the ultimate energy booster in any scene.
Skylar Gonzalez
Bio coming soon!
