The Improv Troupe

David Adie - A current student at the University of Lethbridge, studying towards his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dramatic Arts with an emphasis on Design, David Started working with Drama Nutz shortly after moving to Lethbridge. He was cast in Tale of Turville a Christmas Play performed at Galt Historic Railway Park in November of 2009, and continued working with the troupe even being shocked when they let him fire a gun as Nicholas Sheran in The Wedding: Siege on Fort Whoop Up. David recently auditioned for and was cast as a member of the Drama Nutz Improv Troupe, balancing it with his studies and pulling costumes for shows at the University. As a result David can often be seen running around trying to get things done, especially when you add in shows he does at the University as well such as The Good Egg in October of 2010.

Erica Barr - Currently wrapping up her second year at the University of Lethbridge, Erica is studying towards a degree in education as well as the Fine Arts. Being born an oddly creative child, with a wild imagination, she spent many days alone in her room performing stand-up comedy to her toys, writing non-sensical music, and recording radio on her Fisher-Price tape recorder. Her passion for theatre and music has always been by her side as she continued to perform in numerous musicals and plays, as well as competitions for speech, voice, choir, guitar and piano. After becoming intrigued in Improv thanks to the awesomeness that is Wayne Brady and Ryan Stiles, she joined the University of Lethbridge Improv Club and then Drama Nutz. Watch for her craziness gracing the stage at future shows!

Sam Benty – Sam moved to Lethbridge from his peaceful mountain village of Creston, B.C., in the fall of 2008. Since then, he has been at the University of Lethbridge studying to become a teacher in the ways of Drama, and has performed in a number of shows at the institution, most notably HAIR and Chekov’s The Seagull. Outside of Drama productions, Sam has also played a very active role with the university of Lethbridge Improv Club, and even attempted to run it for a year before his teaching degree took over his free time. Sam is a simple man, whose hobbies include plying the harmonica, singing, and writing songs with his good friend Shane. All he asks if that if you ever see him on the streets, just say “Hi!”

Marty Blank - Marty graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a BFA in Performance in 2008, he has been acting since age 12 and only started it to get chicks. When that failed, he decided to get a degree because he realized that he's good at it! Marty likes video games, hard rock, and all things Japanese! By day, he is a mild mannered prep supervisor, but at night he is an acting fiend! He has been working with Drama Nutz for 5 years doing everything from Improv and Murder Mysteries to Scripted Shows and Gunfights since the beginning of it all. Marty loves to flex his creative muscle whenever he can (because it looks SO good!). He brings his wide ranges of musical genres and the enthusiasm to break into song, or lead a scene to every shows he is in, and excels at entertaining any crowd with his hilarious renditions of his character monologues all of which can be seen in every show he is in.

Jerrin Chambers - A second year drama student at the University of Lethbridge, Jerrin has always had a love of drama since the young age of 15 (He's now 20). Crazy, right? This is his first year with Drama Nutz and is looking forward to the day that he gets to perform with the group and bring his lovable face to the Lethbridge stage. Outside of Drama Nutz he has had the opportunity to perform with Calgary improv group the 404's and now is residing in Lethbridge having a grand old time in Chinook Country. He is a member of the University of Lethbridge Improv Club and so if you miss him in Drama Nutz be sure to check him out there! You may have already seen him in recent productions at the University of Lethbridge including last year's Positive Space, and he is always kept busy auditioning for other plays at the University too, be sure to keep checking it out and you will see him there as well!

David Gabert - David moved to Lethbridge to study Drama at the University of Lethbridge. Little did he know what was coming. Over the years, David became addicted to improv while with the University of Lethbridge Improv Club where even served three terms on the council of it, and has kept going with his addictions and fostering it in others ever since. Falling in love with the city and its peoples, David founded Drama Nutz in 2006. He started by doing shows at local venues; as well as working with the local community theatre group Playgoers. Finally, after a few years of experimenting with different types of shows, Drama Nutz became the improv-based troupe that it is today! Currently working days managing the programs at Fort Whoop Up National Historic Site in Lethbridge, he can easily be found performing or being a self-proclaimed nerd in his spare time. In 2009 he married his amazing wife Jenna and the two currently live in Lethbridge and hope tog row their family beyond their two cats very soon!

Kevin Goodyear - Kevin lives his life in four dimensions. He calls Medicine Hat his home, rather reluctantly though... Kevin is an actor at heart and a designer at brain. Raised in the same city, he found his passion for acting and all things theatre. He was featured in seven productions in the city and graduated with honours in Fine Arts. He just moved out of his parent’s house and thinks that’s cool, but doesn’t really like cooking or cleaning. Attending the University of Lethbridge, where he started in the fall of 2011, Kevin wants to be a drama teacher or theatrical designer... Or a director; whatever life has in store for him, Kevin is up for the challenge and excited at the possibilities

Jonny Kirsch - Voted most likely to hug you, Jonny brings a certain dynamic to the troupe. Whether or not this dynamic was asked for remains a point of contention. Armed with a blatant disreguard for failure, his performances are always a spectacle. And with a head bigger than some performer's waists, Jonny has plenty of ideas to baffle and delight. He first honed his artistic skills (skillz?) musically and with public speaking competitions. Later, he progressed to stage performance, writing and auctioneering. Finally, after undergoing formal training, he took on one of the only jobs where you can shovel BS and get paid at the same time - without the politics - and he's been working at Rock 106.7 FM Lethbridge ever since. When he's not on the airwaves, he's making a proper fool of himself with Drama Nutz. Keep any eye out for him. He's the big, loud guy with a penchant for the absurd and a knack for mischief.

Rayne Latchford - A first year University of Lethbridge student in a Drama/Art/Music program (yes all at once), Rayne's been singing and writing songs since the age of 8! But there is much much more to her! Rayne also has training in Dance, such as; African, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, and Jazz. She’s been in many Plays & Musicals within the past 5 years all over the place from Edmonton to sketches here in Lethbridge with Drama Nutz already. Despite her age, Rayne has won several vocal competitions as well as a couple Acting awards. this is her first year with Drama Nutz and has already done completed her frist Southern Alberta stereotype; Rayne can now say she has been in a gunfight. With Drama Nutz you can always see her enthusiatically singing or taking photos to share with those who are lucky enough to number among her friends. In her spare time you can often find Rayne volunteering,homework, or writing songs!

Jon MacBurnie - Jon began his acting career at the ripe age of, let’s say four with attempts at ‘knock-knock jokes’. For example: Knock, knock... Who’s there? Steve…. Steve who? It’s your friend Steve, he wants in - fortunately he was set straight by his brother who did not laugh and instead told him he was not funny. From this Jon worked on accents and different voices. The substance got to develop later, besides who the heck likes knock knock jokes anyway? Since then Jon has played: Igor, a Dolphin, Car-alarm, a Kookaburra, NYC Cabbie and an SS Guard in school productions in fact Jon has been doing improv since Junior High School in Calgary. After the boring joke free primary education was finished, Jon moved to Lethbridge for some university and has taken on roles in various Drama Nutz Productions and other pieces of theatre, until he traveled to Australia in order to perfect his Ausi accent and learn questionable phrases in Swedish. Tjock Snopp!!!!

Nathan McCowan - When he isn’t pondering the origins of the universe, Nathan can be heard making many, many puns; often to amid the sound of groans form his teammates. Many who meet him first feel the urge to roll their eyes, but then his emotion seems to subside and give way to a strange intrigue and hunger for more. Nathan has recently finished his degree at the university of Lethbridge and is now on a quest to become a contributing member of society, if in name only. Nathan has been with Drama Nutz for four years now, and is most likely to be the actor on stage who makes you think “How do women find him attractive?”

Mark Ogle - A very soon to be graduated member of the University of Lethbridge with a combined degree in Drama and Education, Mark has always had a passion for improv; and for a $9.99 buffet. Able to sing, dance, laugh and hug, Mark always brings life to any scene he is in. A Family Guys enthusiast, Mark takes theatre on a very expensive date, wines and dines it, drives it home, and give it - - - a sweet good night hug. All because that’s just who Mark is. He has worked with Drama Nutz off and on for the last two years, and is looking forward to getting more involved with the many shows that they do from Murder Mysteries to Gunfights, and anything else in between! His parting words of advice to any who will dare listen; “leave the key in the mailbox”

Hannah Rud - A fourth year student studying towards combined degree of Drama and Education, Hannah is currently attending the University of Lethbridge. She has been on stage since she the age of seven, and as such improv has always been close to her heart; even having competed at Canadian Improv Games for four years in high school. Education was the logical choice for her after spending three years enjoying the chaos of working with forty children on one stage… at the same time. This is her second year with Drama Nutz, having her first show with them shortly after she joined up with the troupe in the fall of last year. Also it should be noted that she is only here because the prospect of life without drama to become a vet thoroughly terrified her. Watch out for this Disney (obsessed) Princess, cracking jokes at future shows!

Alisha VanWeiren - Fresh out of Calgary, Alisha, is currently undecided with what she wants to do for the rest of her life. To help find her way, she is taking a bachelor’s degree in general humanities at the University of Lethbridge, with hopes to go down the route to a degree in education in the future. In what already feels like a past life, Alisha performed with on a team from her school in the Canadian Improv Games in Edmonton for three years. Alisha has always had a strong love of acting, dancing, “singing”, and performing – all of which began in her basement, at the age of two… Seriously. An avid enthusiast of braiding hair and baking cupcakes out of friendship and love, you can catch her in her upcoming basement show Cooking with Ponies, with an expected release date of January 2222.

Greg Wilson - Currently a student at the Univerity of Lethbridge, wrapping up a degree in performance he has graced the U of L stage with his presence on several occasions. A long time member of the Drama Nutz Troupe he can often be seen with a guitar nearby and bringing some much need musical talent to the group. In addition to his guitar picking, harmonica playing, singing improv style you can see that Greg is a man of myriad talents as the list keeps going. He also has his own web series: Shootcow Productions, where you can see some of Greg's work and stylings behinf the script and camera as well. You also may have seen him perform Improv all this past summer at the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod.