FACE Improv

Krista Amigone is an actress, originally from Buffalo, NY. Most recently she premiered the role of 'Susan' in Victor Bumbalo's "Questa" at the Wings Theatre, as well as the role of 'The Wife' in "Perfect from Now On". She sends love to her husband, and family. She is a proud member of Equity.

Roy Koshy has worked as an actor and comedian in New York, San Francisco, and Austin, TX. He is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts conservatory program in New York. Roy has also received improvisational training at the Magnet Theater and the People's Improv Theater in New York, and the Annoyance Theater in Chicago. He has studied with Armando Diaz, Jean Villepique, Kurt Braunohler, Matt Higgins, and Bob Acevedo. He has taken workshops with TJ Jagadowski and Dave Pasquesi, Mike Myers, Mick Napier, Susan Messing, Mark Sutton, Ali Farahnakian, and Dave Razowsky. Roy has appeared in commercial spots for "Nicktoons TV", as well as numerous theatrical productions, including Charles Lang in "The Water Engine", Dobchinsky in "The Inspector General", and Norman in "Suburbia". In addition to "FACE Improv", Roy also currently performs with "The Yes Andersens", a Magnet Theater resident team under the direction of Armando Diaz.

Henry Kaiser has been "making funny" since he was a baby. His career was set in stone around the age of 7 when he let it be known that that was his only option was to be a comedian. Since then he has gone through Middle School and Kenyon College and he performed along the way, singing and comedy-acting. He's lived in NYC for four years now honing his skills while working on videos for SportsIllustrated.com, himself and other random sources. He's been adamant about improv as well studying with many improv greats, and performing with the fantastic 3D-Beard. He'd like to thank the cast, musicians, and director for each bringing something unique and inspiring to the table!!!

T.J. Mannix is a 10 year veteran of the NYC comedy improv scene, performing at the Magnet Theater, Upright Citizens Brigade and People's Improv Theatre. He also performed with Pax Romana, Viceroy, ECHO, Failed Family Sitcom, Playground Rules, and The Official Version. In NY Theatre: Committed (Off-Bway), The Piper (2007 NYMF), Becoming Tennessee, Warrior (2006 NYMF), A Time to Be Born (2006 NY Fringe), The Ticket, The New Yorkers, Face the Music, The Swan, Stumps, Lounge Act, Dark Corners. Television: Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, All My Children, One Life to Live, As the World Turns. T.J. also made his mark on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? You can learn more about him at his website.

Duncan Murdoch's acting style stems from his deep involvement with improvisational theater. With training at HB studios, Magnet Theater, Cay Michael Patten, and current enrollment in William Esper Studios, he has performed in the past Magnet Theater produced Rep shows Echo, No Filter (Toronto Improv Fest '06, Providence Improv Fest '06) and Official Version, written by staff writers of the ONION. He has also co-founded the sketch comedy group Evilese! (2005 NY Underground Comedy Fest) and performed in The Stanley Project (official selection of the '05/'06 Providence Improv Fest). His film and TV credits include The Good Shepherd, Starship Dave with Eddy Murphy, Forensic Files, and Ice Queen, where he was stabbed in the liver after a page of script. As a writer and filmmaker he has several short films up on his website and there are more to come! As the creator of "FACE", he now performs with an amazing cast of actors and musicians in theaters across NYC.

Josh Rutner grew up in sunny Rochester, NY. He studied saxophone and improvisation with David Pope (a former student of Yusef Lateef), and attended the Eastman School of Music, receiving his degree in Jazz Performance in 2003. Spontaneity and humor pervade Josh’s playing. Steeped in jazz and improvisation, Josh also has a great deal of experience playing salsa & merengue, R&B, and eastern European folk music. Josh currently lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where he is a member of several ensembles including The Respect Sextet, The Andre Canniere Group, Teeth, Six Types of Ambiguity, FLAP, and Electric Medicine.

Red Wierenga is a pianist/accordionist/improviser currently based in New York City. He performs regularly with the Respect Sextet, SPIN, DynaFunk, Nell Bryden Group, and others, and as the leader of his own groups, including The Wierenga Maneuver.. Wierenga received his Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music, where his teachers included Harold Danko and Ralph Alessi. During his time at Eastman, Wierenga appeared as soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Eastman School Studio Orchestra and Ossia. He also performed in duo and small group settings with Dave Holland, Wycliffe Gordon, Ben Monder and others. While at Eastman, Wierenga researched several lesser-known historical jazz pianists, including Richard Twardzik and Herbie Nichols, transcribing, arranging and performing their music. In 2004 Wierenga moved to the Netherlands, where he studied electronic and computer music at the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. There he studied with Joel Ryan and designed and built the first Respectron, a novel physical interface for gestural control of electronic music. Since moving to New York City in 2005, Wierenga has established a vigorous performance agenda while composing for the Respect Sextet and the Wierenga Maneuver and continuing development on the Respectron.

Bassist and composer Ben Gallina was born and raised in Rochester, NY, went to the Eastman School of Music for a Jazz Degree, and then departed for Washington Heights in search of grayer pastures and greater adventures. Since the big move, he has carved out a niche for himself performing and recording with rock group Big Swifty, singer-songwriter Matt Kanelos, Japanese/Okinawan pop ensemble HappyFunSmile, and several orchestras including Astoria Symphony, New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, and New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble. He leads his own group called SALO, and is a member of Outwood, a collective of musicians in upper Manhattan looking to bring new music up north. Equally at home on the double bass and electric bass, Ben is interested in playing all varieties of music, from different times, and all parts of the world. There is no doubt that future historians will look back upon his contributions to society with glee.

Brady Miller was born in Virginia and raised in Vermont, where he learned how to shovel snow, tip cows over, and hit things with sticks and brushes to produce sound. In elementary school he wanted to be a comic book artist, but in high school he took the musical route and eventually ended up at The Eastman School of Music to study drum set and percussion. He now lives in New York and performs regularly with many different groups, covering the stylistic spectrum from jazz to pop to prog rock to singer/songwriter, and more. Currently, you can see and hear him with up and coming indy folk/rock group La Strada, singer/songrwriters Angela Ortiz, Jason Liebman, and Arthur Lewis, and with jazz groups such as The Trophy Wives and Mark Taylor's Nameless Quartet. Brady has been playing with Red, Ben, and Josh in various situations for several years, and is ecstatic to join them in working with the uber-talented cast and director of FACE.