We are deeply passionate and experienced teachers who don’t mess around when it comes to comedy and teaching! To find our more about our experience and training keep scrolling!
Improv
Kickstand Comedy’s Faculty average over 10+ year of improv experience— performing at theaters and festivals across North America (Austin, Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver BC, etc) they’ve studied at countless improv schools (iO Chicago, The Annoyance Theatre, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, HUGE Improv Theater, The Second City, and ColdTowne Theater to name a few).
We’ve brought the joy and skills we’ve learned through improv to advertising, restaurants, sign language interpreting, website design, superficial conversations, deeply intellectual conversations, intensely dumb conversations, Nike, Playstation, Pinball Tournaments, TV (IFC’s Portlandia, TNT’s The Librarians), professional DJ gigs, commercials, and bipartisan Thanksgiving dinners. We’ve had the opportunity to study with improv legends including Will Hines, Susan Messing, Rebecca Sohn, Rich Sohn, Noah Gregoropoulos, Dina Facklace, Mick Napier, Joe Bill, Bill Arnett, Carla Cackowski , Craig Cackowski, Jill Bernard, and tons more.
Stand up
Shain Brenden has been was a finalist in Portland’s Funniest Person Contest in 2019, named an “Undisputable Genius of Comedy” by the Portland Mercury and was named one of Willamette Week’s Funniest Five Comedians in 2018.
He’s performed in the 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, Cape Fear Comedy Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, Memphis Comedy Festival, and the NW Black Comedy Festival. You can catch him performing regularly at Helium Comedy Club, co-hosting his weekly comedy show called “DOUGH” at Mississippi Pizza Pub, and hosting his monthly late-night show, "Kickin’ It w/ Shain Brenden" at Kickstand Comedy Theater.
Bios
For more info on our current teaching staff please view their bios below!
DYLAN REIFF
Dylan is the Artistic Director and one of the founders of Kickstand Comedy. He is a writer, performer, and creative consultant living in the dream boat city of Portland, OR, where he teaches improv, performs regularly, and plays a lot of pinball. Dylan has trained at UCB, The Annoyance Theater Chicago and The Neo Futurists in Chicago.
Dylan has performed all over the country but has lived in Portland since 2011, co-founding Kickstand Comedy in 2014 and performing at The Bridgetown Comedy Fest, Bumbershoot, the Del Close Marathon, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, The Stumptown Improv Festival, and with the MONDO at the Vancouver International Improv Festival.
SHAIN BRENDEN
Shain Brenden is a comedian and writer living in Portland, Oregon. He finished top 3 of the Portland’s Funniest Person Contest in 2019, named an “Undisputable Genius of Comedy” by the Portland Mercury and was named one of Willamette Week’s Funniest Five Comedians in 2018. His sneaker game is delicious.
He’s performed in the 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, Cape Fear Comedy Festival, Gilda’s LaughFest, Memphis Comedy Festival, and the NW Black Comedy Festival. You can catch him performing regularly at Helium Comedy Club, co-hosting his weekly comedy show called “DOUGH” at Mississippi Pizza Pub, and hosting his monthly late-night show, "Kickin’ It w/ Shain Brenden" at Kickstand Comedy Theater.
KARA MOORE
Kara is the Managing Director at Kickstand Comedy has been performing, coaching and teaching improv comedy since 2001. She minored in theater at Columbia College Chicago and trained and performed at IO Chicago, The Annoyance Theater, Second City Donny’s Sky Box, Curious Comedy, The Siren Theater and Revolution Hall. I
n 2016 Kara co-founded Kickstand Comedy’s training center with Artistic Director and theater founder Dylan Reiff. She has performed at festivals including: Out of Bounds (Austin, TX), Vancouver International Improv Fest (Vancouver, BC), Del Close Improv Fest (NYC) and Stumptown Improv Fest (Portland, OR). You can catch Kara performing every Thursday at Secret Aardvark and on Kickstand’s CVLT.
ERIC SIMONS
Eric is a proud Midwesterner, who has been fine-tuning his improv nonsense since 2003 (damn, that’s kinda long). He has performed in shows and at festivals all over Canada and the continental US (coming for you Hawai’i). When not performing or teaching at Kickstand Comedy, you can find him with improv triumvirate Broke Gravy or just kickin’ it (Xscape).
MICHAEL KNACKSTEDT
A lifelong Oregonian originally from Eugene, Michael has called Portland home since 2014. He’s trained at Kickstand Comedy, The Siren Theater, Curious Comedy Theater, and completed an intensive at The Annoyance Theater in Chicago. When not obsessing over music or challenging you to an air hockey match, he can be found performing improv with the Kickstand CVLT and his independent team, New York Dads. He produces and performs in MONDO at Kickstand Comedy, a monthly improv show inspired by live music, literature and media. He is also produces and writes sketch comedy with Show Ridiculous. Michael has performed in the Stumptown Improv Festival, Vancouver International Improv Festival, LA Indie Improv Festival, the Westside Comedy Festival, and the Del Close Marathon. He’s a member of Kickstand’s Leadership Team and teaching faculty.
ROLAND MECHANIK
Roland studied and performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in New York before moving to Portland. He now performs regularly with the Kickstand CVLT, Cut and Run, and Mechanik, Shankman, Sinner & Associates. He feels very lucky to have found a home with Kickstand!
NATALIE HADDAD
Natalie is a trained improvisor and actor. After studying theater at Western Washington University she studied with the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York and joined her first indie team, Sad Theresa. After moving back to Portland, Natalie continued her improv education taking classes with The Liberators and Kickstand Comedy. Natalie loves teaching and providing students with a safe supportive environment where they can get weird and learn about improv.
CRAIG McCARTY
Craig began his improv journey in 1999 performing with CSZ Portland, he has had the great privilege of performing teaching and coaching ever since. He has trained at iO Chicago, The Annoyance Theater, CSZ Chicago, and Kickstand Comedy. Craig has performed with iO Chicago, Playground Theater Chicago, Curious Comedy, CSZ Chicago, and CSZ Eugene. His notable Portland ensembles include Skin and Bones, Moist Splendor, Peachy Chicken, Advanced Minions and Mazes, and the Kickstand CVLT.
Improvisation and its applied skills have become a way of life for Craig. He’s passionate about the skills, art, and presentation of it all. He gets as much out of teaching a class as he gets out of having a fantastic show, he’s continually amazed and humbled by the medium, and is excited to continue to contribute to building the future of Improv in Portland.