Ensemble Bios
Lillian Frances, Owner and CEO
Lillian Frances began acting, improvising, and directing at Northwestern University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Theater. After graduating, she trained at iO (formerly ImprovOlympic) and the Second City. She has performed with many improv ensembles around Chicago, and assistant directed and performed in Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. Directing credits also include a Second City National Touring Company, the all women’s improv groups Jane and Sirens, the critically acclaimed sketch groups GayCo and Stir Friday Night, and various ensembles at iO and The Playground. She worked for several years as a lead facilitator for Second City Business Communications where she designed and facilitated training programs for Fortune 500 companies (check out the article in the Wall Street Journal). Lillie also worked as a Core Faculty Member for the Second City Training Center where she helped create curriculum and build new programs such as the Summer Camps (for kids and adults), the Youth and Teen Ensembles, the Directing Program, and Improv for Creative Pedagogy which gives teachers theatrical exercises to utilize in the classroom. On five separate occasions she taught "Workshop in Managerial Improvisation" at FUQUA, Duke's business school and currently teaches at Columbia College in Chicago.
Mardy Baker
Mardy Baker started her acting career at the age of four and went on to graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in acting. As a member of Equity, Mardy has traveled the country performing plays and musicals in regional theatres, including Off-Off-Broadway shows in NYC. She has also performed in national commercials and independent feature films. Mardy started her improv career working and performing with the company and training center Gotham City Improv in NYC. After moving to Chicago, she has trained and with the Second City Conservatory and The Annoyance Theatre. Corporate comedy work includes Berkley Software Design, Mattel, Salomon Smith Barney, and LaSalle Bank.
Andy Eninger
Andy, co-founder of CCC, has been acting and improvising since 1988. His training includes an MA in Playwriting from Miami University, the Second City Conservatory, and the Academy of Film & Theater in Budapest, Hungary. Currently, he teaches for the Second City and performs with the award-winning sketch troupe, GayCo Productions, and in the critically acclaimed solo improv show, Sybil. As part of the Playground Improv Theater, he founded the children’s outreach program, RECESS. Andy has also directed theatre and sketch comedy around Chicago, has had his original plays produced at the Bailiwick Theater, and appears in the improvised film “Crushed.” Andy has also worked in various capacitites for NCR, AT&T, First Bank and in the ad agency world for EURO RSCG Tatham.
Shaun Himmerick
Shaun Himmerick has been performing and teaching improvised theatre since 1993. In the past he has performed with National Velveeta, Crazy Monkeys, and Denver TheatreSports. Also while in Denver Shaun was the Executive Director of the Denver Civic Theatre, among many other projects in the Denver theatre community. His favorite class to date is Buddhist movement for theatre, which he took at the Naropa Institute in Colorado. He has also trained at the Improv Olympic, The Annoyance Theatre, Act One and The Second City in Chicago. Shaun has done lots of scripted theatre including his favorite, the opportunity to play Tom Joad. He was also involved in directing a sketch comedy TV show that wasn’t picked up, although it was a huge learning experience. Besides performing at colleges and corporations around the country with Chicago Comedy Company, Shaun is currently taking his 2-man show, BARE, all over and loving the freedom that brings. Shaun also teaches improv at high schools and at improv and theatre festivals around the country.
Steve Matuszak
Steve, co-founder of Chicago Comedy Company, is a SAG/AFTRA actor, improviser, and stand-up comedian. He is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio where he received a B.A. in Theatre as well as a B.A. in Speech Communications - Public Relations. He tours his nationally acclaimed one-man show, Comedy With A Cause, to colleges, conferences, special events and more all across the U.S.. Steve has toured comedy clubs, won many comedy competitions, and opened for such greats as Frank Gorshin and Ramsey Lewis Jr.. Steve's improv background includes graduating from Second City Training Center, Players Workshop, and The Improv Olympic. He co-founded Tower Players Improv Comedy Troupe with Andy Eninger at Miami University of Ohio. He is a former member of Deep Schwa performance team at Improv Olympic and The Campus Beat, the planet's first improvised interactive sitcom on stage simulcast on the world wide web. Steve is a SAG/AFTRA performer and talent in film, television, radio, voice-overs, industrials, commercials, and more. His film credits include starring in the independent feature film, Blessings From the Food Court, the sitcom Tapioca Cafe, the talk show Among Friends, as well as short films such as Neighbors and Cemetery. He has also appeared on stage in numerous productions including Peter in Prelude to a Kiss at The Beck Center, Ken in Neil Simon's Rumors at Northbrook Theatre, Jim in To Have And To Hold at The Bailiwick Theatre, and Sal in North Shore Fish at The Cleveland Theatre Company. Steve is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and former OCPS (Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist).
Kathleen Puls Andrade
Kathleen has been a professional actor/ voiceover/ improviser in Chicago for the past fifteen years and an improviser since she was born. She has graduated with a degree in Theatre from Northern Illinois University as well as a "Masters" in comedy from The Second City Conservatory, ImprovOlympic and The Annoyance improvisation programs. She is a member of SAG, AFTRA and has several on-camera credits as well as numerous voiceovers for radio and television. Kathleen is also an Equity Candidate and has performed with Apple Tree Theatre in their critically acclaimed Midwest premier of Fuddy Meers as well as, among others, with Strawdog and Lifeline Theatres, with Hiatus in New York City and in "Wozzek" with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (While she sings, she was just staggering drunkenly across the stage at the time). Kathleen has also performed at Chicago and Minneapolis Improv Festivals and has also performed with Broadway star Hinton Battle in his very first improv performance with the Chicago Comedy Company. Currently she writes and performs sketch and improv professionally with the Chicago Comedy Company and also performs at the Playground Improv Theatre as well as all over the United States. In addition to teaching at Second City in Chicago, she has taught improv workshops for Baylor University, The University of Illinois, The University of North Florida, In Forte, and many others. One of her proudest achievements is creating and producing the National Funny Women Fest 2000 which premiered in August 2000. This unique event for women showcased the talents of women educators, performers, producers and writers in comedy and improvisation. Kathleen also knows the difference between bagels and bialys, and not because of the Food Network either!
Nancy Howland Walker
Nancy has been performing, teaching, and directing improv for ten years. She was the Artistic Director for ImprovBoston (New England's longest running comedy troupe), the Next ImprovBoston, Picture This!, and TheatreSports of Massachusetts. Nancy just returned from France, where she represented the United States in the World Cup of Improvisational Theatre. In Chicago she is currently producing, directing, and performing in the critically acclaimed MUSICAL! the musical at the Royal George Theatre, which critics picked as one of Chicago's top shows in 1998. She has also performed with The Free Associates in the critically acclaimed improv shows Cast on a Hot Tin Roof, As We Like It, Pick-A-Dick, BS, Divamatic and The Greatest Story Never Told. Nancy was head of the Free Associates Improv School, and currently teaches at Players Workshop and the Chicago Improv Festival. She was one of six Americans sent to France in 1998 for the World cup Playoffs of the International Improvisational League.