About Curious Comedy

Nathan has been a part of Curious Comedy since the early days. Nathan was an original cast member when Curious opened its doors and has consistently performed at Curious ever since. Nathan officially joined the Curious board in June 2011 and became the Board Chair in fall 2013. Nathan serves as Regional VP of Sales at Kryptiq and combines his marketing and business management skills with his perspective as a performer to bring incredible value to the Curious board.

Stacey founded Curious in 2008 – establishing the organization as well as acquiring and building out the space. She has served as Artistic Director ever since. She also served as Board Chair from 2008-2013. Stacey works closely with the Board, its committees, the Managing Director and the staff to develop and implement the theater’s five year strategic plan. Artistically, she is responsible for working with the theater’s teachers, performers, producers and tech team to develop the artistic voice of the theater’s classes, shows and outreach programs to ensure fulfillment of our mission and artistic satisfaction for performers, students and our audience.

Stacey founded Curious in 2008 – establishing the organization as well as acquiring and building out the space. She has served as Artistic Director ever since. She also served as Board Chair from 2008-2013. Stacey works closely with the Board, its committees, the Managing Director and the staff to develop and implement the theater’s five year strategic plan. Artistically, she is responsible for working with the theater’s teachers, performers, producers and tech team to develop the artistic voice of the theater’s classes, shows and outreach programs to ensure fulfillment of our mission and artistic satisfaction for performers, students and our audience.

Virginia has loved the theater since she played a stubborn bunny who wouldn’t hop in elementary school. Onstage or backstage, she enjoys the collaborative and ephemeral aspects of creating theater. She gained experience in just about every aspect of theater at Portland State University, and served as a board member and producer for the student theater company there. Drawn to Portland’s vibrant comedy scene, she then volunteered for several comedy festivals and events, and also wrote several articles for the Portland Mercury about local theater and comedy.

Virginia has held a variety of day jobs, including a career in software support that led her to learn to code. After years in the corporate grind, she was delighted to join Curious Comedy’s staff in 2022 as a “technical improviser,” bringing lights, sounds, and projection wizardry to the main stage. As of March 2024, Virginia now leads the technical department at Curious, managing all technical equipment and staff, as well as continuing to run tech for shows. She just might be the disembodied voice you hear welcoming you to Showdown!

Skelly and Improv Comedy met in 2010 at a small intro class. Since then, Skel has performed short form and long form in states across the USA, improvising on formats based on everything from card games to Ken Burns documentaries. Their improv superpowers are all-out-enthusiasm, whimsical goofitude, and musical improv (which is their very favorite both to perform, teach, and produce.) They believe in improv as a craft that helps us bring out the best in ourselves, celebrate one another, and make the world a better place with new and better stories—together.

When not at Curious, Skel lives in a house at the end of a rainbow sidewalk, that they share with their two wives and a much-aggrieved black sphynx named ’Mo. They also illustrate the series “Little Dudes Have Feelings” which can be found online at skellyharrington.com, and are the author of the horror fantasy series “The Willful Instruments” at https://www.sooliebeetch.com/

Jon Timm's journey in video production began at age 5, experimenting with his father's VHS camcorder. Growing up, he delved deeper into shooting and editing videos, later transitioning into music and audio production. Inspired by his passion for music, Jon started doing live video projections for bands, employing innovative techniques like using two projectors and analog video processing to enhance performances.

During the pandemic, Jon expanded his expertise into online live video production, creating engaging content for Curious Comedy. Upon the theater's reopening, he played a crucial role in designing and implementing a state-of-the-art video system, enabling Curious Comedy to produce hundreds of shows and provide a platform for artists to express themselves fully.
Today, Jon's dedication to excellence drives Curious Comedy's commitment to outstanding live streaming, empowering artists and captivating audiences with unforgettable performances.

Stacey founded Curious in 2008 – establishing the organization as well as acquiring and building out the space. She has served as Artistic Director ever since. She also served as Board Chair from 2008-2013. Stacey works closely with the Board, its committees, the Managing Director and the staff to develop and implement the theater’s five year strategic plan. Artistically, she is responsible for working with the theater’s teachers, performers, producers and tech team to develop the artistic voice of the theater’s classes, shows and outreach programs to ensure fulfillment of our mission and artistic satisfaction for performers, students and our audience.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 6, Noir Genre Performance Class, FREE BIPOC IMPROV CLASS, Advanced Scenework, The Harold, and more.

Betse Green has been a very active member of the Portland Improv scene since 2002. Currently, she is an ensemble member and teacher at Curious Comedy Theater and CSz (ComedySportz) Portland. She also performs regularly with the acclaimed indy teams B&B, B.A.B.E., Broad Selection and Unbreakable Chain. Her talents have been showcased performing and teaching at Improv Festivals and Theaters across the Globe. Her studies have included ComedySportz, IO Chicago and under Master Class instructors including Jill Bernard, Susan Messing, Joe Bill, Dave Razowsky and Tracy Burns. As a Certified Applied Improvisation Architect/Teacher she has created and facilitated applied improv curriculum in classrooms and corporate business.

Teaching: LEVEL 3 - LEVEL 5, The Harold, Yes And Family, To The Beat of a Different Drum: Rhythm Bonanza, and more.

Skelly and Improv Comedy met in 2010 at a small intro class. Since then, Skel has performed short form and long form in states across the USA, improvising on formats based on everything from card games to Ken Burns documentaries. Their improv superpowers are all-out-enthusiasm, whimsical goofitude, and musical improv (which is their very favorite both to perform, teach, and produce.) They believe in improv as a craft that helps us bring out the best in ourselves, celebrate one another, and make the world a better place with new and better stories—together.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 6, Team v. Team Performance Class, Advanced Short-Form, Intro to Musical Improv, and more.

Nick Medina is an actor, director, and educator with a decade of experience working at the intersection of theater and education. Originally an actor from the SF Bay Area, Nick started his improv journey at this very training center. He is a regular performer on the Curious Comedy stage, specializing in intense characters and witty Game-driven scenes. His classes are fast paced and energetic, drawing on clowning, classical theater training, and 20th century acting technique. Nick aims to create emotionally intelligent, confident, stage-ready performers.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 6, Shakespeare Genre Performance, The Movie Genre Performance, and more.

Alex Disney has been performing short & long form improvisational comedy for over 10 years. She started performing at Curious Comedy Theater in 2017 and has been a member of Mainstage team Rogue and the Curious Showdown ensemble. She performs regularly with indie team Press Conference and her drag king boyband group XXXY (triple XY). When she's not onstage, she is hanging out with her dog Monty and watching reality TV shows on Netflix.

Teaching: LEVEL 1

Ndem Nkem is an actor/comedian based out in Portland, Oregon. He started improv in 2020 and has taken classes with kickstand comedy and curious comedy. He performs stand-up, improv, and clowning and loves teaching folks the beauty of improv comedy. He believes improv comedy can improve our lives and would love to show you how.

Teaching: LEVEL 2 - LEVEL 4, BIPOC Drop-In Workshop and Improv Class

Dave took his first improv class in 2017 because he wanted to do something fun and scary. He quickly realized that improv provided so much more, and has dedicated himself to learning, playing and teaching every chance he gets. He started playing at Curious Comedy in 2022 and has been a member of the Gauntlet ensemble. He will willingly hop into any improv group if invited, but can usually be seen playing with the indie team, Julius Polonius, and the silent group, Score!. Dave 100% believes that improv can fix humanity, and is excited to help others discover, and find their voice in this art-form.

Teaching: LEVEL 1

Nate Smith began his improv career in 2000 with ComedySportz STL. In 2008 he was part of the original ensemble that helped open Curious Comedy Theater and has been teaching for Curious for over 10 years.

Teaching: LEVEL 1

Audrey Butler fell in love with improv comedy in 2007 when she joined her college improv troupe Ubiquitous They. Though to be perfectly honest, as the youngest in her family, Audrey has been using comedy as a coping mechanism for years! Joining Curious Comedy in 2015, she quickly became a regular main stage Showdown performer and has been a member of various house/main stage & indie teams across PDX. With a background in creative facilitation and education, she believes deeply in creating a safe & fun space for her students to take risks, hone their comedic voice, and build a creative community.

Teaching: LEVEL 1 - LEVEL 4 and more.

Jamie Carbone is a comedian whose lifetime of awkward experiences and faking adulthood have helped them find a voice for themselves, originally in West Virginia, then Chicago, now Portland. They have been a featured performer for festivals such as Austin’s Altercation Comedy Fest and Phoenix’s Bird City, are a regular performer at Portland’s Helium Comedy Club, and was named one of the Portland Mercury’s Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy. They also co-produce Hear You Loud & Queer, a PNW showcase that focusing on highlighting LGBTQIA+ voices. When they’re not struggling with their anxiety in front of strangers, they spend their free time making fake Seinfeld scripts on Instagram and Twitter @AJamieCarbone

Teaching: INTRO TO STAND UP COMEDY

Since stepping into his first improv class in 2014, Scriven has fully immersed himself in the world of improvisation. He's not only performed in improv, sketch, and storytelling formats, but has also taught both long-form and short-form improv classes. Scriven hosted a recurring LGBTQ2IA+ charity show in drag for several years, among other eclectic endeavors. By day, he applies improv principles within the corporate social responsibility sphere, fostering team building and leadership skills.

On stage, Scriven is known for his commitment to bold characters and finding ways to make audacious choices work. Offstage, he's drawn to witchy tunes, the allure of dark fantasy, and the simple pleasure of a great bowl of ramen. Above all, Scriven champions improv as a powerful tool for connecting with one's authentic self.

Teaching: LEVEL 1