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| John Briggs is a native of the Capital District, and moved back to the area after living in Washington DC. He first started harnessing his comedic muscles while studying and hosting a radio show at Marist College. John would like to thank everyone for pushing him to pursue his goal of becoming an Improv actor. |
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| During Michael Burns’s (Co-Director) highly productive youth, he dabbled with busking, briefly sang with a folk trio, and occasionally stage-managed for The No Elephant Circus. He studied theatre at SUNY Purchase, then improv with David Shepherd in New York. There, Michael directed for the American Modern Dance Theatre and the American Folk Theatre, and was a member of The Big Apple Experience, a short-lived but cleverly named improv troupe. Michael started the first incarnation of MopCo in 1995, and resurrected the group due to popular demand in 2005 after a brief hiatus. Currently, Michael teaches video production and art at The Charlton School, a residential facility for adolescent girls with emotional and learning difficulties. |
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| Cindy Campbell is a native of Long Island, where she became interested in theater and music at an early age. She has performed for over 20 years in various venues, including the 1998 Lake George Jazz Festival. She currently studies Jazz and enjoys Zumba at The School of the Arts, at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs. Cindy is absolutely thrilled to be a part of such an amazing and talented group of improvisers. |
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| Mary Darcyis a television/radio producer and an owner/editor of Alloveralbany.com. A firm believer in doing things that scare the hell out of her, she weighed improv and bungee jumping, and, well, here she is. While new to improv, Mary has always been active in theater. Most recently she read with Frank McCourt at Symphony Space's Bloomsday Celebration on Broadway and played Joan in “The Guys” at Capital Rep. If James Lipton ever asks, what turns her on is kindness, her favorite sound is her husband's laugh and the profession she would not like to attempt is bungee jumper. |
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| Peter Delocis Already a seasoned veteran improvisor, Pete was thrilled to throw his lot in with Mopco. (He can claim to have worked with more local improv companies than anyone in the Capital Region.) Pete has studied with the Upright Citizens Brigade.Recently, he has been seen in "Hadrien VII" and "All My Sons" at Hubbard Hall. Perhaps the most important and energizing quality Peter shares with his fellow company members: his truly maniacal laugh. |
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| Lora Lee Ecobelli is an actress, writer, musician and crazy nut-job as described by her children. Dispute that handicap, she somehow managed to obtain Broadway & Off- Broadway credits that have gained her the Harold Clurman Award for best leading actress for her performance in The Vise. Film credits include leading roles in the independent films: The Abolitionists, Carla, Kangaroo Court and Jimmy’s Cafe. TV: Elmoplooza and The Upright Citizens Brigade on Comedy Central. She also enjoys performing in music videos. The most recent: The Mom Song, by Adira Amram was featured in The Huffington Post, Funny or Die and MTV. |
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| Joey Hunziker is a veteran character actor from the old Vaudeville days, but lives in the body of a 25-year-old man (a devilishly handsome 25-year-old man, thank you very much). His work has included writing, directing, acting, choreographing and dancing in productions since the tender age of 9. He has trained with wonderful artists from the John Sayles School of Fine Arts, Union College, Saratoga Shakespeare, National University of Ireland-Galway, SITI Company, Odin Teatret, Cirque du Soleil, Rubberband Dance, and places around the country you’ve never heard of before (think Cincinnati). Joey joined MopCo last year with an open heart and an open mind, and now he is permanently jaded—he just loves improv and his MopCo family too much to be normal. |
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| Jon Kimlicko was born into a show biz family. His father, Franklin, is a classical guitar teacher and his mother, Sheila, is an opera singer. Becoming an improviser was the logical result of this union. Jon is a graduate of the Second City Training Center in Chicago. He also completed the improv programs at both Improv Olympic and the Annoyance Theatre also in Chicago. Jon is a singer and a songwriter. One of his children’s songs, ” Extinction” got an Honorable Mention in the John Lennon Song Writing Contest. Jon is proud to be part of Mop & Bucket. |
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| Kat Koppett (Co- Director) is a 25-year improv veteran, including stints with Theatresports companies in New York City (Freestyle Repertory Theatre) and San Francisco (BATS Improv). In 1995, TheaterWeek Magazine named Kat one of the year's "Unsung Heroes" for her creation of the improvisational theater format, Spontaneous Broadway, which is now performed regularly all over the world. Her acting credits include the title role in The Diary of Anne Frank both Off-Broadway and in the Soviet Union; Rosalind in As You Like It with the Manhattan Stage Company and Fiddler on the Roof with Theodore Bikel. She has been seen in television ads for Pillsbury, Quaker Oats, and Dr. Pepper (she was a Pepper!). In 1998, her short play, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, was a winner in Playground's Emerging Playwrights Festival in San Francisco. Kat holds a B.F.A. in Drama from NYU/Circle in the Square and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology. In addition to performing, Kat is the founder of Koppett + Co., a consulting and training company specializing in the use of improvisation and storytelling to enhance workplace effectiveness. Her book Training to Imagine: Practical Improvisational Theatre Techniques to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership and Learning was published in 2001 by Stylus Publishing, Inc. Kat's favorite improvisational endeavors involve her daughter, Lia. http://www.koppett.com/ |
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| Mark S. Meritt has written musicals and screenplays that agents represented, performed piano on national television including once doing Name That Tune with Rosie O’Donnell, and received honors and citations for academic work on sustainability. He holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Cornell and an M.A. in Ecology and Society from CUNY. Mark teaches the revolutionary Simply Music piano method, writes songs for all ages through theoffhandband.com, offers Songwriting Workshops and other services through potluckcreativearts.com, and regularly tries to be a more centered husband, father and person. He's downright tickled pink to tickle ivories for MopCo. More at marksmeritt.com. |
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| Known throughout his house as "that guy typing," John Rodat has heretofore applied his dramatic and comedic talents to the printed word: that word often being "heretofore." But after the slow realization that he was composing much of his journalism and his column, "The Best Intelligencer," in Final Draft, and the local success of an improv-based podcast called "False Witness," not to mention a near-life-threatening case of Desk-Chair A**, he began his therapeutic relationship with the Mop & Bucket Company. He is delighted to be working with such a talented, experienced and inspired group - and hopeful that they can help him name that big, yellow burny thing he sees in the sky sometimes on the way to rehearsal. |
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| Kevin Scholz has been a member of the Mop & Bucket Company since March of 2009. An actor at heart, Kevin has relished the opportunities that Mopco has brought him, including recent performances in ‘Tony & Tina’s Wedding’ and ‘You Can’t Take it With You.’ Kevin’s day job is entertaining (or possibly annoying) you on the radio everyday as ‘Kevin Rush’ both in the morning and afternoon on 99.5 the River. He lives in Guilderland with his wonderful and VERY understanding wife and four pets…two dog and two cats, and yes, they all get along! |
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| Alexander Stern Favorite roles include David O. Selznick in "Moonlight and Magnolias", Bernard Nightingale in" Arcadi"a, and Harry “Jazzbo” Heywood in "It’s a Wonderful Life: the Live Radio Show". Alexander recently appeared in the Capital Rep production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" |
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| Amy Tierney Tess Nightingale, Beatrice the Bingo Lady, Susanna the Velociraptor and multiple characters all with the name Gina have been living inside Amy’s head until Mopco let her bring them to the stage to play. Amy brings strong characters and sweet, soulful music to the lot. Outside of the 9-5, she is professionally trained as a liturgical musician/cantor and leads and directs in this capacity. She holds designations in public speaking and is even certified as a ghost hunter! Her interests and talents keep her pretty busy, so you never know where you’ll find her next! Mopco claims ownership on Friday nights, though. |
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| John Van Stone After many years of being trapped behind cubical walls, Johnny V. is finally free to pursue his life's dream as a professional live musician! Currently he likes to hang out with various and sundry musical ensembles, and especially enjoys accompanying the Mop & Bucket Company because they smile and laugh alot and make really yummy food. |
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