Meet Your Instructors

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Avery Baker

Acting Instructor

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Brittany Taylor

Instructor, Lead Corporate Trainer

Brittany has been performing at DCC since 2022, where she was DELIGHTED to find such an amazing comedic community. Her biggest claim to fame is her reality TV role on Encore on Disney+. Her favorite menu items are Diet Coke & Rum and the Sweet Chili Wings. After the show, buy her anything off the menu, and she will shamelessly and enthusiastically accept… Thanks in advance.
Chris Fine

Chris Fine

Improv Instructor

Chris Hansen

Chris Hansen

Improv Instructor

Chris has been an avid member of the Dallas comedy community since 2017. He has been on multiple house teams and takes great pleasure in coaching and teaching others the craft of comedy. When not performing, you might find Chris singing karaoke at a local dive bar, playing a fun board game that you’ve never heard of, or drinking a Diet Coke at the bar.
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Dan R. States

Improv Instructor, Acting Instructor

Dan's fairly new to the Dallas comedy scene, but he has jumped in with both feet – and all the other body parts, as well. He loves performing with various teams at Dallas Comedy Club. Before that, he has been seen in various plays throughout the Metroplex on stages at the Bath House Cultural Center, the Pocket Sandwich Theater, the Kalita Humphreys Theatre, Contemporary Theater of Dallas and Pegasus Theatre to name a few. He has been a member of the Deep Ellum community since 2003 with his lovely wife, Jessie and goofy dog, Carlton. When not playing or taking in a show at DCC, he can be spotted at various music venues throughout the neighborhood watching a band or simply grabbing a drink and maybe participating in some pub trivia. If you want to know anything else, you’re just gonna have to ask him!
Daniel Sturdivant

Daniel Sturdivant

Storytelling Instructor

Dan Sturdivant has a story to tell. Actually, he has many. Dan is a trained improv performer and stand-up comedian! He fell in love with storytelling and has honed his craft at various venues throughout Texas. Known for his honesty, humor, and ability to connect with a diverse audience, Dan tells stories relatable to people from all walks of life. Whether poignant, funny, or inspirational, his stories reveal universal truths about the human condition. He is the showrunner for "I Told You So" Storytelling Showcase at Dallas Comedy Club. When not at DCC, Dan performs at Story Collider and with other well-known organizations in the DFW area. He loves mountain biking, and he and his son regularly bike in Angel Fire, New Mexico.
Dan Sybert

Dan Sybert

Sketch Instructor

Dan signed up for Improv classes in 2016 and was instantly hooked. In addition to performing and teaching, he has a passion for Sketch comedy. He believes in leading by example and providing everyone with an environment to succeed by creating a supportive community and safe space for creativity around them. In his free time Dan is an avid cinephile. When he’s not watching movies, Dan enjoys writing (anything) and working out.
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Drew Walton

Improv Instructor

Ian Caruth

Ian Caruth

Improv Instructor

Ian Caruth was born and raised in Dallas. He began performing onstage with the nation’s longest continually-operating college sketch group, the University of Arizona’s Comedy Corner. Ian went on to learn longform improv in New York City at the Magnet and UCB Theaters, performing with The Future, Moxie, Dunk, and many other groups. He has performed and taught at workshops, festivals, universities, schools, and theaters in the US and internationally, and once played a piece of ham in a vending machine. He is way stoked to continue the tradition of theatermaking in Dallas with the Dallas Comedy Club (DCC).
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Jack Ritchey

Improv Instructor

Jack started doing improv in High School (Short Form, Who's Line type of stuff), but in College he got more into Sketch with his writing partner Ryan. After law school he dove into Long Form, and for about 12 years performed throughout Chicago on the team Cheeky Rafiki. He completed the Second City's Writer's Program in 2017, and with the team Friends with Chirag performed on stages all over Chicago. In 2022 Jack moved to Dallas, Texas, and has been playing and working at DCC ever since. He is currently a cast member on PrimeTime, and performs with the Long Form teams The Good Morning, IDKLOL, and Dor Bel (and Friends).

Teaching improv is exciting for Jack because we're all adults - we're all on the same level of "funny". It's a collaboration of performers sharing funny ideas. His favorite part of the job is to show students ways to fine tune their naturally funny ideas into a polished bit, working with their partners to make everyone's funny ideas as good as they can be.

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Jeff Garlish

Improv Instructor

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Josh Edwards

Improv Instructor

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Katherine Smith

Improv Instructor

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Lauren Oxford

Improv Instructor

Lauren is a Dallas native whose improv journey began in the year [redacted] as a high school senior. She is a graduate of the Dallas Comedy House and Stomping Ground Comedy long-form improv programs and has a degree in Theatre from the University of Puget Sound. When she’s not teaching or performing improv, Lauren trains clients with Beefcake City, an inclusive virtual fitness space.
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Lucy Fulls

Storytelling

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Madeline Slavens

Improv Instructor

Magen King

Magen King

Stand-Up Instructor

Magen King is a nationally touring comedian and motivational speaker who believes that laughter is one of the most powerful tools for overcoming life’s challenges. Featured on the CW and having toured with Saturday Night Live alum Tim Meadows, Magen’s career took off after Kevin Hart personally encouraged her to pursue stand-up comedy.

In addition to her success on stage, Magen brings a wealth of corporate experience, where she has taught and trained entire teams on new protocols, products, and organizational change. She also works extensively in the world of communication and
performance, teaching adults to become more confident speakers, presenters, and stand-up comedians. She has even created curricula used at multiple comedy clubs, helping others grow their voices, sharpen their delivery, and connect more powerfully with audiences.
As a single mother of three teenagers, Magen has faced her share of obstacles — and she’s turned those experiences into empowering messages about resilience, optimism, and the healing power of humor. Her journey from latchkey kid to award-winning performer, including being voted Best in Fest at the Burbank Comedy Festival, resonates with anyone who has faced adversity and come out stronger.

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Mike Lukas

Stand-Up Instructor

Raised a Browns fan in Cleveland, Mike graduated from the University of Dayton in 1987. Foregoing a rising corporate computing career, Mike spent the nest two-and-a-half decades writing, performing, and improvising comedy around the world. He became a national headliner at America's top comedy clubs, was a cast member of The Second City's mainstage Vegas company, and has hosted and produced programs for TV and radio. Now retired from touring, Mike co-raises his children in Dallas, TX while teaching stand-up at Dallas Comedy Club. He is a self-published author and co-hosts the Funny Muscle Podcast.
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Parker Slavens

Stand-Up Instructor

Parker's journey into the spotlight began in the world of magic, starting in the 5th grade, an experience that not only honed his skills in captivating an audience, but also led to a remarkable week-long stint performing on the Boardwalk at Disney World Orlando. Though now a "former magician", this early foray into the world of performance art profoundly influenced Parker, shaping him into the dynamic and engaging performer he is today, along with leading him to start his stand-up career at the early age of 16.

Now he wows every audience with impassioned diatribes on the dating scene, hilarious anecdotes about his childhood, and insightful observations on the luxury athleisure market. Hecan be counted on to deliver relateable comedy, jumping between feel-good anecdotes and half-crazed retellings from his wild and wonderful life, guaranteeing a performance that is both memorable and uniquely entertaining.

Parker has performed at comedy clubs and venues across the country and has made appearances sharing the stage with Josh Blue, Greg Fitzsimmons, The Sklar Brothers, and many more. Parker is also the host of the Stand-Up Standoff at Dallas Comedy Club.

Rosie Caruth

Rosie Caruth

Sketch Instructor

Rosie Caruth grew up in the Denmark-themed tourist town of Solvang, California, where she raised goats and turkeys until she saw an episode of MADtv and became obsessed with sketch comedy. She began performing improv with San Diego State University’s Iota Eta Pi her freshman year, and has never stopped. She moved to New York City after college to work for horrible bosses in fashion PR and study improv at the UCB and Magnet Theaters — where met her husband, Ian. Rosie subsequently studied at the Dallas Comedy House, the PIT NYC, The Second City, and the Pack Theater, and is probably the country’s leading expert in Zoom comedy classes.
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Ryan Vicksell

Improv Instructor

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Sarah Wyatt

Improv Instructor

Stefan Newman

Improv Instructor

It’s Stefan! By day, he works at a boring tech job doing data and analytics stuff that everyone immediately forgets about as soon as he explains it to them. By night, he is an improviser and comedian who produces shows and performs all over town. He started improvising in 2018 at the Dallas Comedy House and is currently a regular performer at the Dallas Comedy Club, where he produces the variety show Queer Factor and performs with the improv troupe Butt Gay.
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Will Short

Sketch Instructor

Training Center Staff

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Claire Daigle

Director of Education

Claire moved to Dallas in 2013 to study Dance Performance at Southern Methodist University. She also suffered an injury in 2013 which forced her to spend time working in technical theater and arts administration. Claire completed DCC's Stand-Up Program in the club's first cohort of students, and they haven't been able to get rid of her since. She is delighted to be able to use her niche skillset to help expand the comedy community at DCC and in DFW at large. As Director of Education, Claire oversees all Training Center programming. She oversees operations of all Club Teams at DCC. Occasionally she teaches Stand-Up.

When not at the club, Claire spends as much time with her dogs as possible. At the club, Claire spends way too much time talking about her dogs. She also has a husband who she dearly loves, but she talks about the dogs more.

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Liz Honigmann

Training Center Manager