AL CONNORS

This Crush co-founder has been working in the professional world of theatre since the turn of the century. A graduate of the University of Ottawa’s theatre program, he’s best known for his work with a Company of Fools for which he was co-Artistic Director and the Canadian Improv Games for which he was National Director. He has taught and performed from coast to coast as well as in Australia (2009/2010) and China (2008).

GLEN GOWER

Glen is a former professional hockey organist with over 25 years of piano playing experience. He’s produced over 600 live multimedia events for companies like the Ottawa Senators and Hockey Canada, and owns OttawaStart.com, a local news and information web site. He lives with his wife, two daughters and a big dog in Stittsville, one of Ottawa’s most exciting suburbs.

DAN LAJOIE

Dan has twenty years of improv experience, as a performer, judge and coach.  He has served as the National Head Judge and Assistant General Manager of the Canadian Improv Games.  He also has worked roving animation contracts for the past fifteen years for clients such as Nortel, Winterlude, the Tulip Festival and the Canadian Military.  He was a member of a Company of Fools, Ottawa’s pre-eminent Shakespeare company, and has performed and directed with Eddie May Mysteries for over a decade.  A graduate of the University of Ottawa Theatre and Education programs, Dan currently works with at-risk youth as a High School teacher.

TIM ANDERSON

Tim had his first taste of improv as a high school student performing in the Canadian Improv Games. Over a decade later, he has since been a cast member at the Institution Improv Comedy Club, a trainer at his old high school, a judge at the CIG Ottawa Regional Tournament, a member of the undefeated Bout Time team “The Neighborhood”, and a member of Crush Improv. Tim has been performing with Crush since 2010 and is committed to help carve out a lasting home for improv here in Ottawa.

DESIREE WARMINGTON

Des Warmington (had the Connors surgically removed in 2011) started improvising in her basement along side her brother when she was 15 (other people were there. They’re not that kind of siblings). She’s been a CIG national finalist and judged on regional and national levels. To this day she loves the opportunities for silliness improv presents her, the multiple arenas for shouting, and the time she gets to spend with a bunch of goofy weirdos who are just like her. She is a co-founder of Crush, though if she had it her way, it’d be called Exit Strategy, which she maintains is a perfectly good name. She’s in Ottawa, and says she’s on hiatus, but still shows up now and again.

Jordan Moffatt

Jordan is a human being formerly living in Toronto but recently saw the light and came back to Ottawa! He has performed with several improv groups in Ottawa, including Insensitivity Training, University of Ottawa English Improv Troupe and is a full-on member of Grimprov. Jordan has volunteered with the Canadian Improv games, refereeing in the Ottawa Regional Tournament. Jordan graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2011 with a degree in Communications. He was the third string point guard on his high school basketball team.

Kristine Shadid

Kristine began improvising in 2007 through school and has gone on to compete in several summits and festivals across eastern Canada. She has a degree from the University of Ottawa in Communications and Film Studies which has led her to spend her days in her very own cubicle. She has been a regular performer with Crush Improv since 2012 and can also be seen performing around Ottawa with Elgin Street Improv, Experimental Farm Theatre and in her two-woman comedy band, Rhythm and Burgundy. She’s also a retired pirate but please don’t bring up those days.

Crush members in absentia

Brad MacNeil

Crush co-founder Brad MacNeil has been improvising for 20 years, starting with the Canadian Improv Games.  He’s played with groups across the country, nominated twice for the Canadian Comedy Awards with Vancouver’s Rock Paper Scissors. As a founding member of Crush, he has performed at the Combustion Festival and won best Ensemble at the Ottawa Fringe.  He’s one the creators of the hit show Bout Time and hosts a talk show called The Brad MacNeil.  Brad is a graduate of Studio 58.

Cari Leslie

Crush co-founder Cari Leslie has been involved with the Canadian Improv Games since 2003 and once hosted a children’s television show that took her to 28 different countries around the world. You seen her all over Ottawa, in Festivals in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver as well as on TVO. She does comedy full time at BOOM Chicago in Amsterdam since September 2011.

BROOKE CAMERON

Brooke has been improvising in Ottawa since 2009 as a member of MI-6, University of Ottawa’s improv group and as a guest of Crush Improv and GRIMprov since 2012. She has performed at a wide variety of improv scenes including Holloway Players shows (England, 2011), Cracking Up the Capital (Ottawa, 2013) and several University Improv Summits (Montreal and Toronto, 2012, 2013). She currently holds a MSc. in biology and is working towards becoming a moderately evil scientist. She’s currently living the good life in Victoria, BC.