David Sinker graduated from Marquette University with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Dave is the Emmy Award winning founder and Artistic Director of THE COMEDY SHRINE THEATER, and is also the founder and producer/director of the SINKERSWIM COMEDY TROUPE. This troupe performs custom-made comedy skits for corporations. Dave is currently the voice and comedy writer for several video productions: STINKY SHOE, COACH LAROO, and Sun Microsystem's INSIDE JACK series. Dave has written comedy for several television shows: M.S.I. SCIENCE ZONE, THE JENNY JONES SHOW, TOTALLY HIDDEN VIDEO and HAYWIRE. He served as Creative Consultant for the animated television show CREEPY CRAWLERS, co-wrote the feature film CAMP TANGLEFOOT, and developed several other projects: CAMP CANDY, LITTLE SHOP, SCORCH! and THE BALLOONATIKS. Dave is especially proud to have written for the GOOD VIBES theater troupe and its executive director BEN VEREEN. He has written several plays, INSIDE THE GOLDFISH BOWL, FOOD,FUN & DEAD RELATIVES, and THE BLOB-THE MUSICAL, and was Executive Producer of MUSICAL-THE MUSICAL. He was an actor with THE NATIONAL TOURING COMPANY OF THE SECOND CITY,  the Associate Artistic Director for the CHICAGO PLAYWRIGHTS CENTER, and is currently the director of THE SECOND CITY CHILDREN'S THEATER.

Mary Olivieri Actor's Equity Candidate, Director of Marketing, has taught improv and induced professional hilarity from New York (as an ensemble member in It's Knot Theater at The Knitting Factory) to Chicago. Credits: Molly/Peggy in Damage Control, Tina Baritone/Janie in The Baritones, Scarey Bradshaw in Sex in the Suburbs, Marion Hollander in Don't Drink The Water - all with Noble Fool, Cast on a Hot Tin Roof at Royal George, As We Like It, B.S.(hit spoof of E.R.) and many others - with The Free Associates, and Mock The Vote at Theater Building Chicago. Look for her as Susan the Therapist in the movie Stash, directed by NY Times best-selling author Jay Bonansinga, premiering in 2007. .

Mike Shreeman is a member of SAG, AFTRA and Actors Equity. Some favorite roles include improvising for Disney Cruise Line, Fred Gayley in the national tour of the musical "Miracle on 34th St." Richard Sloan in the national tour of "Sex and the Second City" and spokesman for the Düsseldorf Tourism Bureau. At ImprovOlympic, he was a founding member of "Frank Booth" and directed the long running hit "Baby Wants Candy", Mike currently teaches at the Second City training center and is the founder and director of "Novel Ideas", an Improvisational theater troupe that performs at schools throughout the mid west.

Scott Levy is a lead actor and co-writer for the upcoming film Chicken Cargo, featuring some of Chicago's top sketch and improv artists. Prior to moving to Chicago in 2001, Scott was in a Cincinnati Ohio based sketch group known as The Monkeytime Comedy Troupe. They performed throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia and starred in the NPR syndicated program it's Monkeytime! Scott has performed at I.O. (fromerly ImprovOlympics), Second City Unhinged, and Battleprov at Comedysportz. Other assorted credits include a long list of appearances in scripted (!) plays, television shows, commercials, Industrial films and playwriting.

Vincent Kracht began his career in the Detroit area, culminating in his critically acclaimed portrayal of John Merrick in The Elephant Man. For over three years, Vincent toured the country as the solo actor/writer for the NEA-funded educational theatre, The MadHatters. In Chicago, his varied experience has included work with ComedySportz, The Bailiwick Theatre, The Free Associates, and About Face Theatre. He portrayed Yvan in the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble production of ART and George Schneider in Chapter Two at Triton College. In the past year, he originated the roles of Josef in Memento Polonia and The Phantom of Ikea in Retail: The Music of the Malls. Vincent was an original member of the completely improvised play, Cast on a Hot Tin Roof, in which he has performed in its many incarnations since the show was conceived by The Free Associates fifteen years ago.

Randy G. Craig (SAG/AFTRA) has appeared as Sheriff Marty Holt in the horror film "Carnivore" and on Chicago stages in Cast on a Hot tin Roof at the Royal George, Damage Control at the Noble Fool, the Mayor in The Government Inspector, Bruce in Beyond Therapy, Rev. Toop in See How They Run, Major Powell in Corpse!, with the country's first 2 act completely improvised Broadway style musical, MUSICAL! the musical, with the long form improv troupe The Free Associates in Cast...Roof, BS, Blithering Heights, The Greatest Story Never Told, The Real Darren Stephens, toured nationally with Call To Action and Novel Ideas Children's Theatre, and has written and appeared in numerous industrial films, voiceovers, and TV commercials. Randy also is an accomplished guitarist, songwriter, performing with the band Mosaic, and has occasionally acted as Musical Director for MUSICAL! the musical. He is a graduate from The Second City Training Center, Players Workshop (where he also taught), and has a BA in Music Theory from Trinity College in Deerfield, IL (Trinity International University).

Jack Bronis (SAG/AFTRA/AEA) most recently directed Brain Humor at Second City's Donny's Skybox. Jack is a proud to be a founder of the Noble Fool Theater. As an actor, he portrayed Klinglehoff in Noble Fool's productions of Steve Martin's adaptation of The Underpants , both downtown and at Pheasant Run. He has worked with many improv and theater troupes, including the Character Assassins, the Improv Institute, the Free Associates, and Steppenwolf Theater. He originated the role of moody mob boss Tony Baritone in Noble Fool's improvised HBO spoof The Baritones . He conceived and is the original director as well as a co-writer and original cast member of the long-running Flanagan's Wake . Jack wrote book and lyrics for Noble Fool's award-winning world premiere, Vikings! A Musical in Two Axe . Other directing credits include the improvised corporate spoof Corporation, Inc, Nolen & Nolen in The Science of Love , and Rick Almada's one-man tour de farce, The Paradox of Insanity... I Mean, Humanity , which was critically acclaimed in Chicago and at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Jack has also directed Flanagan's Wake in Minneapolis and Rochester, New York. He has had various film and television roles, including that of Vucko in the recently-released indie film Dirty Work . Jack has taught at the Second City Training Center and The Audition Studio since the last millennium.

Lynda Shadrake is thrilled to be working with the talented crew of Whose Line. Free Associates (co-founder): Cast on a Hot Tin Roof, As We Like It: Shakespeare in Your Face, Blithering Height, B.S, and Pick-a-Dick. Other improvisation: ComedySportz, The Improv Institute, Zeitgeist Theater, and the Chicago Improv Festival. Noble Fool Theater: Don't Drink the Water, Cast on a Hot Tin Roof, Flanagan's Wake, Roasting Chestnuts, The Baritones, Psychic Cafe. Other: Late Nite Catechism, Put the Nuns in Charge. TV credits: Trading Spaces: Home Improv, a special "prank" episode playing a homeowner secretly pulling a fast one on the deigners.

Erica Elam has studied improvisation at The Second City, Annoyance Theatre, and Comedy Sportz Chicago and currently teaches at The Second City Training Center. She is an ensemble member of the critically acclaimed musical improv group, Baby Wants Candy, and also performs with The Second City's Musical Improv House Ensemble. When not improvising, she has performed at Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, Apple Tree, Piven, Remy Bumppo, About Face and The Noble Fool.

Dave Urlakis can currently be seen performing in "Eat the Runt" at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts and improvising with Swoon at the iO Theater (formerly ImprovOlympic). Other performances include improvising with Skeleton Attack at the iO Theater, the Apollo Theater and the Playground, "Missed Connections" at Theatre Momentum, "Novel Ideas" at Nobel Fool, "Twelfth Night" at Chase Park Theatre, "King Lear" at Vitalist Theatre, "Coming and Going" at Experimental Theatre Chicago and "What a Novel Idea" at Crossroads Theater. His short plays "Late Fee", "Leave Your Messiah at the Beep" and "Two (2) Pieces of Toasted White Bread" have been produced by the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. Dave is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and the iO Training Center.

Rich Baker was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He studied with Four Day Weekend, co-founded TCU's Senseless Acts of Comedy and played with Dallas based troupes Pacecar, KidneyPunch, and ComedySportz. Since moving to Chicago, Rich has studied with iO & Second City. He's performed with iO & WNEP theater. Currently he performs with Alpha Dog Omega and ComedySportz Chicago where he also teaches classes.

Katie Brisick's previous improvisation experience includes performing with Lewis University's improv troupe, The Mindless Chimps, and appearing as Sister Terry in Tony 'n' Tina's wedding for Entertainment Events Inc. Katie is currently enrolled in the improvisation classes at The Comedy Shrine and works lights during most shows. Katie is happy to join The Comedy Shrine Ensemble.

Aaron Caponigro is a Chicago native who is pleased as punch to be a part of The Comedy Shrine ensemble! Aaron has improvised with Navy Pier, Corporation, Inc., and pH. He is a part of the member team Feast of Pedro at The Playground Theater, where he also has performed in the show Big Yellow Bus and the sketch comedy showcase Grafitti, with the River Pilots. He has appeared at Chicago Sketchfest with the groups Denied, Giants in the Sky, Johan & Svet, and has also performed in Octa-Sketch. When not improvising or sketch writing, Aaron has worked with several family theaters including Emerald City, Chicago Kids Co., AlphaBet Soup and he is also an ensemble member of Hogwash; an Improvised Tall Tale. When not performing, Aaron often sits alone and listens to the gentle weeping of the willows.

Melvin Kim is privileged to be a part of the Comedy Shrine. He graduated from the Second City Conservatory program where he got the opportunity to study under the likes of Michael Gellman, Norm Holly, Keegan-Michael Key, and the Timothy O'Malley. He has also received training from Victory Gardens Theater and The Annoyance Productions. He helped found and direct Constant Wedgie, a high school improv troupe out of Oak Brook, IL. Other performances include "Enter the Wang" at the Second City etc. and various shows with Stir-Friday Night!, Chicago's premiere Asian American sketch comedy troupe. He would like thank his two favorite people, Kimberly and Julian, for their support.

Kristin Hart discovered her love for improv as a cast member of Miami University's first, best and only improvisational theatre troupe The Tower Players. After graduating with a degree in Communications and French, she continued studying Improv in Chicago at the training centers of The Second City and I.O. (formerly ImprovOlympic). She has also completed workshop training with such greats as Martin de Maat (Second City) and Joe Bill (Annoyance Theatre). Kristin has performed with the Murder Mystery Players, starred in the internationally sold title Silly Faces by Blewt! Productions. She has also performed throughout Chicago with The Flux, at The Playground Theatre as an ensemble member of Cul-de-Sac Justice, and is delighted to be a new member of The Comedy Shrine team.

Luciana Bonifazi started her improv career with Washington University's premiere and longest-running improv group, Mama's Pot Roast. She graduated from Washington University (in St. Louis, not Washington) in May of 2007 with a B.A. in Psychology and headed back home to Chicago to start making her way in the Chicagoland improv scene. She just finished her first foray into Chicago theatre, Mileep and the Attack of the Jellybean People at the Cornservatory, and is currently taking classes with ComedySportz Chicago. She will be completing a Comedy Studies program at Second City next semester and will (hopefully) have her M.A. in Arts, Entertainment and Media Management from Columbia College Chicago in a year and a half. She is thrilled to be a new member of the Comedy Shrine ensemble!

Liz Cloud received an After Dark Award and a Joseph Jefferson citation nomination for her performance of Charlotte Bronte in the Free Associate's production of Bronte. She currently performs in full habit as Sister in Late Nite Catechism. A founding member of The Free Associates, she performed in many productions including Cast on a Hot Tin Roof and BS. Recent credits: Flannagan's Wake and Mirandolina, both with Noble Fool Theater. Her face and hands have been featured in commercials for McDonalds, Budweiser, Parkay Margarine and many others. Film credits: The Opera Lover and How U Like Me Now.

Mary Fahey Hughes is thrilled to be appearing in The Spew here at The Comedy Shrine. She most recently appeared in Starship Improvise at Donny's Skybox Theater at The Second City. She appeared in and directed Cast on a Hot Tin Roof in Chicago and Milwaukee and previously appeared in Cast in New Orleans and Toronto . Mary was a member of The Noble Fool and The Free Associates Theater Companies. She appeared in The Noble Fool productions of Flanagan's Wake, The Baritones, Sex in the Suburbs and Roasting Chestnuts and The Free Associates productions of Cast on a Hot Tin Roof, As We Like It: Shakespeare in Your Face, Blithering Heights, B.S., The Greatest Story Never Told and Pick-a-Dick. She also appeared in Sive and The Patrick Pearse Motel with the Irish American Heritage Center and The Importance of Being Ernest with The Irish Theater Guild. Mary has a B.A. in Theater from Southern Illinois University and has taught improvisation and theater workshops with The Noble Fool, The Second City Training Center, The Free Associates and The Art Institute of Chicago's Young Artists Studios.

Jenni Lamb is pleased to be a part of the cast of The Spew. She has worked with companies such as The Free Associates, Noble Fool, Strawdog, Redmoon, Theatre Hikes, and many others. In addition to performing, she co-created Corporation, Inc., which has appeared in comedy festivals around the country. She also wrote and performed in Memento Polonia, which enjoyed a sold-out run at the Peter Jones Gallery Studio last fall. She would like to thank Josh for his unwavering support.

Cynthia Austin is honored to be added to the cast of The Comedy Shrine's hit show, "The Spew." In the spring of 2007, she proudly performed in a benefit production of "The Vagina Monologues" at Chicago's Apollo Theatre which raised nearly $10,000 in support of two women's advocacy groups. Cynthia has performed in "The Solo Performance Show" at The Annoyance Theatre where she received much of her training in improvisation. She has also been a member of Battle-Prov, a ComedySportz entity.

Jeffrey L. Shivar (music) has been with The Comedy Shrine since July 2006. He has accompanied improv theater in Chicago since 1988. This includes working with The Second City Touring Company and Second City Conservatory, IO (formallyThe ImprovOlympics), Noble Fool, "Musical, The Musical", and The Annoyance Theater. He was with ComedySportz Chicago from 1993 - 2006, acting as Musical Director for 1996 - 2005. He has worked with various production companies, including Dave & Co., Caribeaner and Live Marketing. Mr Shivar is currently the Composer-in-Residence for WNEP Theater, creating scores for many productions including The Armageddon Radio Hour, the musical The Wicked and The Sexed, and Cross Current. He also works with children's theaters including The Addison Children's Theatre, Gaia Theatre and Emerald City Theatre Company. Mr. Shivar comes from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he studied both theater and music.

Jeff Kier (music) has been a star attraction at every major jazz venue in Chicago and leads one of the area's longest running and most original jazz groups. In addition to performing on acoustic piano, organ, and various electric keyboards/synthesizers, Jeff is a prolific composer. His compositions which currently number over 100 to date, have been inspired by such jazz greats as McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans, and Chick Corea utilizing the idioms of mainstream jazz, blues, and rock. The versatility of Jeff's musical talent captures a far reaching number of jazz enthusiasts.

Michael Descoteaux (music) is the head of the Music Program at The Second City where he has music directed and/or created original material for a national touring company, Sex and the Second City, The Romeo and Juliet Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and the NCL Jewel's The Best of The Second City. Mike has had the privilege of working with Tony Award-winning artists such as Jason Robert Brown, William Finn, Mark Hollmann, and James LaPine. He has "composed" and "conducted" over 500 completely improvised musicals with Musical! The Musical, Baby Wants Candy (head music director), Diva (director) and Jazz Hands Across America (artistic director). With Jazz Hands, Mike composed and directed the scripted musical, Warfield, USA, which received its critically acclaimed New York premiere at the SoHo Playhouse. His other original musicals (The Fundamental Skip and This Time), music direction, and playing have been heard at venues including: The Goodman, American Theatre Company, The Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, The Bailiwick, The Theatre Building, Improv Olympic, The Strawdog Theatre, Davenport's Cabaret, and Gentry's. He has been seen on NBC, A&E, and WGN. Mike, a Northwestern grad, has received an After Dark Award, a Paynter Award, and has been named one of the best young songwriters in the country by The Johnny Mercer Foundation and The American Music Theater Project.

Phil Nohl (music) was a music director at Second City before coming to the Comedy Shrine. A graduate of the Second City conservatory, he got sucked into a music directing internship where he ended up working with Writing 5 classes and other groups performing in Donny's Skybox. He has written over 300 songs of every style, some of which he combines with his improv skills into a one man musical show about love and stupid people. He has been in over 25 plays and has a degree in Music and in theatre. For more info on Phil and to listen to some of his songs go to www.philnohl.com

Shane Shariffskul (music) is thrilled to be a part of the Comedy Shrine! Born and raised in Houston, TX, he came to Chicago in 2001 after getting his undergraduate degree from Yale University. He now works in advertising during the day, attends graduate school at Northwestern University, and composes/performs with various comedy groups around Chicago during the evenings and weekends.