IMPROV FOR PARKINSON'S

Quinn is an alumnus of Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary, has been a member of Rapid Fire Theatre in Edmonton since 2014, and is the Co-Artistic Director of the Canmore International Improv Festival. A year spent working in every department at Alberta Theatre Projects in 2011 instilled in him a keen interest in the organizational side of theatres, and he went on to earn a degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Alberta. He is an actor, writer, and co-founder of Marv n’ Berry - Sketch Comedy, cast member of Off Book The Improvised Musical, and has emceed the dog show at the Calgary Stampede for four years. Since 2015, he has been teaching improv for youth classes at the Citadel’s Foote Theatre School, has been a faculty member of the Rapid Fire Theatre Academy since 2018, and spent two years coaching the University of Alberta improv group. Teaching and performing has brought Quinn from coast to coast in Canada and the United States, around Europe twice, and as far as Dubai. He has created and co-created numerous new shows and formats that have been seen at festivals including: Den Andre Teaterfestivalen (Norway), Wurzburg Impro Fest (Germany), Improvaganza (Edmonton), Vancouver International Improv Festival, Bonfire (Edmonton), San Francisco Sketchfest, Seattle Sketchfest, Edmonton International Fringe Festival, Grindstone Comedy Festival (Edmonton), Montreal Skecthfest, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival (Texas), Philly Sketchfest, Floodwater Comedy Festival (Iowa), Hell Yes! Comedy Festival (New Orleans), SAC Comedy Festival (Sacramento), and Charm City Comedy Festival (Baltimore). He is beyond thrilled in this new position of Executive Director for Tightrope Impro Theatre as the dream of starting a theatre company close to the mountains is beginning to come true.

 Dan is thrilled to lead Tightrope’s offerings for the Workplace and for Health & Wellness. His passion is to bring learners into the moment together, where co-creation can happen. A graduate of Queen's University Drama (B.A.H) and Artist in Community Education (B.Ed), Dan has been performing and teaching theatre and improv for over twenty years. Using his background as a high school teacher and corporate trainer, Dan loves to apply the concepts of improv to the way teams work together.  Dan has been training professionals in applied improv for the workplace since 2014. As a facilitator with Improv for Business, he has led successful and impactful training for teams from VanCity, Telus, PCL, ReThink, Microsoft, YVR, BC Children’s Hospital, Amazon, and many more organizations in BC and across North America. Dan trained and went on to perform as a mainstage ensemble player at Vancouver Theatresports for seven years and taught improv on the faculty of the Improv Comedy Institute. In 2015, Dan moved to New York City with his husband Jonathan and studied improv with UCB and Annoyance Theatre. There he founded the Dirty Little Secrets Improv show, which still runs monthly in the East Village of Manhattan. Returning to Vancouver, Dan co-founded Momentous Comedy and continues to produce improv shows across the city. Dan serves as the President of the Queer Improv Society of Vancouver where he builds community through improv, guiding the non profit board, directors, and a troupe of over 40 members.  Dan is also a Leadership Communications Consultant with The Humphrey Group and continues to deliver leadership training and executive coaching across the globe to Fortune 500 companies, governments, professional associations, first nations councils, and with Universities including UBC Sauder Executive Education programs. Dan brings the joy he finds in collaborative performance to every training he facilitates. After resisting for a long time, Dan finally created an instagram account for his dog, Kai. @kaidangerfloof  

 Megan Dunlop is an award winning and nominated actor, improviser and communications facilitator. Born in Toronto, she has made NYC her home for the last decade, acting in theatre, television and films (Magnet Theatre, UCB, HBO, PBS, The History Channel, Amazon Prime, etc.). Megan has been a part of the renowned Dirty Little Secrets Improv NYC team since its inception in 2015. In a leadership role she has worked with learners from CSRs to managers, CEOs, CFOs and DVPs demonstrating strong leadership, clear, effective communication and compassion and patience with all whom she encounters. Previous clients include: Allstate, AmEX, Bank of America, BlackRock, Citigroup, General Electric, HSBC, Jewish Community Centre, Royal Bank, Mercer, TD Bank and more. Megan has been teaching Improv for Parkinson’s since 2016 and working with Tightrope Theatre since 2021, teaching Improv for Brain Health, Improv for Parkinson’s and Improv for Work. Her loved combination of people, service and having a laugh is what keeps her curious and inspired!

 Rick Horner is an improviser in suburban Philadelphia. Rick founded the improv incubator, a weekly evening of improv for improvisers and actors in the area to meet up, get connected, and play. Rick is an Advisory Board member for The Collective Success Network, and on the Workshop Development Team for the Global Play Brigade. He is currently the Ensemble Director for Bright Invention and has taught many classes and workshops in and around Philadelphia. Rick studied at The Second City Training Center in Chicago and has also studied in Philly with such teachers as Keith Johnstone, Joe Bill, Ali Farahnakian, Ari Voukydis and Matt Besser of the Upright Citizens Brigade, among many others. He has studied online with David Razowsky, Michael Gellman, Deana Creiss and Liz Allen, among many others. Rick is an Army veteran who really likes Planet of the Apes.

  Margot Escott, LCSW is thrilled to join the team at Tightrope. She is an improvisational theatre teacher in Naples, Florida. Margot has been teaching Improv for people with Parkinson’s and their care partners since 2017, in person and virtually.  Her classes also include folks with other movement disorders such as PSP and MSA.

She was a care partner to her father, Ivan Escott, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1998 and died with Lewy bodies in 2007.

In her clinical psychotherapy practice she has worked with people with PD and other movement disorders and care partners and is a frequent speaker at conferences for mental health providers.

She presents workshops on “The Healing Power of Laughter and Play” for over 30 years, teaching adults how to discover the joy of play.

When she discovered Improvisational Theatre she immediately saw the connection between therapy and improv and has been using applied improv for over a decade. She teaches people with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, people on the Autism Spectrum and trains therapists to use improv in their clinical work.

She performed onstage and is currently performing with various groups online.

She received her training in improvisation with  Jay Sukow, Laura Hall, Michael Gellman, Aretha Spolin Sills, David Razowski and many other teachers from Second City Chicago and IO.

She produces the podcast, Improv Interviews, with leading improvisers and actors for over a decade at: https://margotescott.com/podcast/