Meet Our Team

Stephanie is Finance Director and oversees accounting and bookkeeping.  Previously she has worked with clients from various industries including government, nonprofit and private sector.  Through her professional capacity she previously served as the Chief Executive Administrator over all general financial services and Managing Director of a management consulting firm.

Stephanie is a graduate of Jackson State University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration.  She has also earned her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.  Stephanie is originally from Jackson, MS and is now residing in Dallas, Texas.

Stephanie’s mission as the Stomping Ground Finance Director is to serve the greater mission of the organization by strengthening the overall health and backbone of the organization.

Ade is a storyteller, writer, and stand-up comedian who is a graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station. She is a native who spent over a decade in Seattle, WA. Ade is happy to be back in the Lone Star State and have her accent return. She has performed at The Moth, A Necessary Sadness, and The Iridescent Robot Storytelling Club where she was the resident storyteller. She is an aunt to six nephews and an Ava. She has a love for creative productions that uplift diverse voices in the community and bring people together.

Audrey (she/her) received a B.F.A in Acting from Northern Kentucky University and attended the National Theatre Institute where she studied Movement Techniques for the actor and Directing. She has studied and performed short form, long form, and dramatic improv with NKU, Improv Cincinnati, OTRimprov, and Cin City Comedy. She has acted, improvised, and directed on stages and screens throughout Greater Cincinnati, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Connecticut, London, and now Dallas. Audrey has been teaching and coaching improv for five years and loves teaching wholeheartedly.  She is also an experienced Theatre Director, Movement Choreographer, Fight Choreographer, and intimacy coach. Currently she teaches Level Four Long Form with Stomping Ground. Additionally, she produces the all-female identifying indie team Surrender Dorothy, coaches Black Tie Causal, and performs with Take One, Surrender Dorothy, Tall Texas Tales, Dork Horse, and frequently features with Hot Dish!  She sounds busy, but she’s always available to nerd out about improv and theatre!

Daniel serves as Branding Manager, building a cohesive Stomping Ground brand image across new productions through planning of programming and creation of graphic design for show promotions. Daniel is an accomplished graphic artist, formerly a staff graphic designer and manager of University of South Florida’s daily newspaper, The Oracle (circulation of 30,000). With a decade of experience as an educator in Japan and as a technology consultant today, he is driven by a passion to empower and foster positive growth in others. Hailing from Miami, Florida, Daniel joined Stomping Ground in 2021. He is a performer in the house team, KEVIN, the creator and director of the show, SideScroll: The Improvised RPG, and a piano accompanist, under the mentorship of musical director, Josh Diamond.

Holly has been performing improv comedy and scripted work throughout DFW since 2010. She has received the majority of her comedy training through The Alternative Comedy Theater where she is a founding member of the group, “Death With Benefits”. She is also the Creator and Host of the Give Me Twenty Podcast where she interviews folks in the entertainment and “influencer” world and gives them a round of 20 Questions. Outside of the comedy world, Holly was also the  Co-Creator and Executive Producer of The Dead Awakening Annual Belly Dance Showcase which sold out every show for a 4-year run. During the day, you can find her working as a senior care advocate in the senior living world which really… is a comedy of its own kind at times.

Kevin Beane is a comedy gadabout who has done scads of improv, sketch, and panel shows all over the Metroplex, including Stomping Ground, Dallas Comedy House, The Comedy Arena, Dallas Comedy Club, and the Alternative Comedy Theater. His two long-running improv troupes, Autocomplete and Dirty Dawg$, have been festival crowd-pleasers the world over. Okay, the state. Okay, the county.

Kevin has also produced and hosted comedy shows at Pocket Sandwich Theater and Stomping Ground. He loves poker and watching sports, and hails from Akron, Ohio. It’s okay to make fun of the other 49 states, but not Ohio.

Tristen holds a Bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Stephen F. State University and currently works as a video specialist for Wylie ISD. He also taught high school animation, graphics design, and audio/ video classes at Wylie ISD. Tristen is a recent graduate of Stomping Ground and will be performing in their new mainstage show, The Midnight Vault. Tristen has had a passion for storytelling and animation since he was a child which drove him to teach himself animation, graphic design, and video production. The stage was always adjacent to all of these pursuits so it was just a matter of time before he found himself taking improv classes at Stomping Ground. Tristen also will tell you that Dungeons and Dragons taught him about improv too, but he’s not sure that counts. He really just wanted you to know he likes DnD. Tristen wants to share the joy improv has brought his life with all of his students. From learning to let go and relax to healthy communication techniques, he believes everyone can benefit from taking an improv class!

Justin has long been passionate about comedy, having grown up watching everything from Laurel and Hardy to The Kids in the Hall. In early 2020, he began training in improv comedy and sketch writing at Push Comedy Theater in Virginia. While at Push, he was a founding member of their Diversity Council and a regular performer in a variety of shows that kept the theater alive during the COVID lockdowns. After moving to the DFW area in mid-2021, Justin joined the Stomping Ground community, working his way through improv, musical improv, and sketch writing classes as fast as he could get to them. With a newfound passion to be part of all aspects of “making the funny,” he can be found performing in a variety of shows, directing/producing Haunt ‘em Leap, herding the scheduling cats, and bringing his software engineering and general technical knowledge to bear in the tech booth for some of Stomping Ground’s more demanding shows. Justin is committed to Stomping Ground’s mission and deeply believes in the power of comedy in general, and improv in particular, to make the world a happier, more inclusive, and just generally better place for everyone.

Ever since he was a child, Kevin was captivated by movies. He grew from entertaining family members to stealing the show during his training at the K.D. Conservatory of Film and Dramatic Arts. While he got his start in the conservatory’s Black Box Theater, he made his silver screen debut as an on-screen extra in “The Great Debaters” (2007). Since then he’s continued to work in and around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area on a number of stage, film and television productions, including an episode of TNT’s “Dallas” (2012). In addition to Acting, Kevin works behind the camera writing and producing original content. He is very versatile but likes to flex his comedic chops quite often studying and performing improv at Stomping Ground which he refers to as his second gym. Read more about Kevin at ShoutOutDFW.

Katie serves as Stomping Ground’s House Teams Facilitator. She is also an actor and voiceover talent represented by Mary Collins Agency. Katie has studied improv at Upright Citizens Brigade and sketch comedy at The Peoples Improv Theater in New York City; at The PIT, she was a core performer in the ongoing sketch show Bragging Rights, which then headlined at NYC SketchFest. Katie’s comedic sensibilities have proven to be useful in the on-camera and VO commercial world, where she has national and international credits with top brand names. You can catch her on the Stomping Ground stage in Broadway(ish), Rage Demons, Hometown Heroes, The BAT, The Improvised Rom Com, and The Improvised Hallmark Christmas Movie.

Brandon is the Program Director for Substance Abuse and Counseling at Next Step Community Solutions and is a Board Certified Prevention Specialist pursuing his Master’s in Social Work at Stephen F. Austin. Brandon is also a Dad, Husband, and touring comedian. He produces and performs in stand up comedy shows at Stomping Ground.

Joshua has served as Musical Director of Stomping Ground since 2018. Prior to joining the Stomping Ground family, Joshua worked as musical director for The Second City main stage show in Las Vegas, as well as the Dallas based comedy troupe Ad-Libs. Joshua studied Music Composition and Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas and has also written and performed music for local television and film. Joshua grew up in the North Dallas area and currently lives and works as an elementary school math teacher in Far North Dallas. Joshua performs with Stomping Ground’s musical improv team, Sound Garden, along with Broadway-ish and several written-for-stage productions like “Eat, Prey, Love”, and co-teaches the Musical Impov classes at Stomping Ground.

John caught the acting bug in 2008 just before he finished high school and it wasn’t long after that he joined Take One, an improv comedy troupe, spending the last 12 years touring with them across the midwest performing at comic, anime, and other pop-culture conventions. In John’s pursuit of performance, he has trained with OKC Improv, ComedySportz Dallas, and with coaches from The Second City, iO Theater, and most recently, Stomping Ground. When he isn’t taking the stage or stepping behind a camera, John tends bar professionally at work and personally for his friends, taking joy in cultivating an experience for every audience he’s given.

Anna is a teacher, writer, improviser, and all-around silly person. She brings her nine years of experience as a classroom teacher as well as four years teaching improv to kids and adults to her role at Stomping Ground.

Lynsey is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has improv training from Ad-Libs, Four Day Weekend, Stomping Ground, and has trained with Dean Lewis in stand up comedy. Lynsey is very active in the DFW theatre community, where she has performed in musicals and plays for the past 10 years. She is a Column Award-winning actress who has performed at Theatre Three, Theatre Arlington, OnStage in Bedford, Runway Theatre in Grapevine, Greater Lewisville Community Theatre, MainStage Irving Las Colinas, Lip Service Productions, and more. She most enjoys writing song parodies and bringing crazy and challenging characters to life. She has been a high school theatre instructor for seven years. At Stomping Ground, Lynsey can regularly be seen performing with Sound Garden, the improvised musical comedy group. She has also performed in My F*ed Up Thanksgiving, Baby Cats, and Crush(ed): A Valentine’s Day Variety Show.

Nic Hawk is a proud Iowan who has made his way to Texas while performing all over the U.S.. From his time dancing and doing stilt work at Disney and Universal Studios in Florida to his work Singing on NBCs The Voice. He now lives in Grapevine and has been performing stand-up comedy for years so Nic is very happy to come show his love of comedy to some fresh new eyes.

Lilli Lopez is a comedian, actor and teaching artist from Texas. She has performed at festivals including Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Los Angeles Diversity in Comedy Festival by Second City, SXSWedu and Austin Sketch Fest. She also holds a masters degree in mass communication and relatable millennial debt, you can follow or Venmo her at @comboloca.

British born, Dallas based lawyer and standup comic. Trained in standup and sketch comedy at Dallas Comedy House and Stomping Ground, David has performed in person standup at Dallas Comedy House, Stomping Ground, Comedy Arena McKinney, and various other DFW venues. He has also performed online standup comedy with Flappers Comedy Club in Los Angeles, Rampantly Media, Dat Phan & Friends and at many other outlets. David currently books in-person standup comedy at Six Springs Tavern in Richardson Texas and online through Wild Beaver Productions (cofounded with Charlotte Parker).

Whitney teaches English full time for Fort Worth ISD.  She studied improv at Four Day Weekend and Stomping Ground Comedy, as well as voice acting and acting at Stage West Theater. She volunteers as an UpperClassmate with beginning level classes. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in education from TCU, Whitney spent time living and working in Nicaragua and rural North Carolina. Her experience spurred her desire to be more inclusive in her work. Whitney is an educator with comprehensive experience in public speaking, leading workshops, directing camps, guiding small groups, and teaching professional development courses for people of all ages. She deeply believes in the mission and welcoming community at Stomping Ground Comedy and wants to motivate others to find a love for improv.

Cory is a professional actor and improviser with over 14 years of experience. He is the founder of Take One, a touring improvisational comedy troupe that performs at comic and pop culture conventions across the nation, and has residencies at Stomping Ground Comedy and OKC Improv. He is the lead in the Lionsgate trilogy series, Rufus the Fantastic Pet and is the lead in Konnect, a children’s series. Cory is employed as a voice actor at Funimation and has voiced over 50 characters. His voice can be heard in Fire Force, My Hero Academia, and Tokyo Ghoul among others and at the Kennedy Space Center. Cory has appeared in over 100 national and local commercials. He has trained at The Second City, Comedy Sportz, and with coaches from iO and Upright Citizens Brigade. He has taught at ComedySportz Dallas and StarMan Studios. Cory has seen the benefits of improv firsthand and how it can change lives. Growing up homeschooled, improv gave him the social skills to thrive in this world and achieve his dreams. Catch him onstage at Stomping Ground in Take One, Improvised Hallmark Movie, FYI, My F*ed Up Thanksgiving, and at Comedy Sportz Dallas.

Brooks serves as the Technical Manager for Stomping Ground and has worked professionally in theatre for over 10 years predominantly as a Lighting Designer. Brooks received his BA in technical theatre from Oklahoma State University in 2007. He has worked with a number of local theatre companies as well as with universities and community colleges. Brooks is a board member of the Illuminating Engineering Societies Dallas Chapter, as well as a Certified Lighting Specialist for the American Lighting Association. He has consulted lighting for retail stores, clubs and residential venues. He has guest lectured about lighting and the technical aspects of theatre at multiple universities.  Additionally he works in the Design District in Dallas at an architectural lighting firm where he assists in designing and reviewing lighting control systems for architectural, commercial and theatrical applications. Brooks enjoys manifesting his creativity through lighting and technical theatre to support the artistic endeavors of every team that comes into the space.

Sterling serves as Stomping Ground’s Social Media Manager. She is also an actor and podcaster represented by RPM Talent. Sterling has studied improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles as well as right here at Stomping Ground Comedy! You may have seen her in the All Womxn’s Sketch Revue or around town performing Shakespeare in the Bar. When she’s not on stage or behind the marketing desk, you can find her in front of a mic hosting Arts District the podcast, a resource for local artists. Keep up with Sterling on Instagram @sterling.shea

Byron is a Mississippi native who has been performing standup, improv, and sketch all over the country for nearly 10 years. He taught high school Algebra for 11 years and was a three-time Teacher of the Year at Sachse High School before he decided to take the leap into full time comedy performer. He is a graduate of the school at Four Day Weekend and has also completed standup training with well-known Dallas comedian Dean Lewis. He has performed at the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Comedy Exposition of Chicago, Memphis Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, and many more. In 2016 Byron created Truth in Comedy, a groundbreaking show which combines emotional personal stories with poignant standup comedy. Byron spends most nights performing standup comedy throughout the country, and his days speaking to local high school students about using comedy to motivate.

Spencer Walsh is a full-time Summer Camp Director for Kidventure. He is a recent graduate of Stomping Ground and has also studied at Four Day Weekend, Zingers, and Improv Cincinnati. He has performed with Alternative Comedy Theater in Addison and at Dallas Comedy Club on their musical improv and long-form improv teams. Being new to Dallas, Spencer found that he shared Stomping Ground’s vision for education, opportunities, and community and that he wanted to serve as an advocate. Spencer’s experience in theatre and community service has given him experience in engaging with large groups and working one-on-one to build community with his students. Spencer wants all of his students to feel empowered to follow their creative journey wherever it takes them!

Hayley Waring is a New Orleans native and holds a degree in Political and Creative Writing from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She’s spent several years as a preschool teacher at The Day School at Highland Park Pres. Hayley also currently attending Texas Christian University pursuing her Master’s degree in counseling, where she hopes to focus on how improv can empower children to cope with their anxiety. Hayley’s recently published book follows a diverse group of children as they navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. Hayley is also a trained improviser and has performed in several troupes in the Dallas area! Hayley has taught Improv for Autism at Oak Hill Academy and Cast of Characters Comedy Camp for ages 6-8 at Stomping Ground. She currently teaches preschool at The Weekday School at UCC.

Angela has been a Board Member at Stomping Ground since May 2020. She has also worked for Women In Need, a nonprofit dedicated to helping domestic violence victims along with educating the community about healthy relationships. Her position was that of Education Specialist and Educational Theatre Director which took her into the middle schools and high schools in Hunt and Rockwall Counties using a theatre production to educate students on teen dating violence followed by in-class curriculum. Angela is a theatre artist who specializes in acting, directing, and teaching and has worked with several theatre groups teaching workshops. She was born and raised in Chicago which is where her love for theatre and performance began. Angela graduated from Texas A&M Commerce in May 2021 and feels that going back to school has offered her many opportunities including interning with Stomping Ground and continuing her improv training. Angela most recently worked with Fine Arts on Main in Farmersville, Texas, and taught dance and drama for 6 years at Timbrel School of the Arts in Greenville. She has performed and directed for Greenville Theatre Works in Greenville, Texas where she also served as the Director of Education. Angela has been married for 19 years and has lost count of how many kids she has. “It’s a lot!” Angela says her passion for theatre continues to grow and especially in learning all the different ways it can be used to educate and heal. The exploration of theatre in unconventional ways is something she is committed to as an artist and Stomping Ground is at the front of the line with their programs and she wants to be a part of that. Angela is currently a contributor for Collin County Moms and performing in numerous productions with Pocket Sandwich Theatre.

Andrew holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master’s in Theological Studies from Southern Methodist University. He has been training and performing improv since 2015 and graduated from the Dallas Comedy House training center in 2016. Andrew has made Dallas a stage for his comedic shenanigans and has been a part of multiple house teams in DFW; he is a founding member of the troupe Just the Cutest Thing and currently performs with 8I8HT 8Y8S, a completely improvised two-person show. You can catch Andrew on the mainstage at Stomping Ground in Laughing & Loving: An Improvised Dating Show, in the instructor team The Assemblage, or on social media: @andrewxmichael.

Sarah Wyatt began her comedy career in the 214 through Dallas Comedy House. She worked her way through the improv and sketch programs there and quickly became a quality teacher and coach. In 2016 she moved to Los Angeles to live and learn and make some mistakes! She worked her way through the UCB improv and sketch curriculum while also working at Second City Hollywood. She was a cast member on a UCB Mess Hall team, Jason Bjorn, as well as indie darlings Love Field, Tiny Lines, and Grandma Stampede. She has worked with the likes of Shaun Diston, Todd Fasen, Dan Hodapp, Mike McClendon, Brad Evans, and Alex Fernie among others. She is excited to be back in her hometown of Dallas, TX. In her spare time she hangs with her boyfriend, takes walks with her dad, and has too many cats (four).”