April’s Fools

Comedy Improv Troupe

April’s Fools is a comedy improv troupe of eclectic, electric, and, yes, sometimes even eccentric souls all concentrating on making people laugh. Coming off their recent highly successful world tour throughout the South Bay area, Torrance, Hollywood, and Santa Monica, the Fools have entertained countless numbers of people (mainly because they forgot to keep track of the ticket receipts).Members have studied improvisation and acting around the world to hone their craft and wit to the cutting edge of humor–for which they are famous. Be prepared to laugh until it hurts!

 

 

Our Troupe

 

Tom Bauer has little formal acting training, although he feels as though he has been acting all of his life. Whether it’s acting competent at job interviews, professional in business meetings or broke to Hare Krishnas at the airport, acting has played a major role in Tom’s life. He’s currently acting silly in April Fool’s where he hopes to inspire laughter and world peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Brown has performed Improv with the Second City and stand-up at The Comedy Store. He also wrote for network television (FRIENDS), cable (SOUTH PARK), online commercials (ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER’S DOG FOOD FOR BIG DOGS) and “on-hold” messages for various churches. In the current, Chris writes marketing copy, takes Improv classes from April’s Fools members and puts cash aside for his daughters’ bail money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Becky Chang grew up on a 67-acre farm and was tasked to name her favorite chickens and ducks (the anonymous ones were eaten, so yeah, she’s had to live with that). Her feathered friends gifted their eggs to Becky as a way of showing their friendship and affection. If you ask her nicely, Becky will give you an egg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Copnall was a pretty bad child actor, appearing in multiple episodes of Library Playhouse, then Kidsworld, and his acting skills have worsened since then. He has been involved in Improv since the late 1990’s, studying under Gloria Policare and performing with “April’s Fools’ in venues around L.A. He also did modeling and TV commercials in Australia; Germany and Japan when he was younger, better looking, and had more hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Fulton first tasted stardom in an “Intro to Theater” class – he got a “D”. Deeply scarred, April Scott saved him with the magical symmetry of “The What, The Who, and The Where”. Sliding into the abyss, he then studied “Finding the Game” and “The Rule of 3” under Bill Johnson. In the, ahem, “conventional” theater, Dave slums with The Kentwood Players, The Aerospace Players and The Surf City Theater Company. Off stage, Dave plays “Questions” with unsuspecting beach volleyball students: “Does my whispering haikus help your spiking?” He is convinced the right young ingénue will respond with “Yes, and…?”

 

 

 

 

 

Valerie Gorsuch is a SAG/AFTRA actor appearing in film, television, theater, music videos and commercials. She’s usually type cast as a murderer, whether killing hit men, children or even herself. During quarantine she became an authority on Scandinavian police dramas. She’s a graduate of the Second City Conservatory, where her first teacher taught her “Dare to Suck!”, and she’s made that her motto ever since!! Check out her work on YouTube, IMDB and Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rick Hankus has been performing improv since 2006, after realizing that spending all day with two high energy toddlers made him crave “adult to adult” conversation in a desperate and humorous way. He took classes and was a member of the JumpStart 2.0 Improv Group in Redondo Beach, as well as taking classes at Upright Citizens Comedy Brigade in Hollywood, Held2gether Improv in Long Beach and Westside Improv in Santa Monica. Rick has been in the restaurant business for over 35 years and is still searching for the perfect B.L.T.

 

 

 

 

 

Sean Hannaway has been performing improv for over twenty years. Prior to “April’s Fools,” he performed Improv around Southern California in such groups as “A Work in Progress” and “Shenanigans”. In addition to studying improv with Gloria Policare he also spent 2 years at the Groundlings School in West Los Angeles. Sean also acts in theater around the Southland as well as TV commercials and television.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ray Harrison is performing with us tonight to fulfill his court-ordered community service hours stemming from a kung-fu related baking incident. In his spare time he enjoys stressing out about what he should do with his spare time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lloyd Leifer has performed standup comedy throughout the years and began studying improv in 2009 with actress Melanie Chartoff. Since then he’s studied long form short form, narrative and musical improv at the West Side Comedy Club in Santa Monica, Held2gether in Long Beach, the
Impro Theater School in Los Angeles and the Groundlings Theater School in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Lurie grew up in the distant, cold and relatively unknown land of Canada. The extreme kindness of all of his neighbors forced him to cling to moments of comedy as an escape from the horror of the genuine caring of those around him. Fortunately for Steve, he moved to the US where the overwhelming kindness ceased but his passion for comedy never did. According to his beautiful and amazing wife Sharlene, Steve has been performing all of his life but only started performing improv on an actual stage in 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandy Marchese has been performing improv since 2000 and directing since 2003. Prior to “April’s Fool’s,” she studied under Gloria Policare and was a member of the comedy improv troupe, “A Work in Progress”. She has appeared on television several times (Ringo Starr Special, The Tonight Show) as well as studied acting in college. She taught improv classes for Manhattan Beach for 10 years and has given improv directing workshops. The highlight of improving was performing with Colin Mochrie at Cerritos Performing Arts Center. She believes laughter is great medicine and suggests smiling a lot….it will make life better!

 

 

 

 

 

Rashel Mereness has been performing as a member of April’s Fools since 2017 and is so happy to bring Improv theater to the South Bay. She is excited her acting career is expanding! Having recently played “the victim’s mother” for Investigation Discovery, she has now been cast as a dead body for an upcoming film. She thanks the April’s Fools community for sometimes letting her play characters that speak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Micali Born too late to make his mark in disco, Jim turned to performing improv in 2003 under the tutelage of Gloria Policare. As a member of A Work In Progress, Jim performed in and around the SoCal improv scene. Taking a slightly different approach, Jim subsequently honed his improvisational craft as a management consultant and banking executive. After a lengthy hiatus from the stage Jim enthusiastically joined April’s fools in 2012 in search of the answer to, yes, and ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wade Murphy Born and raised in Southern California, Wade’s family included Musicians, Artists, Singers and other artistic types. Having no artistic or musical talent, he quickly found that being a smart-ass was a good way interject himself into the family get-togethers. He’s been acting crazy to get attention ever since. Wade loves chicken and rice. He believes that it’s a safe dish to order almost anywhere in the world…even though it may not always be chicken. He has had the same hairstyle since 1985 and feels like it’s too late to mix things up this late in the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katrina Straub has studied improv with improv Olympic (iO West) and The Second City. She loves comedy, and you can often find her watching the newest comedic hit show, brainstorming a new sketch idea, or making a fool of herself in front of audiences. Katrina also loves spending time with her amazing husband, Rick, and her (im)perfect poodle, Hugo; traveling; and spending time with family and friends in her native Washington state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aki Umemoto has been with April’s Fools since 2004 and has studied improv at Second City and the L.A. Connection. In addition to performing, he has written, produced, and directed many TV commercials, sales films, short films, home videos, and sketch shows. He has been on several commercials and shows including The Jay Leno Show, Tosh.0, and 1,000 Ways to Die. He’s also a film historian specializing in film noir and B Sci-Fi films of the 50s and 60s. Klaatu Barada Nikto!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doris Usui is a SAG/AFTRA actor/lifestyle model/teacher. She has been doing improv since 2001 and teaches it for the city of Manhattan and Hermosa Beach. National commercial/print credits include McDonalds, Target, Atelvia, Ameriprise, VW Jetta, Charles Schwab, Home Depot, Verizon, Wells Fargo, B of A, Chase, Ulta, Princess Cruises, cover TIME; TV/Film/Internet roles include Hacks, How I Met Your Mother, Strong Medicine, Senior Project, A Necessary Death. Professionally trained under Howard Fine, Margie Haber, Stuart K. Robinson, Terry Berland, and Second City Conservatory. Complete credits on www.DorisUsui.com

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Weir discovered his latent talent to make people laugh in 2006 when he wrote and starred in his own E! True Hollywood Story, winning him critical acclaim, from his Mother. From there Brian started his improv training with April Scott and began performing with the “No Name Troupe” and “Shenanigans”. Brian continued training under the Empty Stage, HeldTogether, and the UCB. Brian found a home with April’s Fools, but can still be found slumming with the “Shady Bunch” or riffing with the “Rusty Trombone Jazz Club”. His reviews are so-so, but his mother continues to be his biggest fan.

 

 

 

 

 

Leah Wyman has over 10 years of improv experience and trained at Second City & Groundlings. She has done stand-up comedy for 13 years and performs at The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, Flappers Comedy Club, and UCB. She’s performed on tour in four states. Leah enjoys taking ballet classes, where she also makes people laugh – but for different reasons. When she joined April’s Fools, her friends and family told her they always knew she was a fool, but we’re glad it was finally official.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charter Members