KEVIN ALLEN is a writer, videographer, content creator and actor. He moved to Sarasota from Chicago, where he studied and performed improvisation at iO and The Second City. He earned theatre and English degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was a member of the legendary Comedy Wars ensemble. Kevin is also a writer and performer in the FST sketch group and was a contributing writer for the 2022 FST Cabaret production, Laughing Matters.

VALERIE DALE grew up in Sarasota and was trained as an improv actor at Florida Studio Theater.  She loves performing at FST with such a dynamic and talented improv cast. She also performs with the improv group, Class Act, which she formed with her FST classmates. 

SARAH DURHAM is a comedian and writer from Campbellsville, Kentucky, raised on Mel Brooks and Billy Graham. She is the Head Writer for FST Sketch and is the Improv Associate for FST Improv. At FST, Sarah is the Executive and Artistic Assistant to the Managing Director and is a writer for the Cabaret Stage and Children’s Theatre. Some of her recent credits include Cinderella, Laughing Matters, and Deck the Halls. She hopes to continue to write joy into people’s lives.

WILL LUERA is the Director of Improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre, Director of Big Bang Improv, and serves as the Artistic Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston. He is the co-creator of Healing Moments for Alzheimer’s, a non-profit organization that provides education, advocacy, and ministry for persons with dementia and their caregivers. He sits on the board of CreArte Latino, a Latino-centric cultural community center in the Sarasota area. Will tours globally as an improv comedy actor, instructor, director and performs and teaches regularly all across North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

SAL PICCOLO got started in comedy on a dare. Originally a sports broadcasting major, Sal hosted and produced The Sports Cellar on AM radio right here in Sarasota. After failing miserably at stand-up comedy, he moved to Chicago where he discovered his love of improv. Having studied at The Second City Conservatory, iO theater, Annoyance theater, pH theater, and Theatre Momentum as well as many workshops and festivals, Sal is a student first.

Gabriella (Gabbi) Powell has been involved in theater since 2005. She discovered improv in 2018. Now she can be found acting, singing, writing, and directing shows in the Tampa Bay area. Gabbi started teaching Improv in 2020 at Spitfire Comedy, specializing in character/ accent work, physicality and abstract work. Some of her recent acting credits include cast member in “To Die For” at FST, a main cast role in Spitfire Comedy’s “Who’s Line: St Pete”, and “Ready or Not” (the musical improv adventure), shows. She was also featured in Comedy Clubhouse’s “Typical Adult Behavior” cast in Barcelona, Spain. One of Gabbi’s next projects includes directing a longform improv show, set to debut in the fall.

AUTUMN STEINER was a comedy late bloomer, discovering FST during a quarter-life crisis. Now she’s a member of the FST Improv and On-Deck Sketch casts and dabbles in storytelling and acting. She played Lisa in the short film Barely Inspired, which had its world premiere at the 2019 Sarasota Film Festival. She is working on a collection of personal essays titled Sweet Face, Black Heart—something a priest once said to her.

SHAWN MCWHINNIE was first introduced to improv at the University of Florida performing numerous shows for the college campus with UF’s improv troupe, Theatre Strike Force. At UF, he also was a part of the sketch comedy troupe Generation. After a brief hiatus to pursue his career as a pharmacist, Shawn began taking improv classes at FST and is glad to be back on stage performing improv for Sarasota audiences.