Kevin Gillese

Last updated

Kevin Gillese
Born24 December 1980 (1980-12-24) (age 43)
OccupationActor, writer and improviser
NationalityCanadian

Kevin Gillese (born 24 December 1980) [1] is a Canadian actor, writer and improvisor from Edmonton, Alberta.

Career

Gillese started as a performer with the improv company Rapid Fire Theatre and also works regularly with the Atomic Improv and performs annually at the Die-Nasty Soap-A-Thon. He was the Associate Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre from 2005-2007, then Artistic Director until December 2009. In January 2010, Gillese began his term as Artistic Director of Dad's Garage Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia. [1] [2]

Gillese left college to take up improv. [2] In 2004, he was nominated for an AMPIA award for best director for his first film Turnbuckle.[ citation needed ] He performed a spoken-word show "Wisdom Teeth" directed by Chris Craddock at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival in 2009 [3] and hosted a cabaret night at the fringe with Amy Shostak. [4]

Gillese has toured across Canada and internationally with the show Hip Hop 101,[ citation needed ] as well as with his improv show, Scratch, which played twice weekly in Edmonton when not touring. He appeared with Arlen Konopaki in Scratch at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in 2008, [5] and they toured Europe for six weeks at the end of 2009. [1] In 2010, they wrote "Fairy Tales Scratched", a modern surreal take on fairy tales. [6]

Gillese is the co-writer, co-creator, and executive producer of the short series Hart of America. [7] The series was a product of Gillese's long time collaboration with Arlen Konopaki, and was based on their long-form improv format developed through their show Scratch. Hart of America also stars his wife, Amber Nash. [8] Additionally, Gillese co-wrote and directed the show Battle Space Wars, also based on his Scratch shows, in February 2015. [9]

Gillese is known as an arts leader that promotes diversity initiatives in theatre, specifically those that empower women. [10]

When Dad's Garage lost its long-term base in 2013, Gillese led the search for and acquisition of a new home for the company. [11] The initiative coalesced around the renovation and rezoning of an old church. Part of the funding for the move and renovations was derived from a successful Crowdfunding campaign that mobilized Dad's Garage's fanbase and supporters. [11]

Related Research Articles

The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is an annual arts festival held every August in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Produced by the Fringe Theatre, it is the oldest and largest fringe theatre festival in North America. The Edmonton Fringe is a founding member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals.

The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has become one of the most influential and renowned in the English-speaking world. In February 2021, ZMC, a private equity investment firm based in Manhattan, purchased the Second City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Anthony Williams</span> American actor

Gary Anthony Williams is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He has voiced the characters of Uncle Ruckus on The Boondocks, General Horace Warfield in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and Dr. Richard Tygan in XCOM 2, portraying Anton "Bebop" Zeck in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. He has also appeared on shows such as Boston Legal, I'm Sorry, Malcolm in the Middle and The Soul Man. He was a cast member on the sketch comedy series Blue Collar TV and currently the improv comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway?. He is also a co-founder of the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenue Theater</span> Building in CO, USA

The Avenue Theater, located at 417 E. 17th Avenue in Downtown Denver, Colorado has been a producing comedies, musicals, and plays as well as improvisational comedy for 39 years. It is home to the World Humor Organization (WHO) and Chicken Lips Entertainment

<i>The Sitcom Trials</i> 2003 British TV series or programme

The Sitcom Trials is a stage and TV show devised, produced, and presented by Kev F. Sutherland. Beginning in Bristol in 1999, it showcases new sitcoms and comedy items in a head-to-head format. The audience then vote for the one they like best and only see the ending of the winner.

Patti Stiles is an actress, director, author, playwright, teacher and improvisation artist living in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa</span> American writer (born 1973)

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee (2011–2014), Big Love (2009–2011), Riverdale (2017–2023), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020) and Pretty Little Liars (2022–present). He is chief creative officer of Archie Comics.

Die-Nasty is a live improvised soap opera, running weekly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1991. Die-Nasty's improv comedy format features a continuing storyline and recurring characters, live music, and a director who sets up scenes for the audience in voiceover.

Rapid Fire Theatre (RFT) is an improvisational theatre company based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The Court Jesters is a professional improv company founded in 1989 and based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is a subsidiary of the Court Theatre professional theatre company, acting as a second company within the theatre.

November Theatre is a Canadian theatre company that started in Edmonton, Alberta but is now based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company's Artistic Producer is Michael Scholar, Jr.

The Celebration Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company in Los Angeles, founded in 1982. The company is located in West Hollywood, on the west end of Theatre Row, and specializes in works representing the LGBTQ+ experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pippa Evans</span> British comedian

Pippa Evans is a British comedian, known for her work in character and improvisational comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber Nash</span> American actress

Amber Nash is an American actress and improvisational comedian. She is known as the voice actress for Pam Poovey in the animated TV series Archer. She was also featured in the animated TV series Frisky Dingo.

Dad's Garage Theatre Company, located at 569 Ezzard St. in the Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 1995 by Chris Blair, Marc Cram, Sean Daniels, George Faughnan, John Gregorio, David Keeton, Joseph Limbaugh, Matt Stanton, and Matt Young. A second wave of people in the founding summer soon followed, and the theatre company spent the next five years establishing itself in the Atlanta improv and theatre communities. The small theater company has since achieved international recognition for original stage productions and Improvisational comedy. Former Second City company member, Tim Stoltenberg is the current Artistic Director. Stacey Sharer is the current managing director.

The Sacred Fools Theater Company is a Los Angeles–based theatre company and nonprofit organization. Founded in January 1997, the company is a member organization of the LA Stage Alliance.

Ronald Pederson is a Canadian, Métis actor, comedian and theatre director who has worked extensively throughout Canada and in the United States. He has performed at most of Canada's major theatres including The Stratford Festival, The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, The Citadel Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, The Arts Club, The Vancouver Playhouse, The Young Centre, The Canadian Stage Company, The Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Soulpepper and The SummerWorks Festival. Pederson is an alumnus of Toronto’s The Second City and has also worked extensively in television and may be best known for his Canadian Comedy Award-nominated work and his three seasons on Fox Television's MADtv.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Yates</span> American actor

Matt "Lucky" Yates is an American actor, voice actor, puppeteer and comedian. He is known for his voice roles as Dr. Krieger on Archer and the Xtacles on Frisky Dingo. He was also a recurring actor on the Food Network series Good Eats. He studied theater at Wayne State University and regularly performs at Dad's Garage in Atlanta, Georgia.

Tina Huang is an American stage and television actress of Taiwanese descent known for her recurring roles in Rizzoli & Isles and for her semi-regular role as Melinda Trask on the NBC soap Days of Our Lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haddon Kime</span> American film composer

Haddon Kime is an American theatre and film composer, lyricist, sound designer, and director. Early in his career, Kime frequent collaborated in the theatre scenes of Boston and New York City writing music and sound designs for plays and musicals produced by New Repertory Theatre, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Gloucester Stage and Speakeasy Stage among others. He currently lives and works in Atlanta, and is credited with inventing the zoomsical during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Holman, Curt (24 October 2009). "Speakeasy with Kevin Gillese". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  2. 1 2 Brock, Wendell (13 January 2010). "Kevin Gillese brings energy to Dad's Garage". Access Atlanta. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Mayes, Alison (19 July 2009). "Wisdom Teeth". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  4. ↑ Ross, Mike (18 August 2009). "A mixed bag of mixed nuts nightly". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  5. ↑ Maida, David (30 April 2008). "Comedy career more than a laugh". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  6. ↑ MacLean, Colin (18 August 2010). "Fairy Tales Scratched – 4 out of 5". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Home". Hart of America. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "'Hart of America' Showcases 3 Dad's Garage Talents". Backstage.com. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "battle-space-wars_dads-garage". AMERICAN THEATRE. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "Dad's Garage's Kevin Gillese and Lara Smith talk all things funny". Busking at the Seams. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Born Again: Dad's Garage Theater converts a church - Atlanta Magazine". Atlanta Magazine. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.