Michael Lewis Founder/Director

Michael Lewis photo by Lorie Chambless

Empire improv was founded by Michael Lewis, who began his foray into improvisation over fourteen years ago with the Hermit Colony in the hub of art and culture Bakersfield, California. He performed with ComedySportz in Bakersfield off and on for more than seven years. He began teaching for Bakersfield ComedySportz in 1996 and directed the high school league for two years.

An alumnus of iO West (formerly Improv Olympic West), Michael studied and performed there for five years. While at iO he performed with Harold teams G.U.S. and Pit Boss as well as The Award Winning Documentary. He was on two retired Champion teams of the iO West Cage Match, first with The Backstreet Bards and then with Blaine is Obviously Gay.

The Bards went on to become the crowd favorite Spontaneous Shakespeare Co. performing a forty-minute-long Shakespearean-style one-act play. They were twice invited to perform at the Annual Los Angeles Improv Festival and Michael was invited to teach workshops there.

Michael spent two years as an artistic advisor for Major League Improv, teaching several workshops for them. For two years he worked as and artistic consultant for   iO Chicago's wildly successful, Improvised Shakespeare Co. Now, of course, he runs The Empire and performs with Empire's own Hostel Greetings.

 Ben Craig Performs w/ Hostel Greetings

Ben Craig photo by Emily Main

Ben Craig has studied at Second City both in Chicago and Las Vegas.  He performed in student showcases at Second City in Las Vegas performing in improvised long and short form and musical shows.  He was a founding member of the improv group “Speedbirth” in Las Vegas who performed weekly in Bourbon Street Casino.  Ben has also done stand up for many years in Reno and Las Vegas.  Currently Ben studies with Empire Improv and performs with Empire’s own house team Hostel Greetings and Empire's student team Have Fine.

Tim Dufrisne Performs w/ Hostel Greetings

Tim Dufrisne photo by Emily Main

Tim Dufrisne currently studies Theater and Dramatic Literature at UNR. He has published two books of his own poetry and a book of short stories and poems and was co-writer and publisher of a satirical magazine distributed by Tower Records.  Tim wrote, starred in, and toured with the accliamed sketch group "TV You Can Heckle".  Tim currently performs with the long form improv house team Hostel Greetings, and the student team Have Fine presented by Empire Improv, directed by iO alum, Michael Lewis.