Michael Short

From IRC Improv Wiki

Michael Short is an improviser and actor currently based in New York City. A classically trained artist and illustrator, Michael originally studied Fine Arts at SUNY Fredonia. However, he became interested in improv in 1999 when he became a founding member of his school's shortform improv group, The Improv Society. He served as that fledgling group's artistic director until his graduation in 2001.

Moving to Oberlin, OH, Michael began his professional improv training in earnest at the Second City Cleveland. After a year, he moved back to the New York area and began working with improv teacher Asaf Ronen. In 2005, Michael joined the Magnet Theater Training Program, where his teachers have included Tara Copeland, Armando Diaz, James Eason, Louis Kornfeld, Alex Marino, & Jean Villepique. Michael has also trained briefly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater with teacher Betsy Stover, and appearing on the UCB stage in 2007 as part of Sunny-Side Up, a show improvised in the style of children's theater. He was also a member of the short-lived indie team Conflikt of Interest. Other teachers include Christian Capazolli and John O'Donnell.

Michael is particularly proud of the work he's done at the Magnet Theater. He developed a new form for the show The Incredible Comic Book. He's been a part of many great teams and productions at the Magnet, including Art Project and Yum Yum Bangkok. He is one-third of the group Rap Crimes Division, directed by Jon Bander. Michael can also be seen performing with the improvised puppet show, Sock, and with the (as-of-yet unnamed) Magnet Megawatt team, Pine.