Jet Ciy Improv Artistic Director to Helm New Play at the University Of Washington

Jet City Improv is excited to announce it's Artistic Director, Andrew McMasters, will be teaming up with his wife, Mary Lindsey McMasters (JCI's Education and Donor Development Coordinator) to direct a new ensemble piece created by the undergraduates of the UW School of Drama for it's 75th anniversary season.

Beginnings: First Breath is a new ensemble theater performance featuring movement, scenes and stories all created from audience involvement. This is the first time that the University of Washington has partnered with Jet City Improv, which was co-founded by McMasters while he was in graduate school at the UW. "Seattle is a great city that fosters new theatrical work, and that's one of the reasons why I relocated here in 1990," says McMasters. After beginning Jet City Improv in May of 1992, McMasters entered the Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) in September of that year to work towards his MFA in Drama. Since his graduation in 1995, he has worked nationally and internationally as a director, teacher and trainer, all while still fostering a growing JCI as the Artistic Director. "Jet City Improv has been the one constant that I have had in my artistic career, and it has allowed me to experiment and learn more about myself as an actor and as a director."

The show features a cast of undergraduate performers, many of whom have never improvised previously, including: Alyssa Karounos, Anais Gralpois, Patrick McDermott, Kirby McDermott, Hannah Probst, Simon Tran, Barnett Vandiver and Anne Riley Willis.

Andrew and Mary have previously worked together on projects at Jet City Improv such as Austen Translation (an improvised play based on the works of Jane Austen) and Upside Downton (an improvised version of "Downton Abbey", as well as Upside Downton: the Christmas Special). In the spring they will be working on Solid is the New Stripes (an improvised "Orange is the New Black").

Beginnings: First Breath will open on December 2nd at 8pm and performs December 2, 3, 4 and 5 at the Cabaret Theater in the UW School of Drama's Hutchison Hall.