Matt Donnelly

(GUEST INSTRUCTOR)

Currently a writer for Penn & Teller’s new Discovery Channel show: Penn &Teller Tell A Lie, Matt was also recently voted BEST MALE COMEDIAN in Las Vegas in 2010 by BroadwayWorld.com.  Matt Donnelly hosted and performed in the Long Form Improv show “Executive Monkeys” at The Palms Resort Casino, and he currently hosts “SET” at The Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas.  Matt has also enjoyed a two-month run in Wayne Brady’s show, “Making **it Up,” at the Venetian.

Prior to moving to Las Vegas, Matt was an instructor at the People’s Improv Theatre in New York City for six years where he taught Level 3 – Intro to Performance Improvisation, as well as master classes in La Ronde, Deconstruction and Chapter Forms (ie: Armando/Mosaic).  He co-created the live improvised movie show “The Neutrino Video Projects,” which appeared at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival before being franchised to 11 other cities around the world.  He also taught improv in the acting program at the New York Film Academy, and continues to teach annually with the Columbia University Business School Executive Education Program with Business Improvisations.  He has directed house teams at The PIT, UCB, and Magnet Theatre in New York.  Seminal improv groups Matt has performed in include Neutrino, Possible Side Effects, Threat and The Faculty.  In Las Vegas, Matt teaches Advanced Long Form at Improv Vegas, and frequently travels across the country to teach at comedy festivals.

His improv teachers include Amy Poehler, Armando Diaz, Charne Halpurn, Liz Allen, Miles Stroth, as well as many others.  He earned his BFA in Acting from Montclair State University.

Listen to Matt talk about improv and his Bull & Matador technique on the Improv Resource Center Podcast: