Meet the Team
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CEO & Creative Director
Hi, I'm Skyler—a performer, educator, and community builder based in San Diego. I came to the world of improv in 2015 with the intention of taking the 2-month class and moving on but it quickly became a transformative practice that reshaped my life, perspectives and paradigms.
During my tenure as General Manager and Co-Artistic Director at Finest City Improv from 2019-2025, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact of improv on individuals from all walks of life. I witnessed over and over students being reborn into their own lives. Powerful, life changing transformations unfolding in front of me. Students gushed about more confidence, better adaptability, way more joy in their lives and so much more—testaments to the power of this art form.
After parting ways with Finest City Improv and amidst my reflections, the recurring theme was clear: improv has the potential to heal, connect, and empower, especially in communities that often lack access to such resources.
This realization - and the curious push by Jean Diedrich, a dear friend and a fierce partner in this endeavor - led to the birth of it's improv—a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the benefits of improvisational theater and applied improvisational training to underserved populations. Our programs focus on self-expression, community building, and personal growth through play.
I’m passionate about creating inclusive spaces where individuals feel seen, heard, and valued. I believe in the transformative power of storytelling and the magic that unfolds when people come together to co-create.
When I'm not facilitating, developing programs, you might find me doing something active and outdoors. I love nature and all its expressions, and all the ways to interact with it. Catch me exploring local art scenes and enjoying San Diego's vibrant culture. #supportthearts!
I'm thrilled to continue this journey, collaborating with organizations and individuals who share a commitment to empowerment through creativity.
CEO & Creative Director
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For 52 years, Jean basked in the shadow of Chicago Improv. But usually, as a spectator. It was only when a dramatic life event brought her to San Diego did she realize the value of improv to heal and grow as she set up a new life from scratch. Intrigued by the wisdom of fellow Chicagoan Viola Spolin, Jean dove into the research on the use of improv to ease the way for all communities who benefit from mindful play.
A retired Illinois attorney, a mother, a grandmother and a graduate of Finest City Improv, it is her absolute privilege to use improv for even more good by founding “it’s improv” with longtime mentor and friend, Skyler Davis Lee.
Chief Operating Officer
it’s improv Board Members
Board Member & Instructor
Board Member
Board Member & Instructor
Board Member
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Board Member
Michelle Marie Trester is a San Diego-based actress, was originally from Kansas City, Missouri. After performing on local stages in Kansas City, she pursued her Bachelor of Science in theater performance at Northwest Missouri State University, graduating cum laude. In addition to her undergraduate studies, she spent a summer abroad in London, immersing herself in Shakespeare and musical theater. She also attended the New Actors Workshop intensive, founded by Mike Nichols, George Morrison, and Paul Sills, and spent a summer as an acting apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Subsequently, she earned her Master of Fine Arts from The New School for Drama in New York City. Since relocating to San Diego, she has worked at various theaters across the region, including New Village Arts, North Coast Repertory Theatre, The Roustabout’s Theatre Co., MOXIE Theatre, Backyard Renaissance Theatre, Scripps Ranch Theatre, Oceanside Theatre Company, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, Broadway Theatre, Playwrights Project, ion theatre, Welk Resort San Diego, and Carlsbad Playreaders.
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Board Member & Instructor
Amber Largent is an improvisational performing artist, teacher, coach, and bona fide improv nerd. She was first exposed to the arts in elementary school and was so enamored she continued her studies throughout her school years going on to receive a BA in Theatre Arts with a minor in Dance from UCSD.
Inspired by her love of people and fascination with the human body, Amber became a licensed massage therapist in 2004 and a licensed acupuncturist in 2013. In 2016 her love of improv was reignited when she was given a Level 1 class at Finest City Improv for her birthday.
Since then she hasn’t stopped studying, watching, and performing improv. She has performed with over 20 different teams at numerous theaters all over California, Arizona, Colorado, New York, Utah, North Carolina, Florida, and as far off as Scotland and Ireland. She has taken hundreds of hours of workshops and seen way more improv shows than she’s comfortable admitting.
As a teacher and coach she is driven by her love of improv and theatre to help her fellow performers find their own artistic voice and passions.
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Sarah Flocken is the owner of SLH Communications, a San Diego-based public relations consultancy with a footprint nationwide, and has been an involved member of the San Diego improv community for nearly 10 years. "SLH" stands for "sound like a human," and Sarah brings this spirit to both her public relations client work and the improv-informed team communications workshops she leads for companies of all sizes.
Sarah's second career as a fiction author took off in June 2026, with the release of her debut novel Be Well, which reviewers have described as "joyfully nightmarish" and "like living in the world's most devastatingly accurate Reductress article." Her fiction is informed by (you guessed it) her improv and comedy writing background, which includes a run with a sketch comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe during her graduate studies.
She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Comparative Literary Studies from Occidental College in Los Angeles, and a master’s in Literature & Modernity: 1900-Present from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland. Sarah is also a competitive punner (it's a thing) and channels this passion into hosting Pundemonium! San Diego's Only Pun Competition at Finest City Improv every month. She lives in San Diego with her husband and rescue golden retriever, who reminds her to PAWS and appreciate the little things.
Board Member
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Board Member
Lewis is an improviser who set out to find a new hobby, and came away with so much more! Originally from Minnesota, he moved to San Diego in 2012 to pursue is Ph.D in Biochemistry. In 2022, he took his first improv class at Finest City Improv. The original drive was to get out of the house and do something social in response to the isolation of the previous two years. Up to that point, the only performing he had done was karaoke, so he took the plunge.
Lewis immediately fell in love with improv as an art form, and with the emphasis it places on community, connection, and support! Today, Lewis enjoys performing improv, supporting show production as a stage manager, and finding new ways to bring the joy and confidence he found through improv to an even wider range of life experiences.
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Board Member & Instructor
Neil Patel is a dynamic entertainment producer with roots in the fine arts and animation, and has a six-year track record as an improv performer and teacher in the San Diego community. His improv journey began in Scotland, where he fell in love with the craft amidst the historic Edinburgh Fringe Festival—first as a spectator, then as a performer.
Back in San Diego, Neil quickly emerged as a magnetic force in many creative, artistic and activist spaces to name a few. He’s known as a natural community builder and ethical leader, blending artistry, humor, and a giant heart to foster spaces where people feel seen, heard, and empowered.
Whether he’s directing a show, teaching a class, or bringing others' ideas into reality, Neil finds joy in helping everyone tap into their authentic voice—through both visual and performing arts. He has invested hundreds of hours of volunteer work to selflessly support in endless ways and he continues to invest in people every single day.
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Gary Ware is an improviser, educator, author, and lifelong believer in the power of play to help people connect, grow, and see new possibilities.
Gary stumbled into his first improv class 15 years ago while trying to become a better public speaker. What he found was much bigger. Improv gave him a place to play, take risks, make mistakes, connect with strangers, and rediscover a part of himself that had gotten buried under the pressures of adulthood. That experience changed the direction of his life.
For the past decade, Gary has taught improv with a focus on helping people build confidence, creativity, connection, and joy, both onstage and off. He currently teaches at Finest City Improv and Mockingbird Improv in San Diego and regularly performs at Finest City Improv. Over the years, he has trained at National Comedy Theatre, Sidestage Improv, Camp Improv Utopia, and Second City Hollywood, along with countless workshops and drop-ins across the country.
Gary is also the founder of Breakthrough Play and author of Playful Rebellion: Maximize Workplace Success Through the Power of Play. Through his work, he brings lessons from improv and play into organizations around the world, helping people communicate, collaborate, and create more human ways of working. His work has included organizations such as SAP, HP, Intuit, GoFundMe, and the United Nations Staff College.
At the heart of Gary’s work is a simple belief: everyone deserves spaces where they can play, belong, express themselves, and be seen. He’s excited to bring his experience as an improviser, teacher, entrepreneur, and community builder to It’s Improv and help expand access to the kinds of experiences that changed his own life.
Board Member/Instructor
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Board Member
Board Member/Instructor
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Niki (she/her) is an improv instructor, performer, and coach originally from Western New York. She has been teaching and coaching long-form improv in since 2016. She draws on her improv, theater, and dance background to instruct and improvise with physicality, support, and playfulness. When she is not improvising, she is following her dreams, asking people their star signs, and playing with her dog.
Instructor
Our Incredible Instructors
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Erica Clermont has a BA in theatre from UBC in Vancouver BC Canada. Erica has been involved in all types of theatre since the age of 4 doing musicals and spoken word and original pieces and directing shows as well. Erica got involved with FCI in 2013 when they were expanding and growing and became part of the House Team league. She started teaching soon after and has loved bringing improv into peoples lives.
She has also been a manager with Trader Joe’s for 18 years so has extensive training and team development skills. She has been a team building facilitator at USD, Jewish Family Services, El Cajon School District, numerous corporate events and companies. She has taught improv to kids and teens as well as adults and has a lot of experience with facilitating large groups of people in team building and improv classes.