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contact name: Jill Bernard
email: jbernard@comedysportztc.com

mailing address:
P.O. Box 2376
Minneapolis MN 55402

Related Organizations:
ComedySportz, HUGE Theater, Tiny Improv, Improv A Go Go, Artistic Associate of the Chicago Improv Festival

Jill Bernard
PO Box 2376
Minneapolis, MN 55402
jbernard@comedysportztc.com
http://www.jillbernard.com

Improv Experience (representative selection)

COMEDYSPORTZ- TWIN CITIES November 1994-Present
Improviser/Workshop Instructor for competitive improv troupe. http://www.comedysportztc.com
HUGE THEATER - founding member of an improv theater company formed to elevate and promote improv in Minneapolis. Featured in the 2008 Chicago Improv Festival, May 2008 http://www.hugetheater.com
DRUM MACHINE - Solo Improv
Sample Night Live, History Theatre St Paul, MN August 2009
LAFF Festival, Austin TX, May 2009
Mix Tape Comedy Showcase - Minneapolis March 2009
Spontaneous Combustion Festival,Atlanta March 2009
North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival February 2009
New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival February 2009
Denver Improv Festival November 2008
ComedySportz-Los Angeles October 2008
NARAL Comedy for Choice, Minneapolis September 2008
Pub Ampfield, Gjøvik, Norway August 2008
see.hear.speak Austin TX January 2008
Lowell Improv Festival September 2007
Atlanta Black Box Festival September 2007 & 2008
Camprov (Raymond, ME) August 2007, 2009
Providence Improv Festival June 2007
Twin Cities Improv Festival June 2007, 2008, 2009
Seattle Festival of Improvisational Theater February 2006 and 2007
Hallmark Corporation private show, Kansas City March 2007
New Orleans Improv Festival November 2006, 2007
Vancouver Improv Festival June 2006
Seattle Festival of Improvisational Theater February 2006 Oberlin Improv Festival, Oberlin OH April 2005
Foolfest 2005 - Minnesota Mime & Physical Theatre Festival, St. Paul, MN March 2005
Courageous Mongoose Festival, Bowling Green, KY March 2005
Miami Improv Festival January 2005, 2006, 2007
Kitchen Sink, Jerk Alert Productions December 2005
Toronto International Improv Festival August 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Comedysportz World Championships August 2003 and 2004
Hangar Ballroom-Juneau, AK June 2004
Comedysportz Spokane June 2004
Female Funny Fest, Philadelphia, PA December 2003 and November 2004
Chicago Improv Festival May 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008
Acorn Theater-Three Oaks, MI October 2003
All Jane No Dick Funny Woman Festival-Portland, OR August 2003
Improv A-Go-Go-Minneapolis, MN Various Dates
The Playground-Chicago, IL November 2003
Red Curtain Cabaret-Minneapolis, MN July-August 2002
SCRAM - improv duo with Joe Bill performed at 2007 Lowell Improv Festival, 2007 Kansas City Improv Festival, 2008 Chicago Improv Festival, 2008 Twin Cities Improv Festival, 2009 Red Dirt Festival, Oklahoma City; 2009 Del Close Marathon, New York City; 2009Out of Bounds Festival, Austin, TX
RESIST BUTCH - improv duo with Butch Roy performed at 2005 Chicago Improv Festival and 2005 San Francisco Improv Festival, and at several Minneapolis shows.
COMEDYSPORTZ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Kansas City 1996, Portland OR 1998 & 2008, Washington DC 2003, Milwaukee 2004 & 2009, San Jose 2006, Rock Island, IL 2007. Member of 2004 Championship Team, and 2009 co-Champion Team
ORDINARY PEOPLE (BUT NOT) - Minneapolis March 2005 Director - improvised show based on the 1980 family drama.
LOOK MA, NO PANTS - Minneapolis July 1999-August 2004. Performer/Writer/Improviser in the Scrimshaw Brothers' critically acclaimed monthly variety show.
STORYBOX - Chicago November 2003-February 2004. A DeMaat Showcase coached improv ensemble under Jonathan Pitts at the Second City Training Center.
DEFENDING YOUR LIFE - Chicago February 2004. Cast member, WNEP's improvised play based on the Albert Brooks movie.
CHICAGO CITY LIMITS - NEW YORK March 2002. Guest Performer with acclaimed New York improv troupe Chicago City Limits.
TINY FUNNY WOMEN FEST June 2001 and July 2003. Coordinator/Producer/Instructor/Performer in a festival that brought together women improvisers from across the Twin Cities for a day of workshops and a jam.
DON'T HATE US BECAUSE WE'RE FUNNY - MINNEAPOLIS November 1999.
Organizer/Producer/Performer of the Minneapolis branch of a national improvisational theater benefit to fight hate crimes and domestic violence.

Scripted Experience (representative selection)
BIG FOOT VS. PLANET EARTH - Minneapolis April 2008 Voice of Fern in animated educational cartoon. www.sciencecomms.com
NANO-DREAMS & NANO-NIGHTMARES - Minneapolis February 2007 Performer/Writer in a ten-minute educational script for the Science Museum of Minnesota.
LOOK MA, NO PANTS - Minneapolis July 1999-August 2004 Performer/Writer/Improviser in the Scrimshaw Brothers' critically acclaimed monthly variety show.
MEDEA MEDEA - Minneapolis February 2003 A one-woman show as part of the Absolute Originals series at Intermedia Arts, adapted from the play by Euripides.
A DOLL’S HOUSE - Minneapolis August 2000 Director/Producer/Actor in critically acclaimed Fringe Festival production of Ibsen’s classic in a 4’x4’ nook.
COMING OUT WEEK EVENT - Minneapolis June 2003 Actor/Singer in Fly in my Soup Production’s sketch comedy show for GLBT awareness.

Print Ads/Articles
METRO MAGAZINE TOP COMEDIANS - photo spread and article, August 2009.
CALHOUN SQUARE GET READY campaign - Poster ads around shopping mall.
SOUTHVIEW DESIGN GARDEN PARTY - Print ad in the Fall 2009 issues of Lux Design Magazine, Spaces, and Midwest Home.


Teaching Experience (representative selection)
MTV "MADE" Original air date November 9, 2005 Featured as improv coach for Alyssa Williams on an episode where the Irondale High School Student was "made" into an improvisor.
COMEDYSPORTZ - TWIN CITIES November 1994-Present Since 1998, Director-Workshop Program. Clients have included: General Mills, Ehler Publishing, Guidant, Microsoft, Art Institutes International-Minnesota, Children's Hospital, Verizon, Digital River, Anderson Consulting, L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, Southdale Library, Rainbow Families, and University of Minnesota SpeakerQuest; in addition to courses for the general public.
VARIOUS IMPROV FESTIVALS: Out of Bounds Festival Austin, TX September 2009; Red Dirt Festival, Oklahoma City, July 2009; LAFF Festival, Austin TX, May 2009; Spontaneous Combustion Festival, Atlanta March 2009; North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival February 2009; New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival February 2009; Denver Improv Festival November 2008; Chicago Improv Festival Apprentice Teams June 2008; see.hear.speak Austin TX January 2008; Lowell Improv Festival September 2007; Atlanta Black Box Festival September 2007 & 2008; Kansas City Improv Festival March 2007 & September 2008; Providence Improv Festival June 2007; Seattle Festival of Improvisational Theater February 2006 and 2007; New Orleans Improv Festival November 2006; Vancouver Improv Festival June 2006; Camprov (Raymond, ME) August 2007, 2009; Seattle Festival of Improvisational Theater February 2006; Chicago Improv Festival- Chicago, Il April 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; Oberlin Improv Festival- Oberlin, OH April 2005; Miami Improv Festival- Miami, Fl March 2005, 2006, 2007; Dirty South Improv Festival - Chapel Hill, NC February 2004 and 2005; Comedysportz World Championships Washington DC 2003, Milwaukee 2004, San Jose 2006, Rock Island, IL 2007; Female Funny Fest - Philadelphia, PA December 2003 and November 2004; Toronto International Improv Festival - Toronto, ON August 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007; Funny Women Festival - Chicago, IL July 2002
STRANGER THAN FICTION, Portsmouth, NH, August 2009
BOVINE METROPOLIS, Denver, CO Master Class, July 2009 OZYMANDIUS THEATER, Cheyenne, WY, July 2009
IMPATIENT THEATRE COMPANY Toronto, Canada, Weekend Intensive April 2009
COMEDYSPORTZ LOS ANGELES MASTER CLASS SERIES- Los Angeles, CA October 2008
NORSK SCENSKREKK IMPROVISASJONSKURS INSTRUCTOR- Kapp, Norway August 2008
THE WISEGUYS GUEST INSTRUCTOR-
Memphis, TN February 2008
JAMES SEWELL BALLET GUEST INSTRUCTOR-Minneapolis, MN-January 2008
THE ORIGINALS GUEST INSTRUCTOR-Phoenix, AZ August 2005
COMEDYSPORTZ MILWAUKEE GUEST INSTRUCTOR- Milwaukee, WI December 2004
YOUTH PERFORMANCE COMPANY- Minneapolis, MN Fall 2004 Teacher and curriculum designer for "Improv Studio," a six week improv class for teens.
COMEDYSPORTZ MILWAUKEE GUEST INSTRUCTOR- Milwaukee, WI December 2004
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA GUEST INSTRUCTOR- Cedar Falls, IA November 2004 Guest of Dr. Doug Shaw and Half-Masted 2.0, and the S.A.F.E Program under Dr. Karen Mitchell.
TAPESTRY THEATRE GUEST INSTRUCTOR- Philadelphia, PA November 2004 Teacher for one-day musical improv workshop.
MORALLY IMPROV-ERSHED GUEST INSTRUCTOR - Juneau, AK June 2004
COMEDYSPORTZ SPOKANE GUEST INSTRUCTOR - Spokane, WA June 2004 and COMEDYSPORTZ PORTLAND GUEST INSTRUCTOR - Portland, OR February 2004


Training (representative selection)
University of MN - BA in Theater
London College of Music - Grade 3 Music Theatre accreditation
Improv Olympic, Level 4 and the Annoyance, Level 3
Improv festival workshops with Del Close, Susan Messing, Shaun Landry, Mary Scruggs, Michael Gellman, Joe Bill, Liz Allen, Charna Halpern, Asaf Ronen, Bob Dassie
Honors
Critic's Choice Award-LAFF 2009 - Wisecrack Feminism & Comedy Magazine
Finalist - miniStories author, mnartists.org
Artistic Associate - Chicago Improv Festival
2007 Best Solo Show – Miami Improv Festival
2005 Chicago Improv Festival Avery Schreiber Ambassador of Improv Award
2003 Institute for Community Cultural Development Fellow
"Minneapolis's queen of comedy" - Toronto NOW Magazine
"The Queen of Improv in Minneapolis" - Chicago Magazine
"Funniest gal in town!" - Skyway News, 1/28/02

Here's some articles
Oppland Arbeiderblad
http://www.oa.no/kultur/article3701255.ece?service=print
Stage Directions magazine
http://stage-directions.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=677&Itemid=39
Time Out Chicago
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/comedy/30077/have-fun-will-travel
St. Paul Pioneer Press
http://mattpeiken.com/Journalism/Eavesdrop/jillbernard.htm
Juneau Empire
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/061004/loc_madbeats.shtml

I believe that if we can laugh together and if we can play together, we can do anything together. I believe when we choose to live our lives without hating ourselves and fearing others, life is worth living. To this end I've devoted my life to teaching and performing improvisational comedy, relishing those moments when the world gets to be anything we pretend it is.

Jill Bernard's Small Cute Book of Improv available through YesAnd.com Publishing.

Country of Citizenship:
United States

Birth Place:
Richmond, VA

Birth Date:
July 20, 1972

Gender:
Female

Active Place:
Minneapolis

Minnesota County:
Hennepin

Improv Artist

http://jillbernard.com/ 

Artists that interest me...
Collaborators and Future Collaborators
miniStories: April 2008