About Us

• Peggy Eldred-Eserkaln
• Partial list of previous workshops and conventions appearances
• Letters of recommendation

Overview

The Educational Improvisation Programs have been in existence since 1994. It all began when Peggy Eldred-Eserkaln had an urge to see just what happens when state and national learning initiatives are paired with improvisational comedy techniques. Since the first KidsCamps in 1994 the programs have expanded, grown, and busted out all over into schools and corporations all across the grand ole US of A.

Certified Teachers

Now programs continue to gain momentum and diversify, mostly due to the incredible talents of the staff. Nancy Geneva has been involved with Educational Improvisation from the start as a trainer and manager of kid programming. Nancy came well equipped for the job with over a decade of classroom teaching experience and darn near as much improvisational experience. Kristin Larsen was added to the mix when she took some training and inquired about becoming more involved. We have been in love with Kristin and her energy ever since. Kristin hails from Rhinelander Wisconsin with a title of Coordinator of Gifted and Talented Programs and recipient of an Herb Kohl Teaching Award. Pat Quigley and Craig Knitt round out our staff of folks who have a license to mold the minds of America. Both Pat and Craig spend up to 8 hours a day teaching high schoolers about Shakespeare and Monet respectively. Pat has been performing with ComedyCity since 1998 and Craig joined the troupe in 2000. Their individual talents and skills have proven them invaluable as trainers in the Educational Improvisation world of fun.

Trainers

Each year we've been able to add new trainers to our payroll. Ken Goltz, a communications major at UW-Oshkosh, has logged many an hour teaching kids improv and even more hours performing at ComedyCity. Each summer Ken is in charge of several sessions of KidsCamp. And to think that Ken himself became an improviser by participating in the High School League. Dan Ritter has a similar history. He moved to the area from Texas and joined the High School League in his Junior year of high school. From the moment he joined he was involved with programs for the younger ones. He assisted Peggy and Nancy in the first summer of KidsCamp and from that point on he has been actively involved in providing programs to kids of all ages.

Specialty Artists

Rounding out the Educational Improvisation staff are Kevin Macleod and Mike Eserkaln. Kevin provides us as a trainer who can steer the helm of the improv ship whenever the word 'music' is involved. He knows how to make it, write it, teach it, perform it and make us look like we know just as much as he does. Mike Eserkaln is the co-owner of ComedyCity Green Bay and a playwright and filmmaker to boot! Mike's energies are often focused on managing the 'grown up' aspects of ComedyCity Green Bay and providing the world with scripts, but that doesn't mean that you won't occasionally find him in front of a group of people leading them to the gold at the end of the improv rainbow.