Directors both direct the formats, and teach Johnstone-style impro.
- ITI Directors meet a majority of the following criteria:
- worked intensively & extensively with Keith, in an ongoing capacity, for a minimum of 10 years
- have a minimum of 15 years teaching experience
- have an international reputation as recognized by their peers in teaching, directing, & creation of impro work based in Johnstonian philosophy
- have been recognized by Keith as having knowledge and understanding of each of his impro formats, including the “why” behind various elements, history and execution, and are authorized by the ITI to teach the formats in their original form
- continue to both teach, and employ Keith Johnstone impro philosophies in the classroom and on stage
- have been observed by at least 3 other Directors, or Instructors in a workshop
♦ If you would like a director to visit your group to work on a specific format, or teach a workshop, please contact the ITI Head Office.
There is some funding in place to facilitate Director visits to ITI Member Companies
All ITI Directors have been vetted to teach Keith Johnstone formats and can deliver the underlying philosophies :
Theatresports™ 
Maestro Impro™ 
Gorilla Theatre™All ITI Directors adhere to the ITI Code of Conduct.
CANADIAN DIRECTORS
| NAME | CITY | WEBSITE | BIO | other influences/expertise | |
| Dennis Cahill | Calgary | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | Dennis Cahill is a founding member and the current artistic director of The Loose Moose Theatre Company. He has been a principal instructor at the International Improvisation School since 1989, and on faculty of the Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program from 2011 -2018. He has taught masterclasses in improvisation at the Fountain School of Performing Arts, Dalhousie University, for the Birmingham Conservatory at the Stratford Festival, and was invited to teach improvisation at the National Theatre School in Montreal. Dennis has also toured extensively, performing and teaching improvisation in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the USA. | Improvisation for actor training, as well with non-performers (scientists, grad students, etc.) using improvisation to improve communication skills | |
| Rebecca Northan | Stratford, Toronto, Calgary (CANADA), UK Passport | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | spontaneoustheatre.ca | Rebecca joined the Loose Moose Theatre in 1988, and has continued to work there, as well as continuing to study with Keith. Her work in Spontaneous Theatre, includes: Blind Date, Undercover, Legend Has It, and An Undiscovered Shakespeare - all featuring an audience member in the lead role. Rebecca's teaching combine's Keith's philosophies with her background in acting for film, television, and stage, as well as clown. | On camera work, audience participation, improv for actors, corporate training, clown, long-form, scripted work, Shakespeare, mask |
| Shawn Kinley | Calgary | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.shawnkinley.com | After 3 decades, 52 countries, too many airports to mention and a lifelong focus on improvisation, Shawn has worked with Keith since the 1980's and has developed much of his own work and evolving theories from the numerous groups he's had the honour to visit and teach. He has worked with Israeli scientists, German Buddhists, British therapists, Japanese Surgeons, Peruvian Athletes, Finnish Engineers, South African children, and stage improvisers on every continent. Improvisation is everywhere and in everything. Shawn takes pride in teaching the needs of whomever the students are. The improvisation is the content but it's also how the classes are taught. Class topics range from Improvisation, (basics, advanced, narrative, character, formats and format creation and more) to movement (contact impro, mime, stage fighting for improvisation, clown ) to applied improvisation topics ('People Reading', Inter-Office Dynamics, etc) and formats he has shared, being played around the world -Shell Game, Moyo, Hot Seat, True Lies). | Improvisation, basics, advanced, exploitative, narrative, character, formats and format creation. - Movement - Mime, Stage fighting for improvisers, Band Mime (cartoon Mime) - Mask - Character mask, Mask Making, Body mask, non-trance style, Mask performance development, Object mask - Puppetry - Object puppetry, typical puppet, body dynamics with puppety - Meet the Monster (this was a performance piece Keith developed a long time ago that took guests through a blindfolded adventure with the support of the improvisation team) and Virtual Theatre - my developed concepts to create immersed experiences that feel as real as the real thing (Lunar landing, Amazonian River adventure, etc, etc) - Teaching how to teach - - Clown ...worked with Cirque du Soleil, Character Clown, truth clown - Variety work - Magic, Writing for writers and divisors, prop building on a budget, Scenography for improvisers. |
| Veena Sood | Vancouver | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.veenasood.com | Co-founder and originator of THE LOOSE MOOSE THEATRE COMPANY. Co-artistic director of The Life Game Vancouver. We’ve done 8 years of development and shows. I also co-produced a radio (Podcast) series of The Life Game on Canada’s CBC radio podcast series of The Life Game. |
Application of Impro to film & television work, using text and impro exercises. |
| Frank Totino | Calgary | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.franktotino.com | Canadian theatre director, actor, improviser, teacher, producer, designer and musician. Founding cast member of Loose Moose Theatre Company. Past Director of ITI, Professor to the Danish State Theatre School for Actors in Odense, Denmark where he specializes in Realism. Continuously engaged by Production companies and Drama Schools in Europe, Asia, North America and South America to direct and teach acting and improvisation. Directed plays in Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France and Brazil. Director of Keith Johnstone Workshops Inc. and Director of the Keith Johnstone School. | Theatre, script development, Realism in Impro |
EUROPEAN DIRECTORS
| NAME | CITY | WEBSITE | BIO | other influences/expertise | |
| Tony Totino |
Oslo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | http://detandreteatret.no/ | My association with Keith Johnstone and Improvisation started in 1976 when I was a student at the University of Calgary. Keith recruited me to choreograph dancers for a production of The Tempest. I eventually performed a role in the play and then in 1978 I joined the newly formed Loose Moose Theatre Company. I worked with Keith Johnstone and the ensemble at the Loose Moose Theatre for the next 12 years. While at Loose Moose I filled roles as a performer, director and teacher and I was one of the group that worked with Keith to develop Theatresports in the late 70's and The Life Game in the mid-80's. I traveled with the Moose to dozens of "World Championship" Theatresports tournaments all across Canada the U.S. and Australia. I was part of the gold medal team at The Olympic Theatresports tournament at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. In 1990 I moved to Oslo Norway and I have continued to work as a freelance teacher, director and performer. I have been staging performances of Theatresports, Gorilla Theatre, Micetro Theatre and The Life Game continuously here in Norway for the last 28 years. | I have worked as a director of scripted theatre since my days at the Loose Moose theatre and I have been a member of the Norwegian Stage Directors Union for 20 years. My “special skills” in the field of impro run to physical theatre and movement. I have worked with masks and clowns and I have spent a great deal of time working with devised theatre. I also still choreograph dances when needed. |
| Steve Jarand |
Stuttgart, Germany & Banff, Canada | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | stevejarand.com | Steve has been doing improvisation since 1987 beginning at Loose Moose theatre in Calgary, Canada. Since 1991 he has produced nature and history theatre performing in schools, mountain parks museums and zoos. Steve began working with masks in 1999 with the support of Keith Johnstone, then soon after, teaching at home and overseas. Now he teaches Mask and Impro internationally and has conducted workshops and played shows in over 20 countries. Other pursuits include puppetry, clown and meditation. |
Trance Masks, Full Masks, Mask Making, Puppetry |
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND DIRECTORS
| NAME | CITY | WEBSITE | BIO | other influences/expertise | |
| Derek Flores |
Christchurch, NZ | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | http://www.meegwai.com/wp/ | Inspired by masters such as Groucho Marx and Bugs Bunny, Derek has pursued a life in comic theatre. At a young age he was introduced to the teachings of Keith Johnstone which saw him through a life as a street performer and cabaret act throughout festivals in Canada, Australia, Europe, and NZ. Eventually finding himself on the mainstage at The Second City Toronto and sharing the stage with Colin Mochrie and Robin williams. Derek regularly plays improv festivals, comedy festivals,and comedy clubs internationally in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Germany, Dubai and here in New Zealand. After founding the New Zealand Improv Festival in 2009, Derek moved to Christchurch and taught kids and adults at The Court Theatre and played Captain Hook in the summer of 2015. He team teaches internationally with Michi, together they have taught in , Germany, Italy, Dubai, Norway, New Zealand, Australia and China. | |
| Patti Stiles |
Melbourne, AUS | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | pattistiles.com | Patti Stiles is an actor, director, playwright and teacher specialising in improvisational theatre. She trained with Keith Johnstone at the Loose Moose Theatre Company (CA), sharpening her skills in performing and devising theatre based on spontaneous creation. Patti's international touring has lead to work with such companies as RADA (UK), LAMDA (UK), Central School of Speech and Drama (UK), National Danish School of Performing Arts (DK), University El Bosque (CO), Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (CO) National Institute of Circus Arts (AU) and Citadel Theatre (CA). She is Co-Artistic Director of Impro Melbourne (AU) past Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre (CA). Her writings on improvisation have been translated into three languages and she has contributed to the books The Art of Mistakes and The Improv Handbook. | Mask, puppetry, traditional stage acting, long form, improvised plays, genres, technical improv |