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Main Stage

THE MAINSTAGE CAST

Meet the National Comedy Theatre Mainstage Cast

National Comedy Theatre's Mainstage cast is made up of experienced improvisers who perform our flagship professional improv comedy show every Friday and Saturday night in San Diego.

Our performers come from a wide range of backgrounds, but they share years of improv training and stage experience. Many began at NCT as students or members of our House Teams and Sunday Company before joining the Mainstage cast.

Alan Ng

Alan Ng has been doing improvisational comedy in San Diego and Orange County since 1996. He performed with Just Us Improv and Secret City Comics Society. He has been Mainstage cast member since 2002. Alan is the managing editor and the lead film reviewer of FilmThreat.com, where he works with former G4 Attack of the Show host Chris Gore. You can read his reviews at Film Threat and on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alan Ng

Alex Badham

Alex Badham has been doing improv since 2003. He started at his high school, performing in the NCT High School League. During college, Alex eagerly joined the improv club at Colorado State University, Improv Acting at CSU. His senior year, he became the vice-president IA@CSU. With a few of his friends, he helped start the experimental improv group Massive Arcana, and became a member of the longest running improv group in Fort Collins, Co, the Clownbox. Upon returning to California, Alex decided to return to his roots, the National Comedy Theatre, where he happily performs all he can.

Alex Badham

Alex Deddeh

Alex started her improv journey in NCT’s high school league. She was a member of our house staff, college team, house teams, Sunday Company, and now performs with the Mainstage cast. When she's not at the theatre she is busy teaching middle school English and coaching high school boys volleyball. Though she lives close by in Mission Hills, Alex considers the theatre a second home, and is incredibly grateful to be part of the NCT family.

Alex Deddeh

Alison Milardovich

Alison Milardovich has been performing at National Comedy Theatre since 2011. In addition to the NCT Mainstage cast, she performs with On The Spot- the current musical improv group at NCT. Past groups also include: Lipshtick and Achording to Us. She specializes in space work, strong characters and relationships and uses improv every day at her job at San Diego Tourism Authority.

Alison Milardovich

Anna George

Anna joined the Mainstage cast in 2024 and was previously a proud member of NCT's Sunday Company and Just Us League House Team. She is a San Diego native who grew up doing theater around town and is thrilled to have found a permanent home at NCT. When Anna isn't performing, she works in digital marketing and in her free time enjoys spending time at the beach and discovering new restaurants.

Anna George

Betsy Bestoso

Betsy is a San Diego native who started at National Comedy Theatre with the Level 1 workshop in 2015. She was a proud member of the OC/DC house team before joining SunCo in 2018 and then Mainstage in 2022. Betsy fails to make her seventh-grade students laugh every day in history class.

Betsy Bestoso

Corey Husted

Corey Husted started performing with National Comedy Theatre’s High School League for Point Loma High School in 2009. After high school Corey attended SDSU to study Finance and continued his performance career doing stand-up comedy at local open mic nights. After college Corey decided to return to his roots with NCT and started performing with NCT’s House Teams in 2015. National Comedy Theatre has provided Corey with a stage and an audience to pursue his artistic passion. When he is not performing with NCT Corey enjoys surfing, volunteering, and hiking. Thank you for coming to Corey's Ted Talk.

Corey Husted

Dan Redman

Daniel got his first taste of acting in a diet pill commercial that aired nationally in '11-'12. Dan began taking improv classes at NCT in '14 and was hooked. After completing classes he got his start on stage with the iconic house team, Inside Joke. Improv gave Daniel an itch to take on other live performance roles. He became Character Tour Guide, Wyatt Earp, in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, a cast member of Dinner Detective and 'Sugar Hammertoe' in the podcast 'Ahoy There'. In 2022 Daniel became a proud member of NCT's Mainstage cast.

Dan Redman

Daniel Alguire

Daniel started his improv journey as the president of his high school's improv league. He then took some workshops at NCT before auditioning for House Teams. After performing on the OC/DC House Team for a couple years, he moved up to the Sunday Company in 2019 and the Mainstage cast in 2022.

Daniel Alguire

Dave George

Dave George has been doing improvisational comedy in San Diego since 1990. He performed with Comedy Codependents, TheatreSports, and Sub-Atomic Jenkins Clan before joining NCT in 1999. Dave was the multimedia show director for and traveled around the world with Tony Robbins for many years producing seminars. Dave graduated UC Santa Cruz with a double degree of computer science and sociology. Now he refuses to work or look for work, but does enjoy teaching improv at NCT.

Dave George

Denver Warth

Denver is a seasoned improvisational comedian with a rich background in theater spanning several decades. His journey into the world of performance began in the 1980s, where he initially found his footing in classic musicals such as "The Sound of Music," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Godspell." Joining ComedySportz in Santa Barbara in 1995, Denver discovered his passion for improvisational comedy. After a move to San Diego, Denver became a part of the National Comedy Theatre in 2008. His interests outside of comedy include reading, gaming, soccer, music, and hockey.

Denver Warth

Ernie Goyette

Ernie was a fan of NCT and a regular audience member for a few years before taking his first class at NCT in 2014. He started in 2015 as Mr. Voice and then began performing on NCT House Teams. After a year, he was promoted to Sunday Company where he honed his skills for 3 years before being moved to the Mainstage cast. Ernie is a professional voice actor. You can hear him daily on KPBS radio delivering the recorded spots between the shows and also at SeaWorld San Diego where his recorded narration plays several times per day during the live show, Orca Encounter.

Ernie Goyette

Elysa Hartle Jeter

Elysa began taking improv workshops at National Comedy Theatre in 2013, and was very quickly hooked. She continued to take classes at NCT, and the following year, Elysa joined the theatre’s inaugural house teams. After a few months performing with “Business in the Front,” Elysa auditioned for NCT’s The Sunday Company and performed with that cast until 2017, when Elysa was thrilled to join the Mainstage cast. Elysa has also trained at Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings School in L.A. She is very grateful to have found her theatre home and family at National Comedy Theatre.

Elysa Hartle Jeter

Eric Nathaniel

Eric Nathaniel started his comedy career doing stand up around San Diego before deciding to explore improv and enrolling in classes at National Comedy Theatre. After the theater reopened in 2021 Eric was placed onto the house team Cheap Date, and he began making his way through the ranks from Sunday Company to Mainstage. When he is not on stage performing he is most likely writing music or trying out new restaurants around town.

Eric Nathaniel

Gary Kramer

Gary Kramer is the Artistic Director of the National Comedy Theatre. He has performed throughout the country, as well as internationally in places such as Iraq, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Italy, Turkey and Spain. Gary has directed and performed with ComedySportz in Santa Barbara and has been a member of the sketch and improv groups Rough Cut and Wits End. Gary has been a morning radio personality, appeared in a handful of commercials, and was shot by cyborgs in the brilliantly awful movie Cybernator. Television: Law & Order, Totally Hidden Video. LA Stage: Hamlet, Wall of Water, Elaine’s Daughter, Bouncers.

Gary Kramer

Georgia Ladd

Georgia has been performing with the National Comedy Theatre since 2018; she previously performed with NCT's house teams Cheap Date and Sans Comic, and NCT's Sunday Company. A theater kid at heart, Georgia has trained at the Atlantic Acting School in New York City, and has performed on many stages around San Diego, including Finest City Improv, Mockingbird Improv, Coronado Playhouse, OnStage Playhouse and Ocean Beach Playhouse. Outside of improv, Georgia works in Training & Development and enjoys spending time with her cat, Maeve, and her frog, Froger.

Georgia Ladd

Gordy Fitzgerald

Gordon Fitzgerald has been performing with the National Comedy Theatre since 2007, and is the former director of the NCT Sunday Company. Their main passions are writing, photography, video-editing, and organizing group events.

Gordy Fitzgerald

Greg Rojcewicz

Greg is originally from Silver Spring, MD and has lived in San Diego since 1998. He began taking improv workshops at NCT in 2007 and became a member of the Mainstage cast in 2008. He considers himself very lucky to be a regular performer and contributor at NCT. When he is not at NCT, he can be found at home hanging with his awesome family.

Greg Rojcewicz

Jen Stopper Crespo

Jennifer is a San Diego native, graduating high school from the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and college from SDSU. While her first performance love was musical theatre, she quickly fell in love with the freedom and variety that improv affords. Having worked in entertainment at both Disneyland and SeaWorld, she joined the Mainstage cast at NCT in 2012.

Jen Stopper Crespo

Jessica Talson Burtness

Jessica joined NCT’s Sunday Company in the fall of 2012. After almost a year of performing with SunCo, Jessica was thrilled to become a member of the Mainstage Cast. Jessica performs regularly with the all-female group, Lipshtick. Prior to moving to San Diego, Jessica performed improv at the Maryland Renaissance Festival and with the Baltimore Improv Group. Jessica graduated with a B.S. in Mass Communications and Theatre from Towson University and holds a Master’s in Journalism from the University of Maryland.

Jessica Talson Burtness

Joe Birdsong

Joe joined NCT right after high school, initially working house and voice, and soon becoming a performer on the Mainstage cast thereafter. In addition to performing, Joe has also facilitated workshops for the organization. He’s taught at every skill level and for every age group. Outside of NCT, Joe helps oversee workshops and presentations for a major tech company, and has helped produce events for as many as 2000 people.

Joe Birdsong

John-Michael Maury

Formerly a student, staff and SunCo member, John-Michael joined the Mainstage cast in 2012 and has since used his Ithaca College music degree to create and maintain NCT’s Musical Improv program. He has appeared in numerous national commercials and a handful of unrecognizable low-budget films. Some past television credits include “That 70’s Show”, “Passions”, as well as a recurring role as Deputy Lloyd on NBC’s “Heroes”. Michael works as a Standardized Patient Educator with the UCSD School of Medicine where he teaches an Improv Course to medical students helping them better their communications skills.

John-Michael Maury

Jonah Weinberg

Jonah originally joined the cast of NCT San Diego in 2000. After a decade-long hiatus, during which he performed with improv groups in the Bay Area, Cleveland, and Minneapolis, Jonah returned to NCT’s Mainstage in 2018. In between making things up, Jonah has been the executive director for several nonprofit organizations, including the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Business Center, and the Autism Society of Minnesota. These days Jonah likes to help other nonprofit organizations improve and develop their programs.

Jonah Weinberg

Lauren Sitzmann

Lauren joined her first improv team in high school and has enjoyed entertaining people ever since whether they like it or not. She was in Toastmasters, a public speaking club, for about 5 years when she discovered improv at NCT. Lauren began attending shows every weekend and dreamed of one day performing at NCT. She convinced her boyfriend to pay for all the workshops and it paid off because look at her now on Mainstage baby!!!

Lauren Sitzmann

Marc Crespo

Marc is a graduate of SDSU’s Film program and while not producing and editing marketing videos for his ‘adult job’, he does freelance and passion projects on the side. NCT was Marc’s first introduction to improv. After completing the workshops he made his debut in SunCo’s Comic Con ‘Super Hero’ themed show and was instantly hooked. He joined the Mainstage cast in 2012 alongside Jen who he married in 2016.

Marc Crespo

Marie Christie

Marie’s birthday gift to herself was improv classes at NCT. She quickly fell in love and was asked to join Joke and Dagger on House Teams in 2022. Marie was then promoted to Sunday Company in 2024 and joined the Mainstage cast in 2025. Marie enjoys watching whatever streaming service she can get her hands on, playing the violin, doing stand up, and the gym…sometimes.

Marie Christie

Melissa Brody

Melissa joined NCT in 2011 as part of the College Team. She eventually moved her way up to Sunday Company and was asked to join the Mainstage cast in 2015. She has performed with various Mash Up groups on Thursday nights over the years and loves spending time with the cast on and off stage. She recently graduated with her M.A in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University and works as an MFT intern. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys singing karaoke, hot yoga, planning her next vacation, and being a dog mom.

Melissa Brody

Mitch Lange

Mitch started doing improv back in high school and afterwards did improv in the LA and OC areas before joining NCT’s house teams in 2017. He moved to Sunday Company before joining the Mainstage cast. When not improvising Mitch works as a Physician Assistant.

Mitch Lange

Patrick Jeter

Originally from Chicago, Patrick trained at The Second City, where he was part of the Conservatory and Writing programs. Upon moving to San Diego in 2012, Patrick immediately found his tribe when he enrolled in classes at National Comedy Theatre A member of the inaugural NCT house teams, Patrick enjoyed his time on the Sunday Company team before joining the Mainstage cast in 2017. Patrick met his amazingly talented and beautiful wife, Elysa, at NCT...where she is also part of the Mainstage cast. When not at NCT, he can be found all over San Diego spending time with her and their sons.

Patrick Jeter

Richie Ploesch

After seeing a show with his wife (and volunteering), Richie signed up for Level One Workshop. He completed levels 1-4 before joining our Sunday Company despite not having any prior performing experience. He was promoted in 2017 to Mainstage and has become a regular since. When he isn't performing, Richie is program director for our Connections program for teens on the autism spectrum.

Richie Ploesch

Sacha Volek

Sacha first started professionally improvising in the late 20th century, but her “real” job is in the commercial construction industry. She spends a great deal of her free time arguing with her husband and daughter about who is the funniest Volek.

Sacha Volek

Sharon Skare

Sharon got inspired to try improv after listening to “Bossypants” and happily discovered NCT workshops in 2012. She auditioned for and joined the Sunday Company cast in 2013 and was invited to join the Mainstage cast in 2016. Sharon grew up in Silicon Valley, was a dancer her whole life, and continued training and performing in several dance theater productions while attending UC Berkeley (BA, Philosophy) and UC San Diego (Doctoral Candidate, Philosophy). She currently works as Senior Director of Clinical Operations for a local biotechnology company.

Sharon Skare

Victor Siordia

Currently the director of our Sunday Company, Victor began doing improv in 2013 when he started taking workshops at NCT. He has since performed regularly at the theater, starting as a founding member of the House Team "Business in the Front" and then as part of SunCo before Mainstage. Outside of improv, Victor is a mild-mannered engineer with a bald head and thick glasses.

Victor Siordia