It’s Back to School Time!
Meet the New Classof Study Hall Philly!
After a year off, Study Hall is returning to Philly! We held auditions a few weeks ago and now the new class is cramming before they hit the stage at the Science History Institute on October 29th!
If you haven’t been doing your homework, we’ll let you know that Study Hall is our show mixing lectures and improv comedy. Each show features three invited guests teaching the audience and the cast about a topic from their field. After each lesson, our cast uses what they heard to spin the lessons into hilarious, smart, and goofy scenes right before your eyes.
This updated cast is a mix of returning favorites and brilliant new faces, all hilarious and eager to have you learn and laugh with us. See the full cast below, check out the dates, and choose your Fall schedule.
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Daniyal is an improviser living in Philly. If you read this and meet him in person, say the following: “Update from Jo: we’re doing it tonight.” He will reply, “Are those the orders?” You will nod, he will nod back. Neither of you has gained from this interaction.
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Sarah is a Philly performer, writer, director, and Crossroads instructor. She’s known for the improv teams Fjord and Overlook, the long-running Long Story Short, and directing Harold teams at Philly Improv Theater. She’s created original musicals for the Philly Fringe Festival and is a longtime member of the Study Hall cast. By day, she’s a preschool teacher, so she can handle anything.
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Keane brings years of comedy experience across stand-up, sketch, and improv. He’s a longtime Study Hall cast member, performs in Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Movie, plays short-form with ComedySportz Philly, and teaches Improv 1 at Crossroads. You may also know him as JK Saxophoney on WHYY’s Albie’s Elevator.
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Mel is a transplant to Philly from New York’s Hudson Valley who loves exploring all the grit and glitter of her new hometown. When not involved in improv shenanigans, she is a singer of songs, teller of stories, and foodie ever on the sniff for the perfect bite.
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Liam has eight years of experience in long-form improv. He has performed with Big Princess, Remain Calm, and Real Creeps, and has trained with PHIT, UCB, and WGIS. Outside of improv, Liam works in public health and disability advocacy. He is a wheelchair user, writer, and father of two humans.
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Alex has been interested in comedy since birth. He believes he has generated at least 8,000 laughs in friends and audiences over the last 30ish years. He has aspirations for six digits. Join his efforts.
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Genny studied improv at UCB NY and was on house teams at The Armory and The PIT. She’s also the creator of Mom’s Mayhem at Tattooed Mom and is currently on the improv teams Tchotchke and Mind Freaks.
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Valete was born and raised in the Bronx. He was taught how to love by Madeline O’Hara, Marc Adam Smith, Alex Decaneas, Pat Shay, Erick Hellwig, Chris Griggs, Richard J. Krysztoforski, Anne Veal, Hannah Chase, Louis Kornfeld, Megan Gray, Peter McNerney, his parents, and his grandmother.
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Tia is a performer and improv instructor based in Philly. She began studying improv in 2013 in Seattle at Unexpected Productions. In Philly, Tia has directed teams, coached, and produced shows. Outside of improv, Tia works at PhillyCAM, a community media center for public access television and community radio.
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James is a Philly-based stand-up comic and writer. He’s a regular in Study Hall and Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Movie, a member of the award-winning short-form group The N Crowd, and head video producer and writer for the all-POC sketch and improv group NYTEShift. His sketches have been performed at festivals from Toronto to Chicago, and he hosts the Critical James Theory Podcast.
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Lora is a comedian and storyteller from South Philadelphia.
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Haley is a Philly-based writer and performer who is thrilled to join the cast of Study Hall. She learned how to improvise at Philly Improv Theater and Sawubona Creativity Project, and has since performed with the indie teams Rent’s Due, Deep Dive, and Deep Fried.
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Rachel is a performer, director, and teacher with 20 years of improv experience. She’s trained and performed around the world with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Crossroads Comedy Theater, UCB, Second City, Hoopla Impro, Philly Improv Theater, and Annoyance Theater. Her style is character-driven big, dumb fun.
Fall 2026 Class Schedule
Attendance is strongly encouraged.
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Follow Study Hall
@StudyHallShow
Find us at @StudyHallShow on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and X / Twitter. We post most often on Instagram and Facebook, so that’s the best place for show announcements, lecture topics, and behind-the-scenes fun.
Want to Teach a Class?
Study Hall is always looking for guest lecturers! Professors, professionals, researchers, hobbyists, and anyone with a topic they love: if you’ve got something fascinating to teach, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us a little about yourself and your topic, and we’ll be in touch.
Take a class. See a show. Make a friend.
