"Laughter is not
a basketball.
It's not a good
half court
offense, either."
John Wooden
Together
we are Mandatory Friends, but individually and alphabetically we
are...
Glenn
Heath
Glenn
Heath has been acting since 1994, with numerous roles in commercial,
TV, stage and film. His first love, however, is performing comedy
improvisation. Glenn got his start in Pittsburgh, PA at Friday
Night Improvs and continued to perform with The Susquehanna
Hat Company for five years. Since moving to Nevada, Glenn has had
the fortune to perform with improv troupes in Carson City, Reno
and currently with Comedy Off the Cuff, The Sandbox Association
and Mandatory Friends in Las Vegas. Glenn is currently training
with The Second City in Las Vegas. An aspiring writer, Glenn has
written sketch comedy and scripts for TV and film. His first screenplay,
The Shroud, was purchased in 2003 and is currently in preproduction
for filming in May of 2005. You can visit Glenn on the web at his
Web site,
or e-mail him at heathge@yahoo.com.
Veronica
Moorhead
Veronica
has been an interactive artist for many years. In improv, she has
trained with ComedySportz and Second City Las Vegas. She has been
a member of many improv groups such as Stuck Here, Strangely Attractive,
Smarty Pants Improv Theater and THINKFAST!dayton in Dayton, Ohio
and Comedy Off the Cuff and now Mandatory Friends in Las Vegas.
In her former life, Veronica performed internationally with the
acclaimed Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and has received honors
for her choreography from the Montgomery Arts Council, the Monticello
Foundation and the Craft of Choreography Award from Mid-States Regional
Dance America. Currently, she is working on her one-woman show,
"Open Door," and a two-person show , "...in bed," with her hubby,
Dan.
Brandon
Muller
Brandon
Muller has been performing improvisational comedy since 1998 when
he joined his first troupe, The Impros. He founded and performed
with numerous comedy troupes before finding his current home with
Mandatory Friends. He honed his acting and improvisational skills
through the Second City training center in Las Vegas. Brandon also
performs stand-up comedy, writes a humor column for Skeptic
magazine and contributes to the Top Five internet comedy list. He
has written comedy scripts, sketches, and songs. He can be contacted
at zorbuck@hotmail.com.
Matt
Phillips
Matt
has been with Mandatory Friends from the beginning. He has taken
classes at the Second City Workshop, and was in comedy troupes including
No Apologies, Guppysheep Theater and Dark Night Players. He has
performed comedy at the Attic, the Riviera Hotel, the Bourbon Street
Hotel, UNLV, Cafe Copioh, Jitters, the Monte Carlo Hotel , and the
Las Vegas Little Theater. Matt wrote an independent film when he
was in the sixth grade called Miss Marsh's Experience. Some
interesting things about Matt are: He speaks French, he turns his
feet backwards, and he twists balloon animals. Some pretty nice
things about Matt are: He's married with two kids, and he loves
them very much. One last thing about Matt: He is funny. Reach Matt
at lvmphillips@hotmail.com.
Chris
Robinson
Chris
began stand-up comedy in a high school talent show, at 14, on a
dare from a senior. At 16, he began performing in musical theater
productions in his home town of Sacramento. Chris moved to Texas
in 1994, after acceptance into the University of North Texas College
of Music, to study composition and jazz piano. He's a self-taught
pianist and a trained singer. Chris returned to stand-up after moving
to San Francisco in 2000. There, he studied voice-over with Taylor
Korobow at The Voice Factory. He moved to Vegas in 2003 after two
nasty lay-offs. Chris then trained with The Second City. Chris works
as a digital animator and visual effects artist. Contact Chris at
chris@chrisrobinson.com.
Jennifer
Smith
Jennifer
Urcioli Smith (the red-haired one) studied improvisation and musical
improv with the Second City Training Center in Las Vegas. Troupes
she has performed with include No Apologies and Speedbirth (the
first incarnation of Mandatory Friends). She has also written and
performed comedy sketches and song spoofs for fun, for non-profit
organizations and with the late, great Guppy Sheep Theater. She
has honed her regular acting chops in community theater productions
and workshops around Las Vegas. She regularly employs her improvisational
skills in her day job, specifically, teaching first graders to read
and write, as well as navigating the red tape of the Clark County
School District. You can e-mail Jen at keelyandlou@yahoo.com.
Emeritus
Members of
Mandatory Friends
Once
a friend, always a friend. These cast members are considered Emeritus
because while they have a lifetime membership in the troupe, they
aren't in the show every week. The selfish bastards.
TJ
Hampton
TJ
has served as the group's director, and has been performing improvisational
comedy since March 13th, 2002 when he first took the stage for his
Second City Training Center Student Showcase. Since that day of
dry heaves, he has performed in an average of one show a week in
various troupes in Las Vegas. TJ can be contacted at tommyj007@yahoo.com.
Damian
Mace
Coming from a musical family, Damian learned all the skills anyone
needs to make it in show business like singing, dancing, writing,
acting and, of course, humility. Trained at the Second City Training
Center, Damian has performed in numerous musicals, plays and showcases,
including the "Vagina Monologues," "The Laramie Project" and "The
New City Theater Actors Showcase." He's written screenplays, directed
numerous short films, performed music at venues such as the House
of Blues and the Joint, and is working on his debut CD. Damian runs
a successful graphic design business.
Scott
Roeben
Scott
Roeben is a humorist and creator of the award-winning humor Web
site, Dribbleglass.com.
Scott has been involved in acting, writing, and directing since
the age of 13, and has had featured roles in such TV classics as
The McKenzie's of Paradise Cove and The Love Connection.
Scott graduated from the University of Hawaii, is an award-winning
public speaker, and has a book deal with Running Press for a humor
book, "Twisted Billboards," slated for 2005. If you're
a single woman, preferably one with very low standards, Scott can
be reached at webmaster@dribbleglass.com.
Jeynifer
Tribbitt
Jeynifer
is a Texas native. "Yee haw!" She has been an actor since the tender
age of 9, following in a long family tradition of performers. She
has been seen over the years with Opryland, Sea World, and as a
founding member of Comedy Sportz San Antonio. Before coming to Vegas
to pursue her career as Giselle, the interactive head at the Rio's
Show in the Sky, she was the Executive Producer of the Shoestring
Shakespeare Company. She currently heads up the Second City training
center.
Glenn
Heath has been acting since 1994, with numerous roles in commercial,
TV, stage and film. His first love, however, is performing comedy
improvisation. Glenn got his start in Pittsburgh, PA at 
Veronica
has been an interactive artist for many years. In improv, she has
trained with ComedySportz and Second City Las Vegas. She has been
a member of many improv groups such as Stuck Here, Strangely Attractive,
Smarty Pants Improv Theater and THINKFAST!dayton in Dayton, Ohio
and Comedy Off the Cuff and now Mandatory Friends in Las Vegas.
In her former life, Veronica performed internationally with the
acclaimed Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and has received honors
for her choreography from the Montgomery Arts Council, the Monticello
Foundation and the Craft of Choreography Award from Mid-States Regional
Dance America. Currently, she is working on her one-woman show,
"Open Door," and a two-person show , "...in bed," with her hubby,
Dan.
Brandon
Muller has been performing improvisational comedy since 1998 when
he joined his first troupe, The Impros. He founded and performed
with numerous comedy troupes before finding his current home with
Mandatory Friends. He honed his acting and improvisational skills
through the Second City training center in Las Vegas. Brandon also
performs stand-up comedy, writes a humor column for Skeptic
magazine and contributes to the Top Five internet comedy list. He
has written comedy scripts, sketches, and songs. He can be contacted
at 
Matt
has been with Mandatory Friends from the beginning. He has taken
classes at the Second City Workshop, and was in comedy troupes including
No Apologies, Guppysheep Theater and Dark Night Players. He has
performed comedy at the Attic, the Riviera Hotel, the Bourbon Street
Hotel, UNLV, Cafe Copioh, Jitters, the Monte Carlo Hotel , and the
Las Vegas Little Theater. Matt wrote an independent film when he
was in the sixth grade called Miss Marsh's Experience. Some
interesting things about Matt are: He speaks French, he turns his
feet backwards, and he twists balloon animals. Some pretty nice
things about Matt are: He's married with two kids, and he loves
them very much. One last thing about Matt: He is funny. Reach Matt
at 
Chris
began stand-up comedy in a high school talent show, at 14, on a
dare from a senior. At 16, he began performing in musical theater
productions in his home town of Sacramento. Chris moved to Texas
in 1994, after acceptance into the University of North Texas College
of Music, to study composition and jazz piano. He's a self-taught
pianist and a trained singer. Chris returned to stand-up after moving
to San Francisco in 2000. There, he studied voice-over with Taylor
Korobow at The Voice Factory. He moved to Vegas in 2003 after two
nasty lay-offs. Chris then trained with The Second City. Chris works
as a digital animator and visual effects artist. Contact Chris at
Jennifer
Urcioli Smith (the red-haired one) studied improvisation and musical
improv with the Second City Training Center in Las Vegas. Troupes
she has performed with include No Apologies and Speedbirth (the
first incarnation of Mandatory Friends). She has also written and
performed comedy sketches and song spoofs for fun, for non-profit
organizations and with the late, great Guppy Sheep Theater. She
has honed her regular acting chops in community theater productions
and workshops around Las Vegas. She regularly employs her improvisational
skills in her day job, specifically, teaching first graders to read
and write, as well as navigating the red tape of the Clark County
School District. You can e-mail Jen at 
TJ
has served as the group's director, and has been performing improvisational
comedy since March 13th, 2002 when he first took the stage for his
Second City Training Center Student Showcase. Since that day of
dry heaves, he has performed in an average of one show a week in
various troupes in Las Vegas. TJ can be contacted at 
Coming from a musical family, Damian learned all the skills anyone
needs to make it in show business like singing, dancing, writing,
acting and, of course, humility. Trained at the Second City Training
Center, Damian has performed in numerous musicals, plays and showcases,
including the "Vagina Monologues," "The Laramie Project" and "The
New City Theater Actors Showcase." He's written screenplays, directed
numerous short films, performed music at venues such as the House
of Blues and the Joint, and is working on his debut CD. Damian runs
a successful graphic design business.
Scott
Roeben is a humorist and creator of the award-winning humor Web
site, 
Jeynifer
is a Texas native. "Yee haw!" She has been an actor since the tender
age of 9, following in a long family tradition of performers. She
has been seen over the years with Opryland, Sea World, and as a
founding member of Comedy Sportz San Antonio. Before coming to Vegas
to pursue her career as Giselle, the interactive head at the Rio's
Show in the Sky, she was the Executive Producer of the Shoestring
Shakespeare Company. She currently heads up the Second City training
center.