Improv Comedy in Buffalo NY
Buffalo Improv House is the premiere improv, sketch, and alternative comedy company in Western New York. We've been teaching improv classes and putting on Buffalo's best improv shows since 2022, and we just opened our dedicated comedy theater and training center at 255 Great Arrow Avenue in North Buffalo's historic Pierce Arrow Commerce Park!
Our goal is to be the force behind the improv comedy scene in Western New York by providing world-class improv instruction, by producing high-quality and incredibly fun improv shows, and by being the pipeline connecting Buffalo with the international improv comedy scene. Our teachers are excellent and our growing community is very cool, welcoming, and wildly creative.
Have questions about who we are, how to get involved, or about a class? Check our FAQ or send us a message at email@buffaloimprovhouse.com
Our team
DAN REITZ is the founder and creative director of Buffalo Improv House, a Buffalo native, and a 24-year veteran of improv comedy. In New York City he was the musical director or featured performer with several popular improv comedy shows, including the award-winning Your Love, Our Musical, Baby Wants Candy, and Blank! The Musical. He has been featured on multiple episodes of the Off Book: The Improvised Musical Podcast starring Zach Reino and Jessica McKenna, and he wrote a couple songs with Robert Smigel for Leo, the recently released kids movie by Happy Madison productions and Netflix Animation. Dan is the co-founder of Zamboni Revolution, Syracuse University's improv comedy troupe. Before the pandemic he taught improv and ensemble comedy at Sarah Lawrence College, was on the faculty at the Magnet Theater, and performed weekly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and the People’s Improv Theater. His other improv comedy credits include the Edinburgh Fringe, the Annoyance Theater, ComedySportz NYC, the Williamstown Theater Festival, the SteelStacks Improv Festival, Comic Con NYC, and the New York Comedy Festival. He's also a trombone player who does stuff.
ANNIE MOOR is an illustrator and improviser, having performed and taught longform and musical improv at the People’s Improv Theater and Magnet Theater in NYC since 2008, and now in Buffalo! Originally from Southeast Texas, Annie attended Walnut Hill School of the Arts for high school in Natick, MA, and later received her BFA from NYU Tisch Film & TV, focusing on animation and creative writing. Annie is co-owner of Buffalo Improv House with her husband Dan, and is so excited for the vibrant improv community that is growing here in Buffalo! You can see her improvising with the Faculty, Various Factors Musical Improv, and the HaHa Show at BIH, and Unscripted (the 2-act improvised play) at Road Less Travelled Productions. You can find her full portfolio of illustrated products and custom work at anniemoorillustration.com. When not doing all of those things, she’s chasing after her young daughters and making weird jokes to playground moms!
CAITLIN STEITZER h a s b e e n p e r f o r m i n g , s t u d y i n g , a n d t e a c h i n g i m p r o v f o r o v e r 2 5 y e a r s i f y o u c a n b e l i e v e i t . B e f o r e m o v i n g t o B u f f a l o s h e c o u l d b e s e e n p e r f o r m i n g r e g u l a r l y a t t h e M a g n e t T h e a t e r i n N Y C , a r o u n d t h e c o u n t r y a t f e s t i v a l s w i t h h e r i n d i e t e a m H o n e y , a n d h o s t i n g c o m e d y v a r i e t y s h o w s a t A B C N o R i o a n d a r o u n d B r o o k l y n . W e i r d l y e n o u g h , s h e i s a l s o a l i c e n s e d c l i n i c a l s o c i a l w o r k e r , a n d h a s u s e d i m p r o v t h r o u g h o u t h e r c a r e e r t o b u i l d c o m m u n i t y a n d f o s t e r c o n f i d e n c e i n p e o p l e f r o m a l l w a l k s o f l i f e . H e r r e s e a r c h o n t h e c o n n e c t i o n s b e t w e e n s o c i a l g r o u p w o r k a n d i m p r o v t h e a t e r w a s p u b l i s h e d i n t h e J o u r n a l f o r S o c i a l G r o u p W o r k a n d p r e s e n t e d a t t h e 2 0 1 0 I n t e r n a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n f o r S o c i a l W o r k w i t h G r o u p s A n n u a l S y m p o s i u m . W h e n s h e w a s s t i l l i n g r a d u a t e s c h o o l , C a i t l i n d e s i g n e d a n d i m p l e m e n t e d t h e D i v e r s i t y P r o g r a m a t t h e U p r i g h t C i t i z e n s ' B r i g a d e T h e a t e r i n N Y C , o n e o f t h e f i r s t o f i t s k i n d i n t h e c o u n t r y . A s a s o c i a l w o r k e r , s h e s p e n t o v e r 8 y e a r s a t t h e n a t i o n a l l y r e n o w n e d C e n t e r f o r F a m i l y L i f e ( C F L ) i n S u n s e t P a r k , B r o o k l y n a n d t a u g h t i m p r o v t o m a y b e a g a j i l l i o n p e o p l e t h r o u g h o u t a l l f i v e b o r o u g h s . W h e n n o t n e r d i n g o u t a b o u t i m p r o v t h e a t e r s h e c a n b e f o u n d h a n g i n g o u t w i t h h e r d o g a n d h e r h u s b a n d , r i d i n g h e r b i k e , o r c r e a t i n g d a n c e m u s i c p l a y l i s t s .
DIEGO MARTINEZ h a s b e e n p e r f o r m i n g a n d c o a c h i n g i m p r o v a n d s k e t c h c o m e d y s i n c e 2 0 1 0 . H e h a s s t u d i e d a c r o s s v a r i o u s t h e a t e r s i n A t l a n t a , G e o r g i a a n d N e w Y o r k C i t y a n d h a s p e r f o r m e d a l l o v e r t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , C a n a d a , a n d t h e i n t e r n e t . D i e g o h a s a l s o t r i e d o u t f o r e v e r y N B A t e a m , b u t h a s b e e n t o l d h e i s t o o g o o d t o p l a y i n t h e l e a g u e
TODD BENZIN is a Buffalo born and bred actor and improviser. Todd got his start in improv with ComedySportz Buffalo, and moved on to a long run with the Eclectic Improv Co. He is a Conservatory graduate from the prestigious Second City in Toronto and currently is a member of improv duo Babushka and Unscripted at Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP). Todd has had the opportunity to teach several workshops at local high schools and through the Alleyway Theatre Education program. He has also appeared at Kleinhan's, the Kavinoky Theatre, Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Shea’s 710 Main Street, the Irish Classical Theatre, RLTP, the New Phoenix, the Ujima Theatre, Subversive Theatre, Theatre of Youth, and MusicalFare, where he was nominated for two Arties for Supporting Actor in a Musical. He has also appeared on film in “The American Side” and as a voiceover artist in several video games including the “Magicka” series.
ANTHONY SALERNO h a s b e e n p e r f o r m i n g a n d t e a c h i n g i m p r o v c o m e d y f o r o v e r s i x y e a r s . H e g r a d u a t e d f r o m D a l l a s C o m e d y H o u s e ' s i m p r o v s c h o o l i n 2 0 1 6 a n d t a u g h t t h e i r L e v e l O n e t h r o u g h F i v e c l a s s e s w h i l e p e r f o r m i n g o n t h e i r h o u s e i m p r o v t e a m . A s a t e a c h e r , A n t h o n y t h r i v e s o n w e l c o m i n g d i v e r s e b a c k g r o u n d s a n d r e l i e v i n g l i f e ' s s t r e s s e s t h r o u g h l a u g h t e r a n d s i l l i n e s s . O r i g i n a l l y f r o m B u f f a l o , h e ' s s u p e r e x c i t e d t o j o i n B u f f a l o I m p r o v H o u s e a n d h e l p f o s t e r t h e g r o w t h o f t h e l o c a l i m p r o v c o m m u n i t y .
JIMMIE BYRD i s a n a c t o r a n d e n t r e p r e n e u r b a s e d i n B u f f a l o , N e w Y o r k . H i s c r e d i t s i n c l u d e S h a k e s p e a r e i n t h e P a r k , B u f f a l o I m p r o v H o u s e , C o m e d y S p o r t z , a n d t h e R o a d L e s s T r a v e l e d T h e a t e r .
