Our Teaching Staff
Natalie Miller is a performer, educator, and the co-owner of Vermont Comedy Club. She is a community-builder who is most at home bringing people together through comedy.
Natalie has performed for many years with VCC’s mainstage improv team. As a member of “The Unmentionables” and “Kingdom Kids,” she has performed on festivals in Montreal, New York, California, Florida and more.
Natalie trained in voice, theater and dance at AMDA in NYC and has performed extensively in theater, film and commercials. She has also studied with instructors at Upright Citizens Brigade, The Second City, and iO. She teaches improv in corporate environments and at festivals and theaters. In the past she has been a recipient of Vermont Business Magazine’s “Rising Stars” award. Talk to her about: Dogs!
Nathan Hartswick is a performer, educator, and the co-founder and co-owner of Vermont Comedy Club. He has taught the “Intro to Standup” class for over 12 years.
As a standup, he twice won the Seven Days "Best VT Standup Comic" Daysie (readers' choice award).
Nathan has a great passion for improv, performing for many years with VCC’s mainstage team. As a member of “The Unmentionables” and “Kingdom Kids,” he has performed on festivals in Montreal, New York, California, Florida and more. Nathan has studied with instructors from UCB, The Second City, and iO, and taught workshops at many improv theaters and festivals. He produces a satirical, improvised podcast called The Corporation. Talk to him about: History!
Julia DiFerdinando is an actor, comedian and writer who spent seven years in Chicago, studying with The Second City (which she later worked for), iO, and The Annoyance. Julia toured the U.S. extensively for the corporate division of The Second City, and performed on a Norwegian Cruise Line voyage for nearly a year. In 2018, she won Best Actress at the London Short Series festival for The Coat Room, a web series she wrote/starred in.
Julia is a supportive, energetic, passionate, FUN teacher of improv and sketch comedy. From 2018-2021, she served as Creative Director of Vermont Comedy Club, where she managed all aspects of VCC’s comedy training center and corporate education program. Talk to her about: Cooking!
Brian DeLaBruere is a longtime cast member of Vermont Comedy Club’s mainstage improv team, and has performed on two teams (“The Unmentionables” and “Kingdom Kids”) at festivals throughout the country. Brian also co-wrote, co-directed and performed in VCC’s first sketch revue.
Brian’s wild and unpredictable style as a performer and his reverence for improv and sketch comedy make him a wonderful and engaging teacher.
In addition to teaching improv and sketch at VCC, he also serves as the Social Media Manager for the theater. Talk to him about: Videography!
Sam Kurnit is an actor, voiceover artist, improviser and educator. He has studied at The Second City in Chicago, as well as iO and The Annoyance Theatre. He has acted in films, TV and commercials, and provided voiceover for film narration, audio books, and video games.
Sam brings a gentle and enthusiastic energy to the beginner and intermediate improv classes he teaches. He is also a member of the VCC Touring Company. Talk to him about: Tabletop role playing games!
Helena Morris is a native of CT and capable of speaking more words per minute than most people do in an hour. She studied at St. Olaf College, where she majored in English and Theater. She performed at HUGE Theater in Minneapolis, in an improvised romantic comedy series. She also performed in Camilla Parker Bowls at the Bryant Lake Bowl theater in Minneapolis.
Helena worked as a stage manger at Playhouse on Park in CT, and performed and taught for many years at Sea Tea Improv Theater in Hartford. Talk to her about: Kayaking!
Tracy Dolan teaches standup comedy at Vermont Comedy Club. She is an accomplished standup comedian herself who performs all over the state of Vermont and throughout New England.
Tracy has been featured in Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival, New York’s She Devil Comedy Festival, and the Green Mountain Comedy Festival.
She has also been a finalist in the Vermont’s Funniest Comedian contest. Talk to her about: International travel!
Brian Hines is a recent transplant to Vermont from Connecticut, which apparently wasn’t cold enough for him.
Brian taught and performed at SeaTea Comedy Theater in Hartford, CT for over 7 years. He was a member of multiple house teams and also wrote, directed, and performed in many sketch shows. Brian trained at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theater and was accepted into their advanced study program. Talk to him about: Basketball!