Dave Buscema

Hi there!!
I'm excited about the prospect of coaching your team and sharing what I've learned through my extensive training and performance experience to help you have fun, productive practices and shows!
Fun's a big part of this and practice should be a place where you feel comfortable having it -- while also working to improve.

Like just about all of us in the community, improv has become a huge part of my life and I'm fortunate enough that, along with enjoying it as a passion, I actually regularly get paid as an interactive theater performer, so I have plenty of experience that I love sharing.

I work on getting performers to be honest and natural and trust that the humor will come in a much more satisfying way if they don't sell out a scene for the easy laugh or joke. My first improv teacher Rob Huebel (The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The League, etc., etc.), implored us not to "try to be funny!"

Once you have that honesty you can heighten and go to surreal places that are super fun, of course, and can get downright silly.

I have a wide array of training from talented instructors and am adaptable to playing to your skills while also challenging your weaknesses and am a big believer of offering positive energy -- it's really difficult to be judged when you try to bring something of yourself to performing -- but also understand you need constructive critiques.

I also believe in using comedy to punch up, not down, and that comedy can be used as social commentary -- but must be done especially skillfully, and I have experience to help you do that.
I will politely address scenes or moments that might cross a line, and want improvisers to feel comfortable and safe and not be afraid to point out moments that make them feel uncomfortable.

I love the idea of using my experience as a long-time improviser and professional actor, from interactive theater to television shows, to help make you better and more satisfied.

The Details:
Rate:$20/hour
Availability: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, some Thursdays, some Fridays, some Saturdays and some Sundays.
Email: djbuscema@gmail.com
Professional performance: Play multiple roles in popular interactive theater show, Accomplice New York, in its 13th year; Performed interactive theater at Lincoln Center as part of the New York Independent Film Festival; Grave Mysteries (Investigation Discovery); Mysteries at the Museum (Travel Channel); The Real Story with Maria Elena Salinas (Investigation Discovery).
Improv performance: House teams: Target Practice (The Armory), Lightning (Supernova), Victory Gin, Face Card, 50% Dave (QSIC), Producer: Turntable Time Travelers (PIT Loft, PIT Underground), various indie shows.
Training: UCB advanced study (Instructors include: Rob Huebel, Brian Huskey, Michael Delaney, Doug Moe, Keisha Zollar, James B. Dwyer, David Siegel, Kevin Hines); Magnet Theater (Instructors include Mark Grenier, T.J. Mannix); The Barrow Group (Mark Grenier).
Coached by: Various, including Mark Grenier, T.J. Mannix, Evan Barden, Stephen Thornton, Michael Short.