THE CUT 2022

Amateur competitors have been chosen to go head to head in Atlas Improv Company's theatrical arena. Each week they will be challenged to perform unknown tasks in front of an unforgiving panel of experts. In the end, only one will rise among the rest. Because only one will be victorious. Only one will win a place alongside Madison's greatest improvisers. Only one can survive.

TICKETS

Tickets for upcoming episodes go on sale one week prior to the date of the show
Online ticket sales end at 6PM on the day of the show
A limited number of tickets will be available at the door

Episode I — October 14
Episode II — October 21
Episode III — October 28
Episode IV — November 4
Episode V — November 11
Final Episode — November 18

The CUT Crew

PANEL

Dan Row

Artistic Director

Laura Gregor

Education Coordinator

Michael Thomas

Business Manager

HOST

Stephen Wyeth

Member Since 2014

Competitors

Emily Blick

Emily spends her days in the lab as a Ph.D student in Biomedical Engineering. A student of improv as well, Emily has been involved in improv clubs in high school and college, including several 24-hour non-stop improv performances. Emily believes her greatest strength in this competition is her curiosity to learn about anything. When not improvising or studying post-concussion inflammation, Emily spends time tending her time tending to her 100 house plants and touching her thumb to her wrist.

Jacob Moyer

Voted 'Class Comedian' in high school, Jacob has been honing his comedy skills. He's taken classes at The Second City in Chicago and has experience being part of his college's improv club. Now a worker at his local Piggly Wiggly, Jacob believes his greatest assets in this competition are his smarts and his ability to support those around him. Jacob would like to thank his mom Christy, his dad Jim, as well as all of his family, his AP Government teacher, and Conan O'Brien just in case he reads this bio too.

Holly Rucker

Holly is a Ph.D. student studying astrobiology who has a decade of improv under her belt. After working in a snake den and coming into close contact with bees in her youth, Holly is in touch with her wild side and brings this to her unique characters in her scene work. Holly would like to say thank you to her boyfriend, Logan for all his support in her improv endeavors.

Henry Zavos

By day, Henry waits tables, but by night he is a performer extraordinaire who has been acting since he was 5 years old. Though he has no formal improv experience, Henry is relying on his confidence and his traditional theatre skills to take him through this competition. Henry would like to thank his parents.

Caleb Baumann-Gall

Caleb is a jack-of-all-trades currently crafting cocktails and troubleshooting computers for a living. Though his list of hobbies is constantly changing, Caleb has been improvising for several years and also has experience on both stage and screen. Caleb believes his greatest strength is his ability to get along with others and hopes this amicability will help him survive The Cut. Caleb would like to thank his friends and family for their support.

Isadore Johnson

A project manager at Epic and an economics blogger, Isadore is no stranger to making himself heard. With a background in competitive debate, radio hosting, and public speaking, Isadore is no stranger to the spotlight. Having improvised since high school, he considers himself adaptable and quick to grow. Isadore would like to thank his former debate coach, Claude for expanding his limits and pushing him out of his comfort zone.

Zari Newleaf

Zari, a model and personal shopper, has moved out of Wisconsin three times but keeps coming back. Zari has three years of experience taking improv classes and hopes to win this competition with zir bubbly personality and ability to make friends with anyone. Zari spends zir time running a TikTok vlog, making candles, painting, hiking, and kayaking. Zari would like to thank Mike Q. Hanlon with Etude and IDEA'S Academy for making high school enjoyable and being a strong role model for young minds.

Nick Turner

Originally from Colorado, Nick works in Software Technical Support. He has been taking improv classes since 2019 and has been doing improv pretty constantly since. Nick claims his adaptability in the face of challenging situations as one of his greatest strengths in this competition. Nick would like to thank all his improv teachers and fellow students who have helped him learn and grow as an improviser.