About UP
Making it up in Seattle since 1983
Unexpected Productions is Seattle’s oldest improvisational theater company. Comedic in style, we focus on the art of storytelling, and we’ve performed in New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Germany, Canada and all over the United States.
On this page
Our history
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1982
TheatreSports™ comes to Seattle
The foundation for Unexpected Productions is laid when TheatreSports™ is first performed in Seattle.
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1983
Monday nights at Swannie’s
Seattle TheatreSports™ begins performing on Monday nights at Swannie’s Comedy Underground. With a small but loyal audience, the troupe moves and adds shows at Pioneer Square Theater, Scoundrel’s Lair and The Group Theater, where the audience keeps growing.
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1988
A nonprofit theater
Unexpected Productions is founded as a nonprofit theater, and the company moves from The Group to the Intiman Playhouse.
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1991
A home in Pike Place Market
In May 1991 Unexpected Productions moves into its own home, the Market Theater in Pike Place Market, where sell-out crowds have enjoyed our work ever since.
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Today
Seattle’s oldest improv theater
We produce a wide range of improvised theater for Seattle audiences and have a worldwide reputation for high-quality improvisation.
Staff
The people behind the shows, the Improv School and the theater. Click a photo to read their bio.
Jay Hitt
Managing Director
Jay Hitt is an improviser, director, and educator renowned for his groundbreaking work in non-verbal improvisation. As the creator and director of Mouth Wide Shut, he has pioneered a completely non-verbal improvised show that seamlessly blends Pantomime, Figurative Mime, Corporeal Mime, and various dance styles to bring audience suggestions to life. These suggestions, staying true to the nature of the show, are also retrieved non-verbally, creating an immersive and unique theatrical experience.
In 2020, Jay launched the Fearless Physical Improv Workshop with Jay Hitt, a non-verbal comedy workshop at Unexpected Productions designed to push improvisers beyond spoken language and into the realm of physical storytelling. This workshop quickly gained popularity, selling out consistently and making its way to improv festivals, where Jay continues to share his expertise with eager performers.
Jay's talents extend beyond the improv stage. In 2018, he was a featured artist in an updated version of The Gong Show, hosted by Mike Myers. That same year, he was a featured guest on the podcast Folk Stories (folkstories.org), where he discussed his journey in improvisation and mime. He also showcased his skills on a segment for KING5’s Evening Magazine, performing as a featured mime in a humorous hotel front desk skit (KING5).
His performances have been celebrated at numerous prestigious improv festivals. In 2025, Mouth Wide Shut was featured at the Third Coast Improv Festival in Nashville, showcasing his distinctive approach to non-verbal improvisation. Additionally, Jay has performed at the Alaska State Improv Festival and the Annual Improvaganza Hawaii Festival of Improv.
Jay is also a key figure in the Seattle improv community. As the Managing Director of Unexpected Productions, he has played a significant role in shaping the city’s improv scene since joining the company in 1993. His journey in improv began in 1988, and over the decades, he has performed and directed a diverse range of short and long-form improv productions, including Playborhood, Black Ice: An American Sitcom Improvised and Poe Unexpected: An Improvised Edgar Allan Poe. In 2008, he created the Duo Improv Showcase, Seattle’s only improv open mic, providing a platform for improvisers to experiment and grow.
Jay's dedication to his craft is reflected in his extensive training. He has studied with renowned U.S. and European coaches, refining his expertise in physical improvisation, mime, and object work. Since 1998, he has taught and coached improv, earning recognition for his fearless and dynamic approach. His precise attention to object work and environment creation has set him apart as one of the most skilled improvisers in the field.
Jay Hitt’s passion for improvisation continues to inspire performers and audiences alike, proving that the art of storytelling transcends words and that physical expression holds limitless potential on stage.
Tony Beeman
they/them
Artistic & Education Director
Tony Beeman
Artistic and Education Director | Unexpected Productions
Tony Beeman is the Artistic and Education Director of Unexpected Productions, a 43-year-old theatre based in the heart of Downtown Seattle. An improviser, director, and educator who has performed, taught, and directed across Europe, the Middle East, and North America, he is committed to improvisation as both a performance art and a powerful tool for human connection. His work is defined by theatricality and sincerity, focusing on unscripted theatre rooted in ensemble storytelling, poetic language, and grounded truth.
With a career spanning over 25 years, Tony has overseen more than 30 full-run productions, specializing in organic long-form improv and improvised plays. His show Four Hearts, an improvised homage to the works of Edward Albee, has been adapted by theater companies in Canada, Colombia, and Japan. Tony's performance work is deeply informed by literature and poetry, highlighted by a 15-year tenure portraying the Three Ghosts of Christmas in A(n Improvised) Christmas Carol and his annual turn as Edgar Allan Poe in Poe Unexpected.
Tony believes the most compelling theatre happens when performers bring their authentic selves to the stage—embracing the joyful failure inherent in the art form through free-fall, vulnerability, and theatrical skill.
Kent Whipple
Marketing Director
Kent Whipple is a masterful storyteller and teacher. He is the founder of the storytelling program at Unexpected Productions Improv School, Seattle, WA, where he serves as a narrative coach for the ensemble and teacher of intro and advanced storytelling classes; he has inspired countless students to find their unique voices and craft compelling stories. He is also the story coach for Ignite Seattle. Kent's achievements include winning the first Moth StorySLAM he attended, being the Moth GrandSLAM winner in March 2023, and being named Best of Bawdy Storyteller for 2019 by an audience vote and a featured teller three times on the Risk podcast. In March of 2022, he was featured on the PBS show, Stories from the Stage, which illustrates the power of real stories told by masterful storytellers and is produced by WORLD Channel in collaboration with GBH. Kent is an accomplished educator and consultant with extensive experience teaching the art of storytelling to diverse audiences, including medical school students, corporate teams, and communication professionals. With a proven track record of success, he has worked with reputable organizations such as the University of Washington Medical School, Yelp, Microsoft, and WE Communications, earning accolades for his innovative teaching methods and insightful guidance. Whether delivering workshops or one-on-one coaching, Kent is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses harness the power of storytelling to achieve their goals. As the Seattle Producer for the Story Collider, he produces four shows annually, and he has taught workshops for the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the University of Idaho - Boise.
Kent is a thought leader in the art of storytelling and has appeared on various podcasts Pre-Accident Investigations Podcast and KUOW.
He holds a B.A. in Arts Administration from the College of Santa Fe. He has mentored with Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones; studied with Larry Rosen, The Moth; Kevin Allison, Risk! Podcast; Margot Leitman, author of Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You Will Ever Need; Matthews Dicks, author of Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling; and Joan Logghe – Poet Laureate of New Mexico.
He is an active member of the storytelling community in the PNW and has performed at events such as The Moth, Story Collider, Fresh Ground Stories, the Intersections Festival, Bawdy Storytelling, Bad Date Storytelling, and Over the Rainbow Storytelling.
https://www.facebook.com/Kentstoryteller/
"Such a great telling of the story and the audience reaction was amazing." Kevin Allison, Risk! Podcast,
“Kent Whipple is a treasure.” Paul Currington, Producer, Fresh Ground Stories- Ron HippeOutreach Specialist
Liz Brammer
she/her
Artistic Associate
Elizabeth Brammer has a BFA in Theater Performance from Denison University, where she also started improvising. She has taken workshops, studied, and performed across North America and around the world, including at Second City, The Groundlings, ColdTowne, The Hideout, The Institution, Paper Street, Book-It!, Pork Filled Productions, Edinburgh Free Fringe, Del Close Marathon, Winnipeg Improv Festival, Helsinki Improv Festival, Out of Bounds, Improvaganza Hawaii, and Alaska State Improv Festival. Liz has been a UP company member since 2013, teaching at UP for over ten years, and has created/directed around a dozen shows during that time. Her approach to improv is to trust the moment, notice all the gifts your fellow improvisers are giving you, and to listen more (and deeper). She also writes and plays ice hockey.
- Jaclyn SchuenzelArtistic Associate
- Jeff GraysonTechnical Manager
Chazz Kaskes
He/they
Technical Director
Chazz Kaskes is a Seattle-based improv actor, teacher, and storyteller with over fifteen years of experience on stage and behind the scenes. They are a long-time ensemble member and instructor with Unexpected Productions, where they have performed and taught since 2009, helping new and seasoned performers alike find confidence, presence, and joy through improv.
Board of Directors
- Jennifer Christison
- Ashley MacMillan
- Selena Whitaker-Paquiet
- Zack Goldberg
- Jake Nonis
- Tom Johnson
- Aditya Sriram
Come play with us
See a show at the Market Theater, or take a class at the Improv School.
