Samantha Jones

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SAMANTHA JONES is an actor, director, and the founder of Hudson Valley Improv who has built improvisation into the core of her acting career — and can't imagine working without it. "I've found improv to be  the foundation of how I work as an artist and how I live everyday life," she says, "I know from teaching all of these years that improv is natural to us. SO it's my mission to remind everyone how to find pieces of themselves they've long lost through improv." That conviction is the foundation of Improv Empowerment, her original method for helping people rediscover self-expression in a deeply supportive, creative environment. 

Developed and refined over more than 30 years, the method quickly identifies a student's creative blocks and dissolves them — and she's used it to help hundreds of people reclaim their instinctual creativity and confidence. Notably, 90% of Sam's students aren't actors — they're everyday people with careers, families, and responsibilities who come to reconnect with themselves and feel more alive.

Sam's acting credits include years of theatre and solo work as well as "Rabbit, Rabbit" (Netflix) with Adam Driver, "The Murder at the End of the World" (FX), "FBI: Most Wanted" (NBC), "The Green Veil" with John Leguizamo, "Dr. Death" (Peacock), "Emergence" (ABC), "Bull" (CBS), "The Blacklist" (NBC), "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC),and "Driveways" with Brian Dennehy. She has also directed solo performances at festivals and venues worldwide -  stand-up, talk shows, storytelling, full-length plays, and live concerts.

Sam has donated her work to organizations including Hudson Valley Women in Business, Upstate Women in Film and Television, New Perspectives Theater Company, The Momentum Repertoire Company, and the Esther Ashkenas Central Park Early Learning Center, and has represented SAG-AFTRA on the board of the NY Coalition of Professional Women in Arts and Media.

She is a member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and Alpha Psi Omega, trained at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, HB Studios, Neighborhood Playhouse, and SUNY New Paltz — with additional coursework over the years at Upright Citizens Brigade, Second City, and The Groundlings — and still returns to SUNY New Paltz to mentor young theater students navigating the challenges of a creative career.

See Samantha Jones on IMDB

Link to her solos show BUTTERFLY SUICIDE

MICHAEL WITHALL is a seasoned actor and improviser and leads the Hudson Valley Improv Touring Company. He studied acting and scenic design at SUNY New Paltz, graduating in 1993, and honed his improv skills through training at New Paltz, Hudson Valley Improv, Viola Spolin, Second City, and The Groundlings.

Today, Michael is a vital force at Hudson Valley Improv, where he teaches, directs, and performs. A founding member of the original cast The Alter Egos, he has hosted and performed at numerous venues across the region, including Boughton Place, BSP, The Beverly Lounge, Art Society of Kingston, The Bridge Street Theatre, Newburgh Fringe Festival, Rivertowns FallImprov festival, Destination Stars Hollow (Michigan)and The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. He was also a founding member of the house team Uncle Cannibal and directed the teen troupe The Fridge Raiders. Passionate about the art of improv, Michael thrives on helping students overcome their insecurities, guiding them toward creative confidence and artistic expression.

Michael’s stage credits include performances with Half Moon Theatre’s 10-Minute Play Festival, 20-Year Gala, and A Christmas Carol, as well as Hudson Valley STICKY’s short play festivals in 2017 and 2018 and The Voice Theatre’s production of All My Sons. His film work includes Flood and Duality with Kalookapop Studio, along with Hudson Valley Improv’s Town Council, No Hands, and The Board.

With his deep love for improv and unwavering commitment to fostering artistic growth, Michael continues to inspire performers and audiences alike.