Samantha Jones

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SAMANTHA JONES is an accomplished actor and director originally from New York City. Her recent acting credits include A 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), Skin with Jaime Bell, and Driveways with Brian Dennehy. After more than 20 years of teaching, directing, and coaching her unique method of improv in NYC, she made the leap to the Hudson Valley, where she continues to share her expertise.

Sam's passion for teaching improvisation and her distinctive approach keep students coming back. For her, improv isn’t about "being funny"—it’s about being free. This philosophy is the foundation of her Improv Empowerment classes, where students discover self-expression in a deeply supportive and creative environment. Interestingly, 90% of Sam’s students aren’t actors; they’re everyday people with careers, families, and responsibilities who come to Hudson Valley Improv to reconnect with themselves and feel more alive.

Her journey into improv began in 1993 when she experienced its transformative power while studying with renowned theater professor Beverly Brumm. She later trained with improv legends including Aretha Sills (Viola Spolin), The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Second City. While Sam prefers short-form improv for performance, she has developed a unique, signature approach that blends intuitive theater games, the Meisner technique, Viola Spolin’s methods, brain games, and physical challenges. This innovative method allows her to quickly identify students' creative blocks and design original exercises to help them break through—an approach she calls Improv Empowerment. Through this technique, she has helped hundreds reclaim their instinctual creativity and confidence.

Sam’s expertise extends beyond the stage into directing. She has helmed solo performances that have appeared at festivals and venues worldwide, co-creating and directing diverse solo vehicles, including stand-up comedy, talk shows, storytelling, and full-length plays. Her directing credits also include live concerts, further showcasing her ability to shape powerful performances.

A passionate advocate for using improv as a tool for personal growth, Sam has donated her work to organizations such as 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. She was an honorary guest at the Think Tank during the Endangered Species Women’s Conference in NYC and has contributed to Artists for the Cure at Carnegie Hall and Wigstock. As a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, she has represented the union on the board of the NY Coalition of Professional Women in Arts and Media.

Sam is a longstanding member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and Alpha Psi Omega. She studied performance at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, UCB, HB Studios, Neighborhood Playhouse, and SUNY New Paltz, where she frequently returns to mentor young theater students navigating the challenges of creative careers.

See Samantha Jones on IMDB

Link to her solos show BUTTERFLY SUICIDE

MICHAEL WITHALL is a seasoned actor and improviser who leads the Hudson Valley Improv Touring Company and our teen program. 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, 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.