STAFF
Rebecca east, EXECUTIVE
PRODUCER
Rebecca East has worked as a director, actor, designer, technician, and educator in theatre and comedy spaces her entire career. She has worked for organizations such as Zach Theater, The Paramount Theater, Stage Alliance: Austin’s premiere stage labor provider, The Hideout Theatre, and ColdTowne Theater in administrative, management, and teaching positions as well worked for Austin ISD as a Theatre Arts and Dance teacher. This is her second year working as a Producer of Austin Sketch Fest, showcasing sketch comedy talent from all over North America. Onstage she has been seen performing sketch and improv at The Hideout Theatre (The Big Bash), ColdTowne Theatre (The Players; Motherwound; Heartbreakers; Deep In The Heartless Texas) and at Fallout Theater with Jane “Austin” Improv, the B. Iden Payne award-winning improv troupe.
ashley ellis, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Ashley Ellis is a sketch & improv comedian by night, and a responsible sourcing manager at a grocery retailer by day. Ashley was inspired to get into sketch comedy by Austin's own Sketch Fest stars, Strong Male Leads. Hailing from Los Angeles and currently based in Austin, Texas, she would like to know if anyone is mad at her for this?
WILL CLEVELAND, Production Manager
Will Cleveland (Pro-choice) has been producing for Austin Sketch Fest since 2015, and has served as Artistic Director at ColdTowne Theater since 2016 where he directs, produces, and teaches sketch and improv classes. Among his favorite Austin Sketch Fest performances are My Mans, Girls with Brown Hair, Megan Stalter, and Bellevue's Seinfeld Play "The Leaning Susan".
DAVE BUCKMAN, CONSULTING
Producer
Dave Buckman served two years as Artistic Director of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. He culminated his run in Europe directing Boom Chicago: RockStars, the second stage-swap with The Second City’s Main Stage in its 50-year history. After Europe, Dave worked as a director, actor, and teacher at The Second City in Chicago and in Cleveland, where he met his wife and creative partner, Rachel Madorsky. He spent 10 years as an artistic producer for The Out Of Bounds Comedy Festival and is now is in his 9th year as Executive Producer of Austin SketchFest. You can also hear him as a frequent guest on SNL-based podcasts: SNL Hall of Fame, SNL AfterParty and on the Saturday Night Network. Dave is currently Executive Producer at ColdTowne Theater, where he has been performing and directing since its opening in 2006. You can read about his experiences working with some comedy greats in Amsterdam during the turbulent 2000 Election and 9/11 in the recently released
”Boom Chicago Presents the 30 Most Important Years in Dutch History.”