Robert Dassie
Robert Dassie is originally from Chicago where he studied with many improv luminaries including Del Close, toured with the Second City and co-created and performed in several long-form improvisation shows such as Trio and Quartet (at Improv Olympic) and Close Quarters (at Second City etc). He has appeared regularly in New York at the UCB hosted Del Close Marathon with Dasariski and his two-person show WeirDass, ventured out to Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Baby Wants Candy and has appeared and taught at improv festivals around the globe.
Bob can be seen on HBO's "Funny or Die Presents..." starring in "Carpet Bros." along with Tim Meadows, David Spade and Will Farrell. You can also check him out live every Thursday at the IOWest in Quartet/Quintet or often at the UCB Theatre in Dasariski or A.S.S.S.S.C.A.T.
Rich Talarico
Rich is an 18-year improv veteran, having studied with Stephen Colbert, Charna Halpern and Del Close. Rich has worked as a writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, Frank TV, The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show, and HBO's The Sketch Pad. He worked at Second City Chicago, Annoyance Theater, IO Chicago, IO WEST, UCB NY, UCB LA and THE PEOPLES IMPROV THEATER NYC. Rich teaches an improv class (The Way Of Improv) most Sunday mornings here in Los Angeles. Rich is currently learning to play the drums.
Craig Cackowski
Craig Cackowski hails from the great state of Virgina, the Mother of Presidents, where he attended the venerable College of William and Mary. He first began improvising as a member of W. & M.'s troupe I.T., and moved to Chicago with a B.A. in Theatre, and an intent to become a serious actor. That quest was sidetracked after his first improv class with Charna Halpern at the Improv Olympic, and forever abandoned after studying for a year with the great Del Close, the guru of longform improv comedy. It was at iO Chicago that Craig first met and worked with Bob Dassie and Rich Talarico, in various groups and teams, including Mr. Blonde, Faulty Wiring, Baby Wants Candy, Close Quarters and The Armando Diaz Experience, Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny. Craig coached many teams in Chicago, including the long-running Frank Booth, and directed such shows as JTS Brown. Craig has taught for iO Chicago and iO West since 1995, and is the three-time winner of the Del Close Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Craig also worked as an actor for The Second City in Chicago, touring the country (and Austria) with the National Touring Company, and appearing in and co-writing five revues on their Equity stages, including History Repaints Itself, Slaughterhouse 5, Cattle 0, and the Jeff-nominated The Revelation Will Not Be Televised. Craig has also worked as a director and teacher for Second City (currently on the staff of Second City LA) and sailed the high seas as a SC cast member on the Norwegian Gem.
Since arriving in Los Angeles in 2002, Craig has appeared on television in Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiam, and three (so far!) episodes of Community. He has also been in numerous short films, commercials YouTube sketches, and Mike White's critically acclaimed Year Of The Dog, starring Molly Shannon.
In addition to his work with Dasariski, Craig may be seen around town in such shows as The Armando Show, My First Time With Cacky (both at iO West), North Wells Chowder Society (Second City) and ASSSSCAT (UCB Theater).