Faculty

Two-time Emmy Award winning producer/writer Peter Murrieta is a versatile performer, producer and writer. His roots, grounded in improv and sketch comedy, have established him as an executive producer and show runner for the highly anticipated live-action series for Cartoon Network “Level Up,” and for Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place.”  He was also the creator/show runner of the WB’s “Greetings from Tucson.”

Murrieta’s primetime television background made the Disney Channel franchise “Wizards of Waverly Place” and the network’s telefilm “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” (a huge hit. Nominated for a total of three Emmy Awards for both “Wizards of Waverly Place” the series and the telefilm, Murrieta took home the award for Outstanding Children’s Programming for his work on “Wizards of Waverly The Movie” in 2010 and for the series in 2009. )

Murrieta got his start at Second City in Chicago as an improv/sketch comedian, and after moving to Los Angeles earned a coveted writing fellowship from Walt Disney Television. That led to writing stints for “Jesse,” “Three Sisters” and “All About the Andersons” before creating the critically acclaimed “Greetings from Tucson” which was based on his own experiences growing up in Tucson.  He then went on to produce and write “Hope and Faith” for ABC.

A successful entrepreneur, in 1995, Murrieta and his wife Aliza founded the bang Comedy Theatre which prides itself on being a purveyor of innovative comedy and a studio dedicated to the ongoing study and performance of improvisation.  Through intimate, hands-on improv and an acting training staff, bang offers the tools needed to create dynamic scenes and characters in the moment. Their actors are delightfully truthful, charmingly grounded and riveting dangerous.

Murrieta has written feature films for Revolution Studios and Paramount and currently has several high profile television projects in development.  He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

Ezra Weisz, a native of New Jersey, left home to study theater at California Institute of the Arts. After graduating in 1994 with a B.F.A., he moved to the greater Los Angeles area to better pursue his career in the theater and television. The first of his most memorable credits was The Cradle Will Rock, with the Blank Theatre. The success of that show led to award nominations, performing at the Ovation Awards, and produced a CD with a nationwide release. Other theatrical credits include the West Coast premiere of the musical, Chess, Urban Folktales, and the critically acclaimed, Cyberqueer, at the CelebrationTheatre. Ezra was also fortunate enough to have performed in Elekrta-la-la, which traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland as part of the international Fringe Festival.

In the fall of 1995, Ezra became a member of Company of Angels and started teaching an Improv class for actors and other company members. This class led to a sellout run of Improv Schmimprov, an improv comedy show. As the class continued, another show emerged, Jingle Balls – A Holiday Comedy Spectacular, which also played to sold out houses. Over the past several years, Ezra’s passion for improvisation has allowed him to perform with various improv groups in many different venues. These include, Pasadena’s The Ice House, the world famous Comedy Store, and Bang Comedy Theater.

As an improvisor, Ezra has created and performed in such shows as iProv, The Doubtful Guests and The Truth. He has traveled to New York, Atlanta, New Jersey and Chicago performing in venues and festivals. In 2009 Ezra and The Doubtful Guests headlined the Chicago Improv Festival in the famed Lakeshore theater.

Currently, Ezra is the Director of the School of Improvisation at Bang Comedy Theater where he has been teaching and running the school for over 10 years. He has directed many hit shows at bang. Most recently the hit sketch comedy show “L.A.Women” and the 2 year sold out run of “Streep Tease.” He has conducted workshops for professional corporations and institutions. Having a strong understanding of improvisation and how it can assist the creative process. Ezra has been invited to work with such companies as Disney Feature Animation, Rhythm and Hues, Universal and the Los Angeles Police Department.

In 2002 Ezra began work in television as an Audience Warm-up performer. He warms up such Disney Channel shows as So Random, Jessie, Austin and Ally, Ant Farm, Wizards of Waverly Place, I’m In The Band, Pair Of Kings and Sonny with a Chance. Since his start in the business Ezra has warmed up hundreds of audiences at live tapings, making people laugh and enjoy the experience.

Because of Ezra’s ability to connect with young professionals in the entertainment industry, he has become a sought after acting coach for kids and teens. He started a Youth Improv Program and bang comedy theater in Hollywood in 2009. He also makes himself available for private coaching and improv workshops nationwide.

As if all this isn’t enough, Ezra is also a voice over director and actor. His most notable V.O. dubbing directing credits are: “Letter’s From Iwo Jima,” “House of Flying Daggers,” “Waltz With Bashir,” and “Curse of the Golden Flower” (all nominated for Academy Awards).

Ezra’s on camera credits include: John the Science Teacher, Jack-In-The- Box Clown, and an irate Dad, and an apple in a fruit bowl all on “Wizards of Waverly Place.” He was also a Dentist on “Sonny With a Chance” and a
Motivation Speaker on a National Direct TV Commercial. Ezra has been Married to Sabrina Weisz of SabrinaPhotography.net for 12 years and they have 2 beautiful children together. Upon leaving his home for work his children always cry out, “Daddy, Make ‘em laugh”.

Lizzie Czerner studied theatre at Sarah Lawrence College and received an M.A. in Performance Studies from N.Y.U. Tisch School of the Arts.  She also studied improv at The Second City Training Center (NYC) and is a proud alum of Bang.  Lizzie was a working actress in New York City for over 15 years, with a number of Off -Broadway credits to her name, and she wrote / performed as a member of the long-running sketch comedy troupe ‘Faulty Logic’ at St. Marks Theater in New York City (Ha! Comedy Festival, 2003).

Lizzie writes and performs solo shows (her two most recent works, GETTING NAKED and THE BOOBY PRIZE, were official jury selections of the New York International Fringe Festival; 2009 & 2011 – THE BOOBY PRIZE was also voted in the top three comedies at the 2011 Hollywood Fringe Festival).  In addition, she works as an actress (her work can be seen in many webisodes and TV pilots, and she currently performs at Bang as part of the all-female sketch group, ‘Femmetastiks’), voiceover actress (she has recorded numerous voiceovers for commercial and animation projects), director (she directs many sketch shows at Bang and also directs student musical theatre productions at A Time For Dance) and producer (she co-produces the LET’S BANG Variety Show and The Rad News Sketch Show at Bang).

Lizzie taught acting classes for teens at the Elynn Diamond Studio (NYC) and currently teaches solo performance and sketch comedy classes at Bang.  She is also the Co-Creator of Rad News (www.radnews.biz) and is on the board and is a proud supporter of leanandgreenkids.org.

Mitchell Roché earned a bachelor’s degree in visual art, and produced his first short film, The E! True Hollywood Story of Mighty Mouse. Professionally, Mitchell has worked under the direction of Richard Donner and Anthony Perkins, and co-starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in a commercial for Brazilian TV. He is most proud, however, of his role in the HBO movie, Lansky, which put him only two degrees from Kevin Bacon. At bang, he has appeared in The Doubtful Guests, Peter’s Always Correct, and Trent Whitestone: Embrace the Unimaginable.

Evan Gore began teaching at Bang in 1997, following an improv performing and teaching career in Chicago with The Improv Institute and Second City, where he first met the Murrietas. Currently, he works as an animation comedy writer for Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network on such series as George of the Jungle, The Emperor’s New School, Lilo & Stitch and Futurama. Evan is also a stand-up comic, an animation voice director; a sitcom, commercial and voice over actor, and of course, a PTA volunteer. Last year, he taught an animation writing course to CG artists in Taiwan. He has written and performed numerous one-man shows, and performed at the Aspen Comedy Festival. He is a former ensemble member of The Second City in Chicago. Evan is currently appearing on YouTube being interviewed about his writing and improv career on the webcast “Humor Me with Ed Crasnick.”

Sabrina Hill has been acting professionally since the age of ten. Her favorite T.V. credits include giving color commentary for “Chiller’s 13: Horror’s Creepiest Kids,” guest spots on CBS’s “Criminal Minds”, “Saved by the Bell” and getting hit by a truck while jogging on the original “Beverly Hills 90210.” She has been producing and directing theatre in the Los Angeles area since 1990, and taught improv for the Santa Clarita Repertory Theatre, and The Company of Angels, whose improv workshop program she co-founded. She has been a member of several improv groups including: “The Doubtful Guests,” “Lurlene” and “The Periodicals.” She performed with “The Doubtful Guests” as part of the Chicago Improv Festival in the spring of 2002 and came back in 2009 with the Guests as Headliners (thedoubtfulguests.com). She is half of the popular sketch comedy duo “L.A. Women” that has been performing sell out shows at bang since 2007 (lawomen.tv). Not only has she been teaching and performing regularly at Bang since 1999, she also produces and directs several innovative shows there. Her most recent project at bang is the all female sketch comedy troupe, “The Femmetastiks.” Sabrina is a bang graduate.

Tom O’Connor is a proud bang graduate and all-around improv nerd. He has performed in major improv festivals in every U.S. time zone, and with bang’s help and support he has written & performed solo comedy shows including A Punk’s Tale and Saints-A-Go-Go. He has also written for videogames, television, anime, DC Comics and McSweeney’s.

Karen Baughn is an award-winning improviser and comedian. Recently named “LA’s Favorite Improviser,” Karen has studied at the top improv schools including Upright Citizen’s Brigade, Groundlings, Improv Olympic, and, of course Bang Comedy Theater. With 10 years of improv study under her belt and just as many years of teaching, Karen is able to challenge students to grow in a supportive and fun environment.