The Who, What and How of
Laughter On Call

Dani Klein Modisett is the Founder/CEO of Laughter On Call. She is also a comedian/actor and author of the book, “Take My Spouse, Please.” (Shambhala Press, 2015) a part-memoir, part how-to for creating shared laughter to keep your marriage happy and healthy. Dani taught Stand-Up at UCLA for 10 years and has coached keynote speakers, business leaders, and Congressional candidates to use more humor in their communication. She has been a speaker at CALA, ICAA, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, UCLA, Dartmouth, Fuqua and Harvard Business School where Laughter On Call is currently being used as a case study. Her writing has appeared in AARP, NY Times, LA Times, Parents Magazine and many websites. Dani was listed in Forbes 50>50 in 2023.

Lauren was a regular cast member on season 14 of MADtv. You may know her from Disney's Stuck in the Middle, Gamers Guide, Jessie, and the Imagination Movers. Or 911, Show Offs, True Blood, The Sarah Silverman Program, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Parenthood, Jimmy Kimmel, Then and Now with Andy Cohen, Chelsey Lately, Bill Maher, The Crazy Ones, Vegas, Girlfriends, World Cup Comedy, Strong Medicine, ReelzTV, Acceptable TV, and more. She was the face of Bank One and lots of commercials. She performed in the Made up Game Show with Wayne Brady and Jonathan Mangum. And Wayne Brady's Comedy IQ. Lauren started improv in 1991. And performs at IO west, CSzLA, UCB, Shrew, Laurelly, and more. She hosted the New Year's Eve countdowns on the Castle at Disneyland.  She performs, teaches, and does corporate team building through improv with companies worldwide, such as Disney, Nestlé, Yahoo, Google, Sony..and more.  She has been the Host of international meetings and events for Old Navy, Taco Bueno, Disney, Schools First Credit Union, and many more!

Nikki Ghisel is an actor, creator, and improviser from New York City, known for her high energy and good vibes. She�s been on 30 Rock, Rescue Me, and Starved. She has performed with improv teams in New York & LA. Nikki can currently be found performing at the Ruby LA. Besides her professional endeavors, Nikki has done theatre productions and improv classes with disadvantaged kids in NYC via the Imagine Project. Nikki is excited to be a part of the LOC family.

Sydney Adeniyi is a stand-up comic, actor, and improviser based in LA. He was crowned “Best of the Best” in Chicago, performed at Laugh Your Asheville Off, and competed at LaughFest’s Best of the Midwest. He’s appeared on the TV show Laugh Out Loud St. Louis, Trial by Laughter, and ABC’s Windy City Live. Sydney has also performed for many non-profits including: Big Brothers Big Sisters, CSAAC, and the Epilepsy Foundation. His comedy experiences have taught him how powerful laughter can be. Sydney is thrilled to serve as a Laughter on Call comedian!

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Cate Smit is a New York native with a background in comedy, improvisation and acting. As an actor, she has appeared in films like Hustlers and The Last Days of Disco, and was a regular on Late Night with David Letterman. Her television credits include Law & Order and The Detour (TBS-Netflix). She also appears regularly in national network commercials, and her voice can be heard in various games and ads.

Leveraging her passion for storytelling and performance, Cate successfully transitioned from the stage to become a sought-after charity auctioneer and public speaker.  Her work in leadership development showcases her dynamic skills and dedication to making a difference. Cate holds a BFA from Syracuse University and her classical training includes leading roles in Shakespearean productions.

Stefanie earned her BFA in theater from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and studied sketch comedy at UCB.  She loves making people laugh – although it isn’t always intentional (like the time when she legitimately slipped on a banana peel).

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Olivia Saperstein is a self-proclaimed Jill-of-all-trades. While playing lead guitar in LA punk band Egg Drop Soup by night, she cultivates the magic of social media wizardry during the day. She is thrilled to be managing the socials for Laughter On Call, as she has a mother who suffers from dementia. Olivia also has a clothing line and loves to write/direct for the screen.

Luis David Cortes is a Mexico City born, LA raised, Chicago resident. In addition to having appeared in several national commercials and TV shows(English/Spanish), Luis has also toured with The Second City, ComedySportz Chicago, The National Theater for Children, Story Pirates and the musical improv team, Baby Wants Candy. Luis has been a team-building/improv instructor since 2006 having developed/taught in-house trainings with companies like OnCue, FairPlay, Nova Collective, and FutureThink.  As a corporate host, he worked with SalesForce, Wells Fargo Home Lending, Takeda Medical, and Nando’s Peri Chicken. He created the D&I Department for Malarkey Theater Chicago and served as its Director for 5 years. His improv consent training has been seen at Second City (Chicago, New York, and Toronto), ImprovOlympic, Malarkey Theater, and the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Raza Studies from San Francisco State University and certifications in Diversity and Inclusion from UC Berkeley and Cornell.

Eliza Huberth is a writer and actor based in Los Angeles, having previously lived in New York City. There, she attended The Juilliard School for acting, expanding her understanding of story and character, along with her sense of curiosity and play. Upon graduating, she taught throughout New York at private and public schools and Women In Need shelters. She also began writing and is currently developing various projects, some of which include graphic novels, screenplays, and tv pilots. Having won the Artist As Citizen award at Juilliard, Eliza believes it is the responsibility of an artist to use their platform to create change through meaningful impact.

Sheila is an Improviser and Professional Fun Haver with Laughter on Call and Monkey Business Institute. She loves singing, dancing, improv comedy and hugs. She started doing improv with ComedySportz, Madison in 1992 and has blossomed into the person with the loudest laugh in any room. Sheila is a prophet of the improv ideals and loves spreading the gospel through teaching improv, leading happy hours, guiding game nights and in normal times, doing improv shows.

Canedy Knowles is a seasoned actor, director, facilitator, mother, and klutz who believes laughter is the ultimate tool for human connection. Currently the Artistic Director at Atlanta Workshop Players and an MFA candidate at UGA, Canedy brings a high-level "pro’s perspective" to every session. Her professional acting credits include Bravo’s Odd Mom Out and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and her improv roots run deep through UCB, Chicago City Limits, and The PIT.  From boardrooms to world stages to her time as a professor at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, she has mastered the art of using improv to break down barriers. Whether she’s acting a fool in front of the camera or on the stage, directing award-winning films or leading a room of executives, Canedy brings a relentless sense of play and a deep-seated belief that a well-timed laugh can change the world.

Tess Middlebrook is a comedian, writer and a chef. As a comedic food producer she's created content with Padma Lakshmi, Post Malone, Weird Al and Binging with Babbish to name a few. She's also starred on the Food Network's Chopped. As a writer/director, she has written and directed multiple projects that have toured the film festival circuit, her credits include best comedy, a best actress nomination and her latest short won Best Drama at the 2020 Oregon Short Film Festival. Tess has been in Youtube videos totaling over 20 million views on the trending platform, “Good Mythical Morning” where she stars in over 35 episodes and is an active producer on 120 episodes for their season 13 rollout. Tess is also a Groundlings School alum and a UCB performer, she's been in numerous commercials and performed improv in musky comedy clubs for the last 12 years. She is thrilled to be a member of the LOC team.

Kristen Schier has extensive improv teaching, directing, and performing experience. She holds a BFA in Performing Arts from the University of the Arts where she taught Acting for Non-Majors, Improvisation for the Actor, and first-year Acting Studio. She has toured all over the country teaching and performing at various festivals such as the Seattle Festival of Improvised Theater, Chicago Improv Festival, Vancouver International Improv Festival, Boom Chicago Comedy Festival in Amsterdam, and more. Kristen is the former Co-Artistic Director of Curious Comedy in Portland Oregon and former Improv Producer at the Philly Improv Theater. She has studied improv at Second City, Magnet Theater, and Annoyance. Kristen has also studied Physical Theater, clown, extensively with Pig Iron Theater company and Movement Theater Studio.

Amelia Clover is an animation writer, voice-over artist, and improviser currently residing in Los Angeles. Amelia has been improvising for nearly fifteen years and has performed on stages all over the world from Canada to Greece and everywhere in between. When she's not teaching improv and voice-over at M.I.'s Westside Comedy Theater, Amelia can be heard as the voice of Parker on the Lego show "Hidden Side" as well as in commercials for companies like Target, Hilton Hotels, and Nintendo. Amelia has written for the Discovery Kids' animated series Bada Bean as well as the Dreamworks hit show Gabby's Dollhouse and currently writes children's bedtime stories for the Calm app.

Abel Arias is an accomplished actor, improviser, and teacher. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from UC Santa Cruz and spent 15 years in Los Angeles working as an actor and improviser. Abel trained at UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade), The Groundlings, and Comedy Sportz (CSz) performing on many stages across Los Angeles, as well as Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta. Abel has appeared in over a dozen National commercials for brands including Disney, Honda, Best Buy, Toyota, and State Farm. He has co-starred in Angie Tribeca and Criminal Minds and you can hear his voice in the recent cult-hit Willy’s Wonderland starring Nicolas Cage. He had the honor of teaching Improv for Actors at The American Academy of Dramatic Art in Los Angeles. Using improv principles and acting exercises, Abel truly enjoys seeing actors explore and discover aspects of their own process.

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Born and raised in Humble, TX, Jordan R Coleman is making his mark on the improv scene as well as the entertainment industry. You can see him in such shows as ABC's A Million Little Things, Snowfall on FX, Physical on Apple +, and numerous other titles. "Making people smile is what I love to do"