Real people.
Funny people.
Real funny people.
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Carrie's career as an artist can be traced back to age four when she began creating 'mud pie' sculptures on
her picnic table in Lansing, Michigan. Dancing, writing, painting, (and some inspiring choreography to Joan
Jett's "I Love Rock n Roll" with her sisters) soon followed. After completing her BA at Western Michigan
University in Creative Writing and 'gypsy-ing' around the country for a while, she landed in Los Angeles with
her fabulous husband, Ken. She has studied improv at The Groundlings, Joy Theatre, and The Empty Stage
and is now so hopelessly addicted, her gambling addiction doesn't stand a chance of resurfacing.
Turn-ons: Traveling, backpacking, and margaritas.
Turn-offs: Littering and people who litter.
Carrie Aikman
Dawn Akemi
Sandie Bass
Mary Benedict
Corey Blake
Shane Boroomand
Heather Brumley
Kevin Callahan
Lily Gatica
Phil Gibbs
Liz Gill
Travis McElroy
Marshall McGehee
Andrew Pari
Tara Powell
Carmen Rohde
Nikki Turner
Randy Turner
The Real Funny People of the Main Company:
Carrie Aikman, Dawn Akemi, Sandie Bass, Mary Benedict, Corey Blake, Shane Boroomand, Heather Brumley,
Kevin Callahan, Lily Gatica, Phil Gibbs, Liz Gill, Eric Ho, Travis McElroy, Marshall McGehee, Andrew Pari, Tara Powell,
Carmen Rohde, Nikki Turner, Randy Turner
Alumni of the Main Company:
Ben Bates, Eric Field, Lauri Fraser, Wendy Lee, Jason Palmer, Rodrigo Sáenz, Tony V, Janet Villalba
Dawn Akemi grew up in Hawaii and has been a nomadic traveler living in various cities throughout the U.S.
She likes to laugh at life's ironies, absudities, perplexities, complexities, irritations, jubilations and depressions.
She also likes to do dramas where she can vent her sadness by crying on cue. More pics and her resume
are at resumes.actorsaccess.com/DawnAkemi and her (hopefully) entertaining videos are at
www.youtube.com/DawnAkemi.


Sandie has been rejected for the lead role (or any role whatsoever) in many productions including Grease,
Man of La Mancha, and The Crucible. She feels that her lack of theatre training, and lack of sense of humor,
sets her apart from the rest of the group. Originally from Chicago (the greatest city in the world), Sandie is
afflicted with frequent tics where she forcefully proclaims "Chicago is the greatest city in the world!" But when
confronted with actually moving back, she grows reticent and clings to her surfboard. You can usually find
Sandie taking the hard way up the side of a mountain, or at home - tending to her two adorable dogs and
large collection of marzipan babies.



Irish-Italian vixen Mary Benedict has been doing the improv thing since 1995. Cute as a button, this New
Jersey native has trained at the Groundlings theater, studied and performed at Comedy Underground and
Empty Stage, and was a founding member of Jeff Michalski’s Beat to Beat troupe. She has also starred in a
stage musical, written for an entertainment magazine and self-published a novel. Yet even a dedicated artiste
like Mary needs money to fund her shopping habit, so she works as a “writing and research” paralegal in
Pasadena. Her hobbies include Argentine tango and pondering whether the universe resulted from a design
or a series of random events culminating in her own existence.
Turn-ons: Neil Young, Jim Carrey, artichokes and of course, the Magic Meathands.
Turn-offs: Beets, crickets, and injustice, dang it!


Heather Brumley (if that is her real name) came to do Improv at the Empty Stage Theatre on the
recommendation of a friend. She now refuses to speak to them. Born in Wheaton, IL, a glamorous college
town suburb of Chicago, she gradually migrated west until reaching the Pacific Ocean. As Heather has no
boating skills, she has opted to stay in southern California and discontinue her westward migration. Heather
first got into acting while playing the playful platypus in her second grade class play. Her parents fears came
true when she graduated from college with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. She has taken Improv at the Groundlings
and the Comedy Dojo, but has made the Empty Stage her Improv home. Needing another redhead in the
group, the Magic Meathands have decided to adopt her. She has reportedly drunk the Kool-Aid and her
brainwashing is running along right on schedule.


By day, Kevin is a highly-skilled advertising creative director and writer. When evening falls, he transforms
into an improvisational and occasional stand-up comedy fool. Kevin comes to the Meathands with over 13
years of improv comedy experience. Well, except for the 10-year gap between the time he left Knoxville, TN to
starting over again here in the City of Broken Dreams. But he did begin his studies with David Alley, an
alumnus of Improv Olympic in Chicago who has performed with Amy Poehler and, you betcha, Tina Fey. Here
in L.A., he studied with April Scott before making the MM his improv comedy home. Sure, his hair is grey, but
his mind is as supple as a strip of string cheese.



Born in Italy, raised in the long shadow of the Pentagon, Phil spent 17 chilly, happy years in Chicago where
he attended the University of Chicago then studied with Martin DeMaat and Josephine Forsberg at Players
Workshop of Second City, performing plural times in The Second City Children's Show as Kazoo, the loveable
but morally adrift townsfolken, a role originated by Betty Thomas of all people, you know she was that tough
blonde cop in Hill Street Blues, after which he continued studying and performing in various plays, first in
Chicago, later in Los Angeles – but not before joining the Neofuturists as an original member in their long-
running show "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind". He and Emi are proud parents of Charlie.
Turn-ons: Emi. Jazz Guitar. Competent Parking.
Turn-offs: Run on sentences.
Marshall loves to find the funny. She realized that when she started her improv journey at the Empty Stage.
Originally, Marshall hails from Richmond, Virginia. She arrived in LA after living in a myriad of places including
New York, London, San Francisco, and Wyoming - she loves both the great outdoors and concrete. She can
be seen most recently in the upcoming CSI dvd game playing Kelly, who claims the girl was dead when she
got there. More information can be found at http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/marshallmcgehee


As a licensed Social Worker who provides emergency mental health interventions for the people of Los
Angeles, Andrew is adept at diagnosing himself quickly and accurately. A mild narcissist with addictive
tendencies, he took to the improv stage and won't give it back. Trained with the Groundlings, April Scott,
Westside Eclectic, Bill Johnson and Stan Wells of The Empty Stage, he is a founding member of The Magic
Meathands Main Company. He's worked in various film and stage projects and is well-loved by all. Seriously.
All. You know how hard that is? When asked for a personal quote, Andrew replied, "Don't touch me! I'm
SUPER-important." (He may be taking the Jesus thing too far.)


Tara took the long road to improv, and by long we're talking up hill both ways through 10 feet of snow,
people! It was tough. Still she'd like to think her time in the "real" world has served her very well in the
imaginary world of improv. We're not truly sure if she can tell the difference. Hailing from the great states of
Indiana and Colorado, she considers herself to be a high altitude mix of apple pie and aspen trees with
cinnamon and a scarf on top. A fitting combo. She's trained with Bill Johnson and Stan Wells of the Empty
Stage and the remainder of her talent was cultivated on that aforementioned long and windy path!
Carmen Kartini Rohde was born in Indonesia and is a graduate of USC Film school, The Second City Writing
programme and The Empty Stage Improv Theatre. She loves to write, travel the world and believes that
laughter really is the best medicine.
Nikki sings, writes and improvises.
Turn-ons: Kissable lips and brevity.
Turn-offs: Talking about herself and sentences ending in prepositions.














Corey Blake is a goofball. There’s just no getting around it.
Before becoming a member of The Magic Meathands, Corey helped form the sketch comedy group Foe Pa
after a memorable stint with The 3rd Floor: LA. He has been seen in the award-winning short film Hattie
Needs Rehab, the feature film Chasing Happiness, and the pilot for the children’s show “Imagination Station”,
as well as on stage in an award-winning Los Angeles production of Chekov’s Three Sisters and
Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Corey also has experience behind the camera. He wrote for the sketch comedy groups Foe Pa and The 3rd
Floor: LA, providing scripts that ranged from insightful social satire to nonsensical whimsy. He was also a
writer for the musical comedy Mission: Improbable, which he also helped produce. Additionally, he served as
associate producer for the demo trailer for Voices From Chornobyl and the documentary Dig Comics.




Randy would like to encourage all visitors to this site to see America's great national parks and enjoy the
fantastic, unspoiled wilderness, cultural benefits, and natural wonders these parks have to offer. For instance,
did you know that humans have inhabited the Grand Canyon region for at least 4,000 years? The oldest
evidence of their presence is tiny split-twig figurines, animal figures a few inches in height, made primarily
from twigs of willow or cottonwood and found in caves below the rim. These early remains were fashioned by
the people of the Desert Culture.




Shane Boroomand was born in Iran. He developed his sense of humor while growing up in Tehran, or as he
calls it, the comedy capital of the Middle East. Shane has acted in, produced and directed short films, and
now is obsessed with comedy improv. In fact, when Shane is not busy running his tax firm, he is busy
preaching the gospel of improv to anyone who’ll listen. Shane also loves to travel (to the dismay of his
clients), eat fatty foods (to the dismay of his wife) and waste time surfing the net (to the dismay of both his
clients and his wife).
The Real Funny People of the Main Company:
Ben began studying improv as an intern and student at iO West and as a student at the Second City Training
Center in Los Angeles, where he was fortunate enough to study under some great improv instructors and
observed many legendary performers. Currently, he continues his study of improv at the Empty Stage where
he grows daily as an improvisor as he interacts with many brilliant performers and teachers. Ben is originally
from Indiana and is happy to be in California where it's not cold.


Eric was born at a very young age. He was raised by a pack of hyenas for a while, but was quickly returned to
his parent because he made the hyenas laugh too much. He has been alive in many different places,
including China, Tijuana, and Hawaii. He has performed in plays, musicals, experimental theatre and
detention hall. He was a DJ on the radio for a few years, but he quit that because his audience never made
eye contact.
Turn-ons: Laughing, breathing and laughing some more.
Turn-offs: People who get turned off easily and too much television.
Lauri was born in L.A. and may very well be the last one to stay with the exception of Wendy Lee. She loves
being served by the pool, but not by the Marshal. She also loves her fellow Meathands. In her spare time
she scopes out storytellers and musicians for her venue I Love A Good Story. Check it out!
www.iloveagoodstory.com
Wendy J.N. Lee is an avid fan of beach activities, The Golden Girls, and awkward social situations. Born and
raised in Los Angeles, she often wonders where all the others have gone... Having achieved a BA in
philosophy at Boston College, she is currently a graduate student at USC School of Cinematic Arts in pursuit
of the day when her fame will allow her to cut the line at the Blue Bayou inside Disneyland. Wendy is one of
the founding day-one members of the Magic Meathands, and takes credit for conjoining the words Meat and
Hands in the early days. Wendy enjoys spiritual humor, and also regular humor.


Jason M. Palmer is new to the improv scene and does not hold a fancy pedigree from “theatahs” like the
Groundlings or Second City. A Los Angeles native and graduate of Loyola Marymount’s School of Film,
Jason has made his living writing freelance teleplays for such unforgettable shows as “Dawson’s Creek,” “The
Bernie Mac Show,” “That’s So Raven,” and “Everybody Hates Chris.” If pressed, he will regale you with
stories of the time Katie Holmes mistook him for a Mexican and asked him where to get the best turquoise
jewelry, or when he impersonated a celebrity to get into a fancy Hollywood party, only to be exposed by New
York magazine. Or maybe he won’t tell you anything at all.


Rodrigo Sáenz, lived in a womb in Monterrey, Mexico for nine months. After that, at the age of zero, he
realized he would rather breath through the nose than through his belly button, so he moved out to pursue his
dream. During his early years he discovered he spoke Spanish and that he hated any sport that involved a
ball or being restrained. Being from a town where the national sport is volleyball-in-restraint-jackets sent him
on a journey to find a place that would be a better fit for him. After many years and many miles he finally
found the place that would make him happy, the city of Improv, a place with no balls, restraints or belly buttons.
Copyright © 2007 Bill Johnson Productions. All rights reserved.
The Magic Meathands is a registered trademark of Bill Johnson Productions.
Website created by Mike Thompson.
Bio coming soon!
Janet Villalba does not really hail from any one place (although some people may think: Florida, New Jersey
or Canada/Colombia). Besides those places, she began her improv and sketch comedy career at Second
City and The Annoyance Theatre in Chicago. Don’t even get her started on how she LOVES Chicago. Janet
continued training and performing in Los Angeles with the Groundlings and the Empty Stage and is now
thrilled to be a part of the Magic Meathands Main Company. In her spare time, she uses her work in Hispanic
advertising as a source of inspiration for endearing characters. For this reason, you may hear a Spanish
word thrown in a vez en cuando...oh and Go Gators, tu sabes, tu sabes!
Ben Bates
Eric Field
Lauri Fraser
Wendy Lee
Jason Palmer
Rodrigo Sáenz
Tony V
Janet Villalba
Alumni of the Main Company:
Travis McElroy
*reads recipe*
3 cups of Friendlness
2 tablespoons of SassyHumor
5 drops of Ambition
A dash of Wit
A pinch of Charm
Pour into bowl, mix well.
Melt in oven - 810 degrees.
Spread evenly on hardwood floor, let cool.
Cut into pieces. Makes 34 servings.
Lily Gatica was born last year on skid row. Thankfully, she was able to escape and make her way to the
westside in time for improv class where bill johnson took her in and made her his own. Now she attends Santa
Monica College for pointless educational reasons. However, she is looking forward to getting a degree in
Sociology...some day. She'd like to thank all the little people who have made to the Spot Cafe to see the
incredible magic meathands perform each week.
As a native Angeleno and the only member of the troupe who can remember when City Hall was the tallest
building downtown, Liz Gill brings decades of life experience to MMH's shows. When you've lived as long as
she has, comedy is the only option. Liz loves the transformative power of improv, that she can be any sex,
any race, any age, even any species or object, and it's all YESSED. Her other team sport is soccer. A writer
by compulsion and profession, she also teaches part-time at USC's School of Cinematic Arts and strives to
bring the zen of improvisation into all her activities.