Hello! I’m JoEllen, a forth generation entertainer.

Going four generations back on my mother’s side, my maternal great grandfather was in Vaudeville and my mother’s father a professional musician. My paternal grandfather had a traveling medicine in the 1930s in MO & OK. Seeing how I have showbiz in my blood, I started performing in front of audiences when I was 6, as a belly dancer. My first “regular gig” was in a Vaudeville showcase when I was 10.

I first started learning improv when I was a teenager, at the now infamous Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Marin county, CA. I’ve directed, produced, written and designed many shows over the years. Lurking Squirrel Productions started in Bend OR, in 1991. Between Bend and the SF Bay, we produced several musicals and events up until 2018 when I moved to the East Coast.

Improv has always had a special place in my heart. Getting an improv troupe has been a goal of mine that I accomplished in spring of 2025, to great acclaim (already!!). As the Cracked Nut Players grow in popularity, I’ve been approached by multiple people to consider teaching. So here we are! Lets crack up together.