Hannah Piper
(she/her)
Washington Improv Theater"I'm really loving this improv thing. I'm gonna get really involved in it as a way to get out of the house more." - Hannah Piper, February 2020
Like not very many, Hannah started improv because she wanted to get better at D&D. Since then she has been a voracious consumer of all things improv. In any given week she’s likely to be teaching a class, attending one of WIT’s advanced classes as a student, and performing or practicing with one of the many improv teams she is on, where she had worked extensively with formats like the Harold, Pretty Flower, The Bat, Close Quarters, and long form narrative.
Like not very many, Hannah started improv because she wanted to get better at D&D. Since then she has been a voracious consumer of all things improv. In any given week she’s likely to be teaching a class, attending one of WIT’s advanced classes as a student, and performing or practicing with one of the many teams she plays with. You can also see Hannah perform with one of the Maryland Ensemble Theaters house ensembles, Oh, Crit!
As a player, Hannah strives for detail oriented play. If she puts a cup on a shelf at the start of the scene, it’ll still be there when she needs it later. She also loves playing with narrative tropes and pattern creation.
"I'm really loving this improv thing. I'm gonna get really involved in it as a way to get out of the house more." - Hannah Piper, February 2020
Like not very many, Hannah started improv because she wanted to get better at D&D. Since then she has been a voracious consumer of all things improv. In any given week she’s likely to be teaching a class, attending one of WIT’s advanced classes as a student, and performing or practicing with at least one of the half dozen indie teams she plays with, including a duoprov team (H8 BBs), an improvised sitcom (The Gang’s All Queer), a format of her own design (unoprov, performed by Three Idiots)
As a teacher, Hannah’s central philosophy is that everyone should do improv. She advocates for simple and clean scenes, where details aren’t forgotten and emotions are clear. The less you put on stage, the easier it is to play meaningfully with what’s there.
Hannah still finds time to run D&D group, as of writing this they are over 3 years into a campaign that meets weekly. She also studied physics in college, something she refuses to let anyone forget. Her chief complaint about improv is that while it has helped her become much more social and outgoing “no one told [her] that would mean less time to play video games.”
Student Feedback
- Hannah is a natural teacher. She was so positive and upbeat. You can tell she really has a passion for improv.
- She was so accepting and sweet- class felt like an extremely welcoming and nonjudgmental environment. She was so encouraging and she so knew her stuff.
- Hannah is an excellent teacher—she clearly explains exercises and let’s students discover why we do this or that without just saying it—her style is learner-centered and she gives fantastic feedback that is constructive and encouraging.
Photo by Alissa Platz