Monique Diop
she/her
Washington Improv TheaterCommunity Strategist, Storyteller & Friendly Neighborhood Problem Solver.
Monique’s journey with improv began in 2015 when WIT led a workplace training for her team at The Ask Rayceen Show. She unexpectedly found herself taking part in her very first improv experience when participants were invited to join in the fun. What started as a surprise quickly sparked an interest in her: She liked being with new people and playing “adult recess.”
Later that year, Monique enrolled in her first WIT class at the Anacostia Arts Center. Since then, she has completed multiple WIT classes and performed at venues including Project Create, the DC Public Library, the Anacostia Arts Center, and Source Theatre.
Improv has strengthened skills that she uses both on and off the stage. The training has taught her to use her imagination, remain curious, embrace uncertainty, and to listen carefully for both verbal and nonverbal clues. These lessons have also helped her in her professional work in community engagement, public service, and relationship-building, where understanding people and adapting to changing situations, agreeing, and pivoting is necessary.
Monique is a life-long advocate for civic engagement. She studied communications at West Virginia State College. While there, she was on the debate team, so she can sit on a fence, because she “gets both sides!” But when she decides which way to go, she’s prepared for that stance. Monique has spent nearly two decades helping residents, organizations, and government agencies work together to navigate challenges and build stronger communities.
She served four consecutive elected terms as the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) for the Bellevue area of Washington DC, earning the continued trust and support of the community she represented. Professionally, she now works within the DC government focusing on public problem solving, engagement, information sharing, and helping residents understand the complexities of our local government. She is a former board member of Community of Hope, where she supported efforts to strengthen healthcare access, housing stability, and community well-being.
She loves animals and is a cat lady! No need to make it into a negative term, it’s a compliment! She is a “modern-day griot,” storyteller, and spoken word artist who believes stories have the power to build community and create understanding. Monique has also performed with Story District on three occasions, sharing personal stories that connect, entertain, and inspire. She loves cooking and traveling the world. Her favorite community saying is, “See you there.”