Kimee Balmilero – Founder Improv Hawaii
Filipino American and Hawaii born actor Kimee Balmilero is best known for her regular role as Medical Examiner Dr. Noelani Cunha on CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. She was recently cast as a series regular in the ABC pilot Josep playing comedian Jo Koy’s sister Geraldine. Kimee’s other professional credits include Doogie Kameloha MD on Disney+, Two Tickets To Paradise on The Hallmark Channel, the Daytime Emmy nominated children’s musical TV series Hi-5, the Original Broadway Cast of Mamma Mia, and the 2nd National Touring Company of Miss Saigon. She studied improv & sketch comedy at the Uprights Citizens Brigade Theatre in Hollywood and performs with the ongoing show Filipino AF whenever she is back in Los Angeles.
Since returning back home to Hawaii in 2012, Kimee founded and is the “Head Sillypino” of Improv Hawaii (aka improvhi) a company dedicated to sketch and improv comedy in Hawaii.
In March 2015, she created and produced the first ever Hawaii Comedy Festival at the Honolulu Museum of Art’s Doris Duke Theater. The festival has continued to thrive and launched a junior version in the spring of 2020 and in 2021 premiered the original show Polynesian AF – a comedy variety show featuring Hawaii-based Polynesian creatives.
In May 2018, Kimee produced and directed The Last Five Years the premiere production of her Honolulu-based theatre company, Stage Fish.
In March 2020, Kimee and her husband John opened Tiny Stage Hawaii. – a small, but mighty creative space located in Kakaako.
In her spare time, Kimee enjoys karaoke-ing, garage sale-ing, eating diner spaghetti, pretending like she’s a contestant on Top Chef, and dreaming about sinigang. She also loves to stare at her husband’s face.
Ixchel Lopez
Ixchel Lopez is a performing artist, choreographer, and director, having worked all over the US both onstage and in front of the camera. In Hawai‘i, she’s appeared on Magnum PI, Hawaii Five-0, The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta), In the Heights (Daniela), The Hawaii Comedy Fest as an actor, writer, and director, and various shows as a part of Improv Hawaii’s featured musical team: Thoroughly Modern Biggie. She is an instructor at Susan Page Modeling and loves all things fashion (although she’s in sweatpants most of the time). When Ixchel isn’t performing, she is watching documentaries with her cat or celebrating Halloween year round.
Classes taught: Levels 101 & 201, Musical Improv, Special Workshops
Kiyoshi “Yosh” Shiraishi
Originally from Hawaii, a class advertising “conquer fears”, “overcome shyness”, and “learn how to fail” is what caught Kiyoshi “Yosh” Shiraishi‘s attention and lured him into the world of improv. After moving to Washington state for university, he stuck around in Seattle and started improvising in 2013. He started studying at Unexpected Productions and Jet City Improv in Seattle before moving back home to Oahu and joining ImprovHI in 2017. A data analyst and self-proclaimed nerd, Yosh studied and made a career in areas with few opportunities for subjectivity, creativity, and laugh-itivity. He enjoys improv most for the chance to play and be goofy and delightful with wonderful people. Yosh is a regular player with Improv Hawaii and is also the coach for their resident short form team Short Stack.
Classes taught: Levels 101, Short Form
Jose Ver
Jose Ver is a local actor, comedian and current cast member at Disney Aulani. He is also an original player and instructor with Improv Hawaii. Other creative credits include: Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0, The Hawaii Comedy Festival, The Original Jams Improv Show as well as various theatre productions in Honolulu. Jose has also worked with young students at Mid-Pacific Institute and Maryknoll. Jose is a member of the musical improv comedy troupe Thoroughly Modern Biggie. He also watches A LOT of “Star Wars.”
Classes taught: Super Beginner, Levels 101, Short Form, Special Workshops