About Our Women-Focused Programs Team

Katy McEwen- BNW Associate Artistic Director, actress, writer, instructor, improviser

Since joining the Brave New Workshop Theatre in 1997 Katy McEwen has become one of the most prominent female comedians in the Twin Cities. As BNW’s Associate Artistic Director Katy has written and performed in more than 20 audience favorites on the theater’s stage. Katy’s engaging and quick wit is integral to the success of BNW’s corporate training and entertainment services. She has captured the hearts and minds of many business audiences including Best Buy, Cargill, Disney Cruise Lines, General Mills, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Target, Thomson, US Bancorp, Accenture and Yahoo!. Katy is one of the most sought after instructors at the Brave New Institute and has empowered hundreds of students to embrace improvisation in their everyday lives. Katy has often been spotted giving her comedic take on the week’s headlines as part of the “Brave New News,” a regular segment on the Twin Cities’ Fox 9 Morning News Sunday program.

In addition to being BNW’s acclaimed Associate Artistic Director, Katy is an instructor in the student conservatory at the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis. She is also part of the nationally acclaimed Neighborhood Bridges program, which develops children’s skills to write, speak and think critically through storytelling and drama. She has taught as visiting faculty at the University of Minnesota and a guest instructor with many local theatres.

Katy grew up in Dayton, Ohio and graduated with honors with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in acting from Wright State University. She is married to BNW Artistic Director Caleb McEwen and brings son Isaac to the BNW family.

For additional information about Katy, including her speaker video, client list, and bio, please look for Katy under our other Speaker/Trainers section!

Margi Simmons- BNW consultant, actress, writer, improviser

Margi’s sharp mind and refined sense of humor propelled her comedic career rapidly from the classrooms of the Brave New Institute, where she was learning the artform of improvisation, to the mainstage of the theater. As a true improviser she embraced the artform both onstage and off stage and quickly gained a following as one of the stars of the BNW. Margi’s contributions, to this day, are considered some of the best scenes performed on our stage. After hundreds of successful sketches and memorable performances, she relocated to Los Angeles, where she continues to leave her creative footprint, step by step.

While in LA, Margi continues to be an important part of the BNW, although in a different role. Instead of mildly offending Minnesotans every weekend on our stage, she now shares her talent with our corporate audiences. As part of her work with the Brave New Workshop Corporate Services team Margi has performed and improvised with companies such as MasterCard, Sun Country Airlines, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Dole, Kurt Salmon Associates, Accenture, General Mills and the Disney Cruise Lines. An unstoppable creative force, Margi is also currently improvising with her group, The Returning Champs, seen at numerous theaters in LA as well as in the Los Angeles Comedy Festival. She is a resident company member and instructor for Parson's Nose Productions, bringing classic theater to family audiences. Margi has helped thousands of young individuals find their voice by creating theater through programs such as the Playwrights in the Schools and Parson’s Nose. Margi shines in various short films including “Broken,” “Yellow Hammer,” and “Whatever Happened to Gavin Buckmaster?” - all of which have won awards on the festival circuit. She is currently working on a web-series titled, “PSA, The Series.”

Margi is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, a native of the Twin Cities and loves to come back to share her passion for the artform of improvisation and especially how women can use it to hone their creative confidence.

 Jenni Lilledahl—Executive Director of the Brave New Institute and co-owner of the Brave New Workshop

Prior to becoming a full-time actress and co-owner of the Brave New Workshop Theatre (BNW), Jenni spent eight years in the field of public relations, as Communications Director for the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, and Marketing Coordinator for Rollerblade, Inc.

Jenni leapt off the corporate ladder in 1995 to pursue her true passion -- comedy theatre and improvisation. After a short stint working for the corporate entertainment division at the famed Second City in Chicago, Jenni returned to the Twin Cities in 1997 with husband John Sweeney to take over the BNW from founder Dudley Riggs. While she’s had many roles both on stage and behind the scenes at the BNW, her primary role has been as the founder and Executive Director of the Brave New Institute, the BNW’s school for improvisation. Jenni has grown the Brave New Institute from 7 students in 1997 to more than 150 students weekly, making it one of the world's leading schools for the study of improvisation.

As one of the most experienced improv instructors in the Midwest, Jenni has led workshops at the prestigious Chicago Improv Festival, the Big Stinkin' Improv Festival (Austin, TX), Funny Women Fest (Chicago) and numerous colleges and universities. Jenni has extensive experience as a stage and corporate performer, as well as a workshop leader and public speaker. Jenni’s understanding of corporate culture, her experience in training people in improvisation, and her unmatched passion for the art form have combined to inspire thousands, including clients such as Sprint PCS, Texas Instruments, and Hewlett Packard. At the heart of the theatre flows Jenni’s core belief that people from all walks of life can embrace the philosophies of improvisation to find their most creative, innovative, and confident self.

Jenni was named one of the "40 under 40" to watch by CityBusiness, a well-known Minneapolis business publication. She is a native of Minnesota and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Augsburg College in 1987 with a Communications/Public Relations degree and a minor in theatre. Jenni’s non-theatre interests include her two boys William and Michael, the family dog Burt, and her husband John Sweeney.