Directors

 

Bandit Theater’s house teams are led by an outstanding crew of directors. If you would like help us organize and direct our shows, we’d love to meet you! Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this page for opportunities to work with us and our teams.

 

Annie Barry

Director of First Date Tacoma & Inkprov Tacoma

(She/Her) Annie Barry is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Bandit Theater. She began her improv training at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City in 2009, studying with renowned teachers and performers including Will Hines, Brandon Gardner, Gavin Speiller, Erik Tanouye, Chelsea Clarke, and Jordan Klepper.

Annie was later cast on Graceland, one of UCB’s first Lloyd Teams. In 2012, Graceland became the first Lloyd Team to be promoted to Harold Night together as a complete ensemble.

After leaving New York, Annie continued her training and artistic development in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., where she explored relationship-driven improvisation and learned to blend emotionally grounded scene work with game-based long-form comedy.

In 2018, Annie founded Bandit Theater with the goal of cultivating community, fostering creativity, and inspiring personal growth through the art of comedy. She helped develop Bandit’s improv curriculum, teaches improv, and leads the theater’s sketch comedy classes. At Bandit, she has performed in and directed productions including The Reader, Swipe Right, Inkprov Tacoma, and Regency. Her work emphasizes playful collaboration, strong ensemble relationships, memorable characters, and comedy grounded in genuine human connection.

Laura Kirol

Director of The Couples Quiz

(She/Her) Laura's grandmother calls her Laura Bean, which is a shortened version of her childhood nickname "Laura Jeanne the Jumping Bean". Laura's best friend calls her Loo, because Laura is not easily turned into a 1 syllable name. One of Laura's students once called her "Ms. Pumpkin Patch Lady" because of a sweater she wore to school that made her "look like an English teacher" even though she isn't. Laura often introduces herself as "Laura?" because she's a little shy when meeting new people! No matter what you call her (just don't call her late to dinner, am I right?), Laura loves improv and has the time of her life performing with Swipe Right.

Chris Carter

Director of The Awkward Show

(He/Him) Chris Carter lives in Sammamish with his wife, daughter, son, and dog. He came to comedy late in life, but has been writing since his parents divorced when he was 7. He studied creative writing at Middlebury College, got a screenwriting MFA from UCLA, and then eventually, finally, studied Improv, Sketch, and Character at UCB in L.A. Chris has written for the animated series “Hello Ninja,” “LEGO City Adventures,” and "Shezow," as well as the forthcoming “Scooby Doo & the Mystery Pups.” And he feels insanely lucky that he gets to spend a couple hours each week laughing with the Awkward Show cast.

Jonny Riecke

Director of Mad Science

(He/Him) Meet Jonny Riecke, a seasoned improviser with a passion for comedy that's as big as Texas. Jonny began his improv journey at the Dallas Comedy House in 2017 and has been a part of Bandit Theater since its inception in 2018. Known for his unwavering support of his fellow performers, Jonny also shares his wisdom by teaching and directing improv. With a heart as big as his humor, Jonny brings laughter and camaraderie to the stage with every performance.

Jesse Keeter

Director of Inkprov Seattle​​

(He/Him) Jesse Keeter is an author, video game writer, and improviser.

Robbie Lite

Director of First Date Seattle

(He/Him) Robbie has been performing Improv, Sketch, and Stand-up comedy since 2012, with a few detours along the way. He was trained in comedy at The Groundlings LA, Second City Chicago, iO Chicago, and Bandit Theater. His credits include acting in & writing dozens of scripted and unscripted shows over the years, as well as bravely daring the world of TikTok (@Robbie_Lite). On stage, Robbie loves a good callback, making his teammates look good, performing physical comedy, and delivering accents and impressions. He joined Bandit Theater in 2023 and is currently performing on "Mad Science".

Jessi Smith

Director of Swipe Right

(She/Her) Jessi was introduced to improv and started taking classes with Bandit Theater in the fall of 2022. She left her first class absolutely hooked and went on to complete Bandit's 4 levels of classes and participated in their Tumbleweeds program. Outside of improv, Jessi loves making costumes, hanging with her sweet pup Leo, and dressing as famous duos for her holiday cards. Most importantly, she has O positive blood type, making her a fan favorite amongst mosquitos.