Tatiana Godfrey
she/her/ella
Comedian
Funny isn't enough — and I say that as someone who has spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to be funny. A clever joke without a character behind it is a closed door. A punchline without a story around it is just a noise. I believe in physical specificity, real characters, deflating the setup, detonating the punchline, and punching at power rather than at people. First, make 'em care. Then, make 'em laugh.
Improvisation
Surprise!
Improv, done right, wants everything theater wants: a real body in a real world, a character with something at stake, a story going somewhere interesting. I love narrative improv because my inner dramaturg gets to come to the party — but I'll play any game you put in front of me with the same commitment. The one rule that never changes: have your scene partner's b(l)ack. Everything else follows.
I am the coach and director of Hot Mic, Cincinnati's improvised musical.
Sketch Comedy
Structure
My sketch ethos is simple: big characters, tight structure, no fat. A great sketch makes one promise and keeps it — cleanly, specifically, and about thirty seconds before the audience expects.
Me as Jesus smiting the devil in a Hell themed sketch comedy show.
Directing
Staging
Every piece has a purpose, every transition is intentional, every joke gets exactly the space it needs to land and not one beat more. But underneath the precision is always the same question I bring to every discipline: does this add up to something? A tight show that doesn't go anywhere is just a series of tricks. I want the laughs and the shape. The funny and the journey, whether a set list or a narrative. Both, every time.
From Left to Right: Me, Colette Lindeman, and Mary O'Connell