THE LAST WORD ACADEMY
We’ve heard you: performers coming to our festival are hungry for prime stage time, instruction from seasoned experts, and more opportunities to connect with other players and make new friends. Let’s do it.
It’s the second annual LAST WORD ACADEMY - a weekend ensemble intensive for improvisators of all skill levels. It’s gonna be great. Here’s how to apply:
STEP 1: Head over to our submission hub, and fill out the Last Word Academy Solo Performer application.
You’ll be asked to provide a photo of yourself and a link to a past performance. Note the past performance link is not required - especially for those interested in the short form improv team - but we recommend sending a link to a video if you have access to one.
STEP 2: Chill out and wait for us to get in touch! Submissions officially close at 10:00 PM (EST) on November 11 and the ensemble teams will be announced in late November.
STEP 3: If accepted, performers are charged a one-time fee of $150. This covers:
Placement on a festival ensemble team of 8-12 players with a dedicated coach
A full Friday of instruction (each team has its own format to practice)
Friday pizza party lunch and other social times for mingling with fellow performers
An opening set on Friday or Saturday night as part of a main fest showcase
Custom swag exclusive to Academy participants
One Performer’s Pass good for standby access to the majority of festival shows
First access to sign up for Saturday festival workshops led by headlining performers
THE FINE PRINT
The festival reserves the right to close the submission process prior to the final deadline if necessary given the quantity of entries received.
A limited number of scholarships for free admission to the program will be made available.
The participating fee does not cover registration costs for Saturday workshops (though participants do get first priority for optional signups for these additional instructional sessions). The Performer’s Pass does not cover admission to the Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood headliner act on January 30. Performers are responsible for their own transportation and lodging for the festival.
We recommend participants in the Last Word Academy plan to arrive in Williamsburg on Thursday, January 28 to ensure they are ready to start rehearsals with their team on the morning of Friday, January 29.
There will be a recommended hotel for program participants - details to come!
Got questions? We’ve (hopefully) got answers - drop us a message.
MEET YOUR COACHES
Introducing the instructors of the 2027 LAST WORD ACADEMY! Read up on the bios and team details below as you fill out your application.
COACH CARLA CACKOWSKI
TEAM FOCUS: RELATIVITY LONGFORM IMPROV FORMAT
ABOUT RELATIVITY
RELATIVITY is a longform improv piece directed by Carla Cackowski. The original cast rehearsed and developed the form for 8 weeks before the show was in residency at WGIS in LA in the spring of 2026. In RELATIVITY the cast members play the same characters, but in different dimensions. Each scene takes place in a specific location with the same characters (from different universes) improvising around each other while onstage at the same time. The form focuses on creating strong relationships, clear character games, and active space work and environment.
ABOUT CARLA
Carla Cackowski is an improviser and writer living in Los Angeles. She regularly tours across the country with her two person improv show, “Orange Tuxedo”. Carla toured on boats performing sketch and improv with Second City and performed on mainstage Harold Teams at both iO West and UCB Los Angeles. She directed the International Ensemble at the Vancouver Improv Festival and has traveled all over the world teaching and performing in comedy festivals. She was an improv teacher at The Second City in Hollywood for twelve years, is the former Artistic Director at Mi’s Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica and the former Co-Artistic Director at Curious Comedy Theater in Portland, Oregon. She currently teaches at WGIS (World's Greatest Improv School) in LA. You can see her performing monthly at Outside In Theater in Los Angeles with her four person team, "Weird Tuxedo" (Craig Cackowski, Bob Dassie, and Stephnie Weir).
COACH CRAIG CACKOWSKI
TEAM FOCUS: LA RONDE LONGFORM IMPROV FORMAT
ABOUT LA RONDE
Craig Cackowski will be teaching La Ronde - one of his favorite forms featuring slow, patient play and strong characters and relationships. Learn how to create strong, specific characters for yourself, while helping your partners develop their characters via gift-giving and specificity.
ABOUT CRAIG
Craig Cackowski is an actor, improvisor and teacher based in Los Angeles. He was involved with the iO and iO West theaters from 1992-2018, and was the three-time winner of the Del Close Award as Teacher of the Year at iO West. As Orange Tuxedo, he and his wife Carla have played numerous improv festivals around the US and Europe. While in Chicago, he appeared in 5 revues for The Second City, and helped create such improv forms as JTS Brown and Close Quarters. As an actor, he has been seen in recurring roles on such shows as Community, Veep, Drunk History, and Sex Lives Of College Girls and most recently on the Emmy Award-winning The Pitt. He may be heard frequently on podcasts such as The Thrilling Adventure Hour and his own podcast Craig’s List, in which he makes Carla watch his 100 favorite movies.
COACHES Bianca Casusol & BILLY SOCO
TEAM FOCUS: SHORT FORM IMPROV
ABOUT SHORT FORM
Bianca and Billy will be leading up an ensemble focusing on performing short form improv games (kind of like those you’d see on Whose Line is it Anyway?) - this team is a great option for both beginner and experienced performers.
ABOUT BIANCA
Bianca Casusol is a performer and teacher based in NYC, currently teaching at the Second City in Brooklyn, with past experience at Magnet theater, the Pit, DSi and others. You can find her work featured in The Truth Podcast, Story Pirates, Reductress, Risk! Podcast and hot mic with Dan Savage.
ABOUT BILLY
Billy Soco is an NYC-based actor, improv teacher and voice artist of Chilean and Filipino descent. He teaches at The Second City Conservatory and serves as Artistic Director of Megawatt, the house team program at Magnet Theater, where he also teaches improv and musical improv. Billy has taught and performed internationally and is founding producer of Shoes Off, an all-Asian improv comedy collective. His performance credits include Baby Wants Candy, Shamilton, North Coast, Freestyle+ and ComedySportz. He can also be heard on Smash Boom Best and the award-winning Story Pirates Podcast. You can see him perform with The Armando Diaz Experience and Live & Direct at Magnet Theater, Spanglish show El Showcito de Titi at the Brooklyn Improv and at Caveat NYC with Looking for Laughs as featured on BBC Scotland. Billy’s work is guided by a commitment to authenticity, playful exploration, strong ensemble habits, and creating more space for diverse voices in improv.
COACH CHARM SCENE
TEAM FOCUS: MUSICAL LONGFORM IMPROV
ABOUT MUSICAL IMPROV
Let's make up some musicals! Lead by Charm Scene's Lily Ludwig, Austin Packard, and Sam Scheidler, performers will improvise full musicals, with story, characters, scenes, "choreography," and (of course) songs.
ABOUT CHARM SCENE
Charm Scene is Chicago's most charming improvised musical podcast, created by performers Lily Ludwig and Austin Packard, Musical Director Sam Scheidler, and drummer Chris Ditton. Now with over 100 episodes streaming online, Charm Scene has recorded with guests from all over the music improv world, including some from Dropout, Off Book, StarKid Productions, and their beloved Chicago comedy scene. The Charm Scene team performs regularly with Baby Wants Candy and Shamilton at The Second City, as well as multiple shows at the Annoyance Theatre, iO Theater, and more. Members of Charm Scene have performed with Off Book, the Second City Touring Company, Jackbox Games, and at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Want a sneak peek? We've got new episodes every Tuesday – wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to The Scene!