INTRODUCING 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.

Introducing the inaugural 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 beginner team - but we recommend sending a link to a video if you are applying for a non-beginner team and have access to one.

STEP 2: Chill out and wait for us to get in touch! Submissions officially close at midnight on November 23 and the ensemble teams will be announced in early December. 

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 tailored to your chosen skill level and format interests

  • Friday pizza party lunch and other social times for mingling with fellow performers

  • An opening team set on Friday or Saturday night preceding a headlining act

  • Custom swag commemorating the first-ever Last Word Academy cohort

  • One Festival Pass good for 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 Festival Pass does not cover admission to the “Whose Live Anyway?” 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 29 to ensure they are ready to start rehearsals with their team on the morning of Friday, January 30. 

  • 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 2026 LAST WORD ACADEMY! Read up on the bios and team details below as you fill out your application.

COACH JOSHUA BLUBAUGH

TEAM FOCUS: CHARACTER & NARRATIVE SCENE WORK
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

ABOUT JOSHUA
Josh Blubaugh is the Co-Artisitic Director of the Coalition Theater in Richmond, Virginia.  He has a long resume of sketch improv and stand up projects including Trash Bang, RVA Tonight, The Trollnight Show and can be seen performing regularly with Fan Friction and Roll 4 Improv. As an improviser Josh focuses on bringing realistic emotions to absurd and surrealist situations.

This team is a perfect match for anyone new to improv performance. Join Blue to learn the basics of playing characters and creating interesting scenes on this team for newcomers and performers looking to hone their core improv skills!

COACH Kimberly Nario

TEAM FOCUS: MONOSCENE FORMAT
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

ABOUT KIMBERLY
Kimberly Nario is the Co-Artistic Director at the Coalition Theater. She’s a stand-up and improviser who performs in the monthly bad-date themed show, Can’t Hardly Date. In 2023, she started coaching Still Life, a monthly improvised two-act play. She loves knowing glances, longing looks, and knowing exactly what to say. 

A professional digital communicator, she focuses on narratives and messaging. Her writing has been featured in Refinery29 and on The Drew Barrymore Show almost too long ago to mention.

Drawing on her theatre background, Kimberly's form focus is the MONOSCENE. It's the form that endures, the scene that never ends—until it does! Right here. Right now. Her team will explore lived-in spaces, grounded characters, and fully developed relationships needed to sustain a scene. If you like one-act plays and acting, this team could be a match for you!

COACH Bianca Casusol

TEAM FOCUS: MONOLOGIST / ARMANDO FORMAT
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

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.

Bianca's team will focus on the unique power of pulling performance from storytellers, creating dynamic scenes and characters inspired by real-world testimonials. This is an excellent team for players with some improv experience looking to sharpen their skills while mastering a classic show format.

COACH BiLlY SOCO

TEAM FOCUS: NON-TRADITIONAL SCENE EDITS
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

ABOUT BILLY
Billy Soco is an NYC-based actor, voice artist, and improv teacher of Chilean and Filipino descent. He serves as Artistic Director for Megawatt at Magnet Theater, where he teaches improv and musical improv. He also teaches with The Second City Conservatory. 

He has trained at Magnet Theater, Upright Citizens Brigade, The Second City, and Freestyle Love Supreme Academy. Performance credits include SaltPepperKetchup, North Coast, Baby Wants Candy, Shamilton, ComedySportz, Big Whoop, Kittyhawk, The Armando Diaz Experience and Story Pirates. He has taught and performed at Improv Utopia, Vancouver Improv Festival (Canada), Out of Bounds (Austin), Robin Hood International (UK), and Teatro Lospleimovil (Chile) to name a few. Learn more at billysoco.com

Billy’s team will focus on ensemble support and thematic exploration using various editing techniques to inspire what comes next. If free form with a touch of theatricality sounds fun, this may be the team for you!