~Our mission is to~
build community through comedy
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We are a federally and state recognized 501(c)3 charity.
We believe laughter is a universal language, and that comedy is for everyone.
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If you take the concept of a community theater, an improv theater, and a healthy dose of fun, and smash them together, you’ll have The Fresnel Theater. Showcasing improv comedy, scripted shows, and variety shows, we focus on giving the community the entertainment and comedy classes it needs.
Our Values
Enrich
We strive to add to the existing global improv community while enriching the local community of Portland, ME through a focus on comedy and giving back.
Empower
Our goal is to empower all people, regardless of background, by building skills that teach accepting yourself and others. We believe improv accepts you for who you are and teaches you to grow from there.
Entertain
Improv should be entertaining. Our goal is to make you laugh and give our audience a place where they can embrace the ideal of fun.
About Our Name
A fresnel lens, pronounced FREH-nell, is a type of lens used in lighthouses and theatrical lighting. It's used to take the smallest spark and turn it into a beacon of light. That's what we aim to do with our theater: amplify the light of our community through empowerment, enrichment, and entertainment. We feel the name suits our mission, and it's something we believe in. We're also ready to correct people when they pronounce it FREZ-nell.
Matthew Russell
Matthew Russell has been a professional improviser since 2001.
He has taught improv through ComedySportz (Sacramento, Portland, and World Championship), Northwest Children’s Theatre, American River College, and Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Some of his former students have moved on to perform and teach at theatres in New York, California, and Texas- including at ComedySportz, UCB, The Pack, and with YouTube’s Smosh.
He is a Certified Applied Improv - Senior Practitioner through CSz Worldwide. Aside from improv, he is an award-winning children’s entertainer, runs his own treasure hunt business, and is the owner and founder of Questionable Trivia, an award-winning bar trivia company in Sacramento, CA and Portland, OR.
Policies
We believe that comedy is for everyone, and we're committed to having our theater be a place where everyone can feel safe. Potential and current performers can check out our Code of Conduct and Grievance Reporting Procedure for more.