The Official Website for Ed Reggi

Ed Reggi was born in Brooklyn New York. Diagnosed at the early age with a reading and speech disorder, Reggi took his early training to further his skills on the stage. He developed a great skill of acting and improv after graduating in 1988 from the nationally acclaimed, Edward R. Murrow School of television and communications. (Nationally recognized for it's excellence and for it's visual and performing arts.) With the Brooklyn NBC studio's located directly next door to Reggi's home, Ed became fascinated with show business when the Bill Cosby Show began taping in early 1980. After much schmoozing, Reggi was able to get on the Cosby set and work with the master himself for 2 years. (You can still see him in a handful of episodes as one of Theo's high school friends.)

While pursuing his undergraduate degree in New York, Ed studied at both Brooklyn College and New York University. Never finding his niche, Ed dropped out and pursued acting full-time. It was shortly after leaving NYU, when Reggi began working with Chicago City Limits. It was his first direct entry to Theatersports. His work in CCL led him to join, The Commuters his very first improvisational troupe. While with The Communters, Reggi went on to perform throughout Manhattan and Boston.

Ed moved to St. Louis Missouri to finish his undergraduate degree. In 1994, Reggi graduated with a BFA from Fontbonne University. While at Fontbonne, Ed worked with original troupe members of The Network, St. Louis' very first SNL style improv-sketch troupe. Reggi quickly formed Onomatopoeia and they performed in local comedy clubs all over the Midwest. In 1996, Reggi left St. Louis and began touring with a regional theater company. On the road performing mostly Broadway-style musicals, left improv out of the picture.

In 1998, Reggi started relationships with several Fringe Theater companies and was exposed to Viola Spolin's work. He saw how improv can be used as the technique to help create original plays, there was no need for a writer. Reggi auditioned and was then accepted to study at the historic Second City in Chicago where he was accepted into their new Minority Outreach Training Program. His work with the institutions training director Martin de Maat gave him first hand insight of Spolin's theater. Unfortunately, Reggi's study and personal friendship with Mr. de Maat ended after his untimely death in the Fall of 2000. In December of 2000, Reggi began serving as the Artistic Director for St. Louis ComedySportz nightclub and then shortly renamed CITY Improv.

Ed continued to pursue the original ideas supported by Spolin's work. To continue the work and legacy of de Maat was Reggi's strongest motivation. He began finding any (of not all) the surviving students of Miss Spolin, in the hopes to learn from those Masters. Mike Nichols, Jeffrey Sweet, Gary Schwartz and Avery Schreiber are a few of the artists Reggi sought for study. Finally, fortune landed upon him when he began studying with Viola Spolin's son (and founder of the Second City), Paul Sills in 2001. Meeting Paul and his wife Carol Sills, began the long-term relationship Reggi continues to have with two of the greatest Spolin teachers alive.

Today, Ed Reggi instructs Spolin's Theater games around the globe. He performs, writes and lectures to a variety of audiences. He is an artist in residency with Young Audiences of St. Louis / Springboard to Learning; he most recently left his 7-year position as the Director of Theater and Voice at COCA (Center of Creative Arts) where he helped secure over $500K in private and corporate funding for its Theater program. In the Spring of 2007, Reggi attended the Commercial Theater Institute in NYC to enhance his work as the Producer of the St. Louis Fringe Festival. Reggi has not only produced the St. Louis Fringe Festival since 2003 but he also produces the St. Louis Improv Festival; and he serves as an Artistic Associate for the Chicago Improv Festival - the largest Improvisation Festival in the world.

Whether corporate administration, high school teachers or young kids, Spolin's Theater Games help build a conversation. Ed Reggi uses his foundation of improv as a method to teach effective language rebuilding skills, while having fun.

date 11/29/2007