Stephanie Herrera

If you haven't met the remarkable Stephanie Herrera yet, it’s probably because she hasn’t stayed in one place long enough for you to shake her hand. A multi-faceted fireball of energy, Stephanie has a positively radiant spirit. She’s been creating a home of her own including a one-of-a-kind career right here Durham Region. When you finally meet her, and you will, you can expect to learn a lot and laugh like you were a kid again, too.

She has an extraordinary resume that begins as a personal trainer, moves on to selling gym memberships and then launches into touring Italy with a production of Fame, building improv troupes, teaching improv in high schools and colleges, creating an annual youth improv tournament, winning a THEA award for best actress and writing directing and acting in some incredible, interactive dinner theatre shows. Stephanie Herrera has done all of this and continues to infect the people she meets with excitement and enthusiasm.

There is nothing average about this lady. After spending her childhood in Toronto, she moved her big city improv talents to Durham Region when her husband David suggested they move to the country to raise their growing family. They now have four children under the age of six. So, for most of the previous six years, Stephanie has been building her improv empire with a rapidly expanding and contracting midriff. Yet she seems to balance both family and professional life almost effortlessly. So, how did Stephanie Herrera get to where she is? It took a lot of hard work, intense passion for her craft and an early lesson from her mother, a single mom and a trained opera singer who understood her daughter’s love for the stage. While in her 20s, Stephanie’s mom asked ‘when were you happiest?’ The answer was obvious. “When I’m on stage!” Stephanie replied. 

“Some of the happiest moments of my life were on stage,” explains Herrera. “My mom used to say ‘Do what you love and the money will come.’ She was right. Sure enough, here I am. This is what I love to do!”

Since her aha moment, Herrera has been rubbing elbows and other body parts on stage with some famous people like Paul O’Sullivan from Second City; Linda Cash, the Philadelphia Cream Cheese girl; “Patrick freakin’ McKenna” of Red Green fame; and “the legendary Peter Wildman” of the Frantics. She certainly has earned some bragging rights. 

Busy with the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in 2004 and 2005 as the Director of Improv and Interaction, Stephanie spent several months training actors in the art of improv and character development. In 2005 she returned to the annual faire nine months pregnant. It was then she decided (with help from her husband) that she would have to remain closer to home in the future. She went searching for the improv scene in Durham but there was none to be found. “When I moved to Durham, I found out there was no improv community, so I created Durham Improv so I could get back on stage,” explains Herrera.  

She has been busy finding ways to use her talents teaching high school and college students, helping business people develop relationship building skills, and even bringing out the best in teens who are willing to give improv a chance with the annual teen improv tournament. Organizing this annual event since 2002, Herrera has inspired many teens to perform and get involved. “It started when I was an emergency supply teacher for the Board of Education,” she says. “I was the fun supply teacher. If the students finished everything they had to in class, we did improv for the last 15 minutes.” Her students were so enthusiastic about the action and involvement that they asked to come and see her performing but most improv takes place in a bar where teens aren’t permitted.  So Herrera had an idea. She created the teen improv tournament.

“Teams signed up and battled. I borrowed the ballot concept so whoever brought the most friends won,” she explains. “Special guests were invited to do long form for the second half of show but it killed me that I just had to watch the scenes. I was dying to give them notes, something concrete to help them improve.” The tournament was reformatted to include judges. After the first set of scenes, the teens got notes from judges. Each team had three scenes, and then Herrera and the judges performed long form improv for the audience. It’s an action-packed event.

One of the more recent projects Herrera has created is her interactive dinner theatre, Gina and Joey’s Mafia Wedding, at Jester’s Court in Port Perry enjoyed an incredible run this fall and is now being booked for fundraising and touring performances. It’s coming back to Jester’s Court for two more special Valentine’s shows in February. Audience members double as wedding guests indulging in a catered Italian buffet and being entertained by some pretty unforgettable characters. From singing and dancing to fights and the chance that someone might get “whacked” – Herrera has combined all of her talents and a cast of improv veterans to make this story a must-see.

Coming up in January 2012, Herrera’s newest dinner theatre adventure rolls into Port Perry. Set as a crazy sci-fi convention “This particular show is based on the first draft that Gene Roddenberry threw away!” Stephanie chuckles. She continues to describe the convention-like feel of the setting, the washed up actors who mingle with guests to sign autographs and chat about how “famous” they once were. “I’m going to plug in teens to be the nerds in the audience pumping everyone up to get them going. They will ask crazy technical questions to get the Q & A rolling.”

Herrera plans some things in advance. “I write it out, planning some plot points and the sequence of events before and after dinner is served,” she explains. “Important reveals and jokes are plotted out and I add in a couple of lines. For me, writing is literally like watching a TV show in my head. I just write down what the characters are saying, once it’s on the page I tend to give liberties to the actors to add to it. I have a top notch cast. They share the spotlight, always work together. I’d be nowhere without the actors.”

“The success of the dinner theatre was a surprise. I missed doing Tony and Tina’s Wedding at Second City,” she says. “My actors trusted me enough to typecast them and they just go with it, adding so much to each of their characters. Well rounded characters came out of it. It’s a wonderful dynamic with this cast.” 

If you’re dying to meet Stephanie Herrera you will find her (and a few special guests) at her own Durham Improv show, a Who’s Line is it Anyway-style of improv at Murphy’s Pub & Grill in Oshawa. She can also be found speaking at local networking and Toastmasters groups as well as at special events and has recently co-hosted two shows on Rogers TV: Hurry Up Love and Daytime.

At one time, Herrera eyed roles in main stream film and television but she noticed that the same two-dimensional roles went to the same pretty blondes. Herrera longed for something more. She saw herself as a multi-dimensional character with an ability to change direction on a dime and light up an audience. Following her dream to create the perfect starring role for her talents, she took on stage roles in Fame and A Chorus Line, and even conquered the uncharted territory of Durham Region to create an ideal home for her specialty. Today she lights up audiences and students, young and old, while portraying the most interesting character she could possibly create – herself! For more information on all of the incredible things she’s up to, visit www.durhamimprov.com. You will be amazed!