"NYC's Mission: Improv-able is high flying-death defying comedy without a net!"
David H. Cohen is President of The Studio Upstairs Theatre Repertory and NYC’s Mission Improv‑able, positions he has held since 1989. A founding member of Mission Improv‑able, he has been instrumental in shaping the company’s artistic direction, pedagogical approach, and sustained presence in New York City and the Hudson Valley for more than three decades.
David’s professional work spans directing, producing, performance, and arts education. He has staged original and devised works at notable venues including The American Globe Theater, The Actors Institute, The John Houseman Theater, The Comic Strip, and Gotham Comedy Club, as well as at festivals and Equity showcases. His artistic practice emphasizes ensemble‑driven performance, rigorous physical and imaginative training, and the integration of improvisation with classical and contemporary theater traditions.
As a performer, David has appeared in stage productions such as Howard Brenton’s Christie in Love and August Strindberg’s Mr. Bengt’s Wife at the Railroad Playhouse and on its Hudson Valley tour. His screen work includes the film Provocation and projects such as Follow My Voice and The Book of George, along with other independent film collaborations. He has also taught performance technique in nontraditional and immersive environments, including a recent engagement at LEGOLAND® New York.
David H. Cohen
President & Founding Member
Teaching & Artistic Practice
David is a certified teacher with the Michael Chekhov Association and has worked with the Chekhov Technique for over 15 years, studying with master teachers from around the world. His teaching integrates physical imagination, psychological gesture, improvisation, and movement‑based exploration, offering performers tools that support both technical discipline and creative freedom.
He has served as a special guest artist for the National Theatre of Croatia, The Actors Movement Studio in New York City, and numerous regional theater companies. In higher education, David has taught as faculty at SUNY New Paltz
and SUNY Orange (Middletown and Newburgh campuses), where he brings professional‑level training into academic environments. His pedagogical focus centers on experiential learning, ensemble collaboration, and the development of transferable skills such as communication, adaptability, and creative problem‑solving.
David is also the creator of “Improv‑a‑Nation: Theater Games for the Whole Family,” an educational program designed to make theater accessible and engaging for participants of all ages. The program is used in libraries and schools across the United States, reflecting his ongoing commitment to community‑based arts education.
Through his leadership, teaching, and artistic practice, David H. Cohen continues to advance improvisation as both an art form and an educational discipline—one that fosters presence, collaboration, and meaningful human connection across performance, academia, and community life.