Laura Maynard
Improviser, Performer, Teacher, Writer
photo by Nick Helderman
photo by Dean Ben Arye
photo by Noëlle Esther
Laura currently lives in Amsterdam where she is a full-time cast member and instructor at Boom Chicago. She also manages Boom Chicago’s Academy.
Before that, she spent ten years in Chicago. Laura earned a Comedy Writing and Performance degree at Columbia College Chicago. She has performed improv and sketch comedy at The Second City, The iO Theater, Logan Square Improv, CiC, The Annoyance, and countless wonderful little theaters that are now hair salons.
And before that, she was born and raised around Chattanooga, Tennessee. Laura spent her youth creating groundbreaking theater with friends such as the sketches, “Gangsters with Glasses” and “Do Ducks Like Donuts?” She did all of that at the place she owes it all to- the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.
Then before that, she was a baby.
Laura is represented by Falcon Artists
Proud supporter of the Global Resistance of Improvisers for Palestine
Laura was mentioned in the Theaterkrant opening night review of Boom Chicago’s new Mainstage show, Sweet Home Amsterdama:
“In the cast, the energetic Laura Maynard and the chatterbox Katie Nixon stand out.”
She’s honored to share the stage night after night with Katie and the rest of the wonderful team who made this show.
Upcoming Shows
photo by Nick Helderman
Sunday, July 19th
Lesley Presley’s Variety Hour, a monthly variety show Laura produces and performs in at Boom Chicago
8:30pm
Upcoming Classes, Workshops, and Festival Appearances
Das Improv Festival in Berlin, Germany
performing with Dream Queens in September 2026
Sofia International Improv Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria
performing with Dream Queens on September 26th 2026
Teaching 8-Week Level 1 (Intro to Improv) at Boom Chicago on Sundays starting on August 16th
Laura loves traveling and teaching outside of Amsterdam. She most recently visited Geneva and Belfast where she brought custom workshops, participated in local shows, coached independent teams, and completely immersed herself in these improv communities. Tell Laura where she should visit next in the contact section below.
Contact Me
I’d love to work with you!
Once you’ve filled this out, Steve and Scottie and I will get back to you soon 🎉
Here’s what Laura’s students say:
“A fun, intense, and informative workshop that offered a deep immersion on how to build a set from the start towards a great finale.”
“It made me come out of my shell and trust that I can do anything. Loved Laura’s pacing and sideline coaching”
“Laura really helped ground me and take me back to the basics of doing good scenic improv. Her ability to create a playful atmosphere while allowing students to stay engaged in the process was very helpful and conducive to a healthy workshop environment. My personal takeaways from the workshop were really listening and reacting to my scenic partners which Laura emphasized on through the workshop.”
“With grounding techniques to anchor the scenes back to what really matters and a strong focus on the fundamentals will inevitably lead the ensemble to beautiful discoveries. Laura is a master at side-coaching, with a positive and friendly energy that doesn't gloss over the pain-points that most improvisers go through in a long form set.”
“A wonderful insight into the impact that new characters have when entering in a scene and how to rely on what inspires you to feel more confident. Laura's energy and ability to get the important messages across made every second of the experience count, all while having lots of fun!”
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