Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Michaela.
Hi Rachel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I didn’t come into this work through a traditional path. I wasn’t a theater kid. I didn’t grow up on stage. I started acting in my 30s—drawn to it more out of necessity than ambition. I needed a way to reconnect with myself. Acting gave me that. Improv made it stick.
I took my first acting class in 2015 in Albuquerque, then found improv in 2016. From the beginning, it felt like something more than performance—it was a tool for transformation, for staying present, for building trust. I trained hard. I flew to LA almost weekly for years, working with some of the best—Lesly Kahn, The Groundlings, Sam Christensen. I built a rhythm between two cities: Albuquerque and Los Angeles.
Back home, I started performing constantly and finally was asked to teach. I helped launch and revive improv programs across the state. I co-founded The Faculty Lounge™, New Mexico’s longest-running professional longform team, and I’ve taught hundreds of students—many of whom are now teachers, performers, and leaders themselves.
In 2024, I left a school I helped build after a major shift in values. That decision hurt, but it also made space for something bigger. I stepped into the role of Executive Director at Improv New Mexico, a nonprofit dedicated to using improv as a tool for community-building, healing, and joy. We now run programs across the state.
My story is still unfolding, but what grounds me is this: I use comedy and storytelling to help people show up more fully—as artists, as teammates, as humans. That’s always been the throughline. And that’s the work I’m here to do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been anything but smooth. It’s been messy, heartbreaking, and, at times, utterly disorienting. I came into acting and comedy later than most, carrying a fire inside of me that was sparked after hitting rock bottom in every area of my life. Everything fell apart at the same time and I didn’t have anything left to lose. And then I found acting. And then I found improv. And then I didn’t want to waste any more time now that I found the thing I was born to do. I’ve been training, performing, teaching, directing, building communities for years—and trying to survive personal grief and professional heartbreak behind the scenes. It’s all led me to something bigger than myself: a way to inspire real change in individuals and communities that will last a lifetime. And that makes it all worth it in the end. Even the hard stuff.
Over the last 10 years, there’s been a gauntlet of hits. Total devastation in multiple areas of life. But once I step out on that stage, nothing else matters. It’s been a burden and a blessing to have a show scheduled on the same night that I’ve received some of the worst news of my life. I’ve had to lead while healing, grow while grieving, show up even when I felt like I might be swallowed up by grief. But every step, every rupture, has made me more grounded, more honest, and more powerful in my purpose. I know what I bring to the table. And I know why I do this. And that clarity is everything. I figure, I’ve traded a lot of life to get to where I am today. I might as well make it count.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At my core, I’m a storyteller and connector. I’m a SAG-AFTRA actor, improviser, writer, and teacher who splits time between New Mexico and Los Angeles. My work spans live performance, screen acting, and nonprofit leadership—but the throughline in everything I do is the belief that improvisation is more than comedy. It’s a life practice. A way to build resilience, presence, empathy, and creative freedom.
I specialize in longform improv, character work, ensemble-based storytelling, and I’m widely recognized as the most versatile improviser in my home state. I’m known for bold, transformative character work and for bringing depth and specificity to every scene I touch. I’ve performed in hundreds of shows, taught hundreds of students, and led workshops for everyone from aspiring actors to scientists and corporate teams.
As Executive Director of Improv New Mexico, I lead a statewide initiative—IMPROV4NEWMEXICO™—that brings the tools of improv to communities across the state. Whether it’s building confidence, healing connection, or sparking creative breakthroughs, I’m committed to using this art form as a force for transformation. I’m proud to work alongside brilliant advisors like Will Hines, Craig and Carla Cackowski, and Shannon O’Neill, and I’m currently developing collaborations with some of the LA’s most beloved teams and performers.
What sets me apart is my ability to move fluidly between performance and leadership. I’m not only a catalyst for positive change—I’m also someone who helps others rise with me. I actively support other creatives in my community, lifting voices, creating opportunities, and making sure no one is left behind. I have an uncanny ability to cultivate meaningful relationships—across cities, disciplines, and generations—and I use that gift to build bridges, not just spotlights.
What I’m most proud of is helping build something from the ground up, especially in moments when I could’ve given up. I’ve created spaces where people feel seen, challenged, and inspired—whether that’s on stage, in a classroom, or just in the day-to-day. That’s the work I live for. And I’m just getting started.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love most about Los Angeles is the creative electricity. There’s a sense that anything can happen here. You’re surrounded by artists, writers, performers—people taking big swings and putting their hearts on the line every day. The talent pool is deep, but what excites me even more is the level of curiosity and experimentation. I’ve met some of the most generous, weird, brilliant minds in back rooms, rehearsal halls, and late-night shows. There’s a shared understanding that we’re all part of something bigger than ourselves.
What I like least? The disconnect. For a city full of storytellers, it can still be hard to feel truly seen. There’s a pace here that rewards output over presence, branding over process. And sometimes the cost of living—not just financially, but emotionally—can pull people away from the joy that brought them here in the first place. But when you find your people, your purpose, and your rhythm in LA—it’s magic. You just have to fight for it sometimes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rachelmichaela.com
- Instagram: @racheltensioncomedy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Improv-New-Mexico
