Meet The Team
DARREN HELD
CEO & Creative Director
Darren created Held2gether in Long Beach in 2010. He is the instructor for advanced improv, sketch and writing classes. He has 30 years of experience Darren as comedic writer, performer and corporate trainer. His improv background includes training and performances at the Groundlings, Second City, and UCB. His favorite part of comedy is teaching students and performing with the Held2gether troupe.
Groundlings, Upright Citizens’ Brigade, Second City, and with his own troupe Held2Gether. In addition to Improv Comedy, Darren has performed in film, TV, off-Broadway plays, and Stand-Up Comedy. Discovering a void of improv opportunities in his beloved home of Long Beach, Darren was inspired bring improv comedy to people from all backgrounds. He continues to share this passion with aspiring performers, corporations, and as a private coach.
LIZ LANIER
Improv Instructor & Social Media Manager
Liz is a Southern California native and has been performing in theatre, improv and sketch comedy since high school. She is drawn to character, storytelling and empowerment through art. She loves sharing the art of improv with new students and witnessing their self-growth and confidence.
SCOTT SAEGESSER
Musical Director
Singer, dancer, choreographer, and musician, Scott lends his talents as our musical director and accompanist. He has over 30 years of experience as a musical theatre professional and can be heard accompanying Held2gether’s shows, including Broken Legs, their improvised musical. He loves teaching Song Improv creating original works for sketch parodies.
TRACY ARAUJO
Improv Instructor
Tracy grew up in the wilds of L.A and from the time of her first grammar school play at age 7, she knew she loved performing and has done so ever since, through high school and college. She started taking improv classes with Held2Gether in 2010 and performed with the troupe from 2011 to 2020. She has also taken sketch writing classes and performed in sketch comedy shows with Held2Gether from 2012 to 2017. Apart from H2G, she has taken extensive narrative improv instruction at Impro Theatre in Los Angeles and has been in several shows including Fairy Tale Unscripted, Jane Austen Unscripted, and Chekhov Unscripted among others. She has a love for transforming into characters and has come a long way from impersonating Jan Brady for her family (although impersonating Jan is still fun sometimes).
NEIL MATSUZAKI
Improv Instructor
As someone who was not a theater kid of any kind, Neil had to learn all the skills of improv (or at least how to fake them) from Held2gether. He thinks that the best way to show his appreciation for these gifts is to share them with as many people as possible. He anxiously awaits the day one of his students surpasses and overthrows him in a third act conflict.
