Hannah McDonald

Hannah McDonald is a Chicago actress, improviser, and writer who has been performing improv, sketch, and poetry across the city since 2015. With nearly a decade of stage time at Chicago's most respected comedy institutions, Hannah McDonald has built a reputation as a versatile performer whose work spans longform improvisation, scripted sketch comedy, and original creative writing. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program — the same training ground that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Stephen Colbert — and has continued her education at iO Theater, Annoyance Theater, and CIC Theater, three pillars of Chicago's legendary comedy scene.

The Armando Diaz Experience and iO Theater

Hannah McDonald currently performs on the Armando Diaz Experience at iO Theater, the longest-running improv show in Chicago and one of the most prestigious stages in American improvisational comedy. The Armando format, named after its creator Armando Diaz, features a monologist whose true stories inspire fully improvised scenes — demanding exceptional listening, emotional range, and the ability to build complex characters in real time. Earning a spot on the Armando cast is a benchmark achievement in Chicago improv, and Hannah McDonald's presence on that stage reflects years of dedicated craft development. She also performs with her team Little Heroes on The Sunday Show at Logan Square Improv, where she is known for fearless scene work and a gift for grounded, emotionally honest characters. Beyond performing, Hannah McDonald produces the smallprov show at Logan Square Improv, contributing to Chicago's indie comedy ecosystem as both an artist and a community builder.

Creative Writing and Original Sketch Work

Hannah McDonald holds a BFA in Creative Writing, a background that informs her work as both a sketch writer and a performer. She has written and performed in more than ten original sketch shows across Chicago, developing material that blends sharp observational humor with poetic sensibility. Her creative writing training gives her sketch work a literary quality — attention to rhythm, subtext, and language — that distinguishes her voice in a crowded comedy landscape. The combination of formal writing education and years of improvisational practice gives Hannah McDonald a rare dual fluency: she can construct a tight five-minute sketch with the precision of a playwright, then step onstage and improvise a thirty-minute set with the spontaneity and emotional truth that longform demands. Whether crafting a fully scripted piece or discovering a character in the moment on an improv stage, Hannah McDonald brings the same intellectual curiosity and emotional commitment to every performance.

Photographing Hannah

In this city, the credentials say it all: Hannah studied improv at iO and graduated from The Second City Conservatory, which are about as serious as comedy training gets in Chicago. Comedy is the problem she solves, and comedian headshots have a different job than dramatic ones. They have to read warm, quick, and castable at thumbnail size, and most of her session delivered exactly that. The frame on this page isn't one of those, and it's my favorite from the shoot.

The Last Set

If you know Hannah, a lot of these frames are off-brand. In front of a camera we all show what we want people to see and hide the rest, and about 90% of the frames that worked from her session were near copies of each other in different outfits or on different backgrounds. We did it her way first. She got exactly what she came for, and she was thrilled. By the end of the day I'd earned enough trust to ask for something different, and with a professional improviser, the obvious move was to improvise. That last set is by far my favorite. These frames aren't how Hannah presents herself; they show who she can be, a chameleon. When they came up on the screen she didn't recognize herself and kept pointing at it in disbelief. From what I can tell she still leads with the safe shots, but one of these became her Instagram profile picture.

The Portrait

This actor headshot, photographed by Michael Schacht at 312 Elements in Chicago, pairs a clean white studio background with directional lighting that emphasizes Hannah McDonald's focused, commanding presence. The direct, unsmiling gaze is far from the warm comedic read she usually leads with, and it shows the range of a performer who has earned her place at iO Theater, Second City, and Logan Square Improv — someone equally comfortable leading an Armando set, anchoring a sketch show, or workshopping new material. For casting directors, comedy bookers, and collaborators seeking a Chicago actress with deep improv training and original writing ability, this headshot communicates the professionalism and creative range that come from a decade of consistent work on Chicago's best comedy stages.