Curt Mabry
Corporate trainer, facilitator and coach, and improv theatre performer, director and educator. American, based in Bangkok.
From TV studios to boardrooms and theatres
Curt is from Jackson, Mississippi and studied radio, television and film at the University of Southern Mississippi, graduating magna cum laude. He worked in television, radio, film and theatre before moving to Shanghai.
In April 2009 he founded Zmack, Shanghai's original improv company. In 2011 he began corporate training, after seeing that the tools that make an improv scene work are the same tools that make teams work: listening, accepting ideas and building on them.
He has designed and led programmes for hundreds of multinational and local companies, including Apple, Microsoft, BASF, Dow, Nike, Disney, Pfizer and L'Oréal. He blends applied improv with NLP, Compassionate Communication, Positive Intelligence and DBT skills.
On the theatre side, Curt has 35 years of improv theatre experience. He performs, directs and teaches, and has taken Zmack to festivals and residencies across Asia. His Zmack Improv Training Center curriculum was selected by the UN Theater Group initiative for its devised-theatre program.
Today he lives in Bangkok, trains leaders across Asia, and helps grow Thailand's improv scene.
“I believe life is improvised, and the tools of improv theatre can give us a more joyful and abundant life.”Curt Mabry
Selected timeline
- April 2009
Founded Zmack in Shanghai, initially performing as one show.
- 2011
Launched Chinese-language improv. Curt began corporate training.
- 2012 to about 2017
Attended the Beijing, Manila and Hong Kong improv festivals each year. Manila attendance continued every other year until COVID paused travel.
- 2013
Expanded from one show to four groups: musical improv, long form, short-form shows and Chinese-language improv.
- 2013 to 2016
Co-organised the Shanghai Improv Festival.
- 2014 to 2017
Embedded residency at Kaixin Mahua in Shanghai, developing and training the Kaixin Jixing troupe.
- 2016
Zmack Shanghai toured Chicago. Thirteen Zmackers performed on ten stages.
- 2019
Founded Zmack Bangkok, now called Zmack Thailand.
- 2020
Founded Zmack Virtual online. Presented shows and workshops with international instructors and performers.
- 2021
Founded Zmack Argentina in La Rioja, Argentina.
- 7 to 11 September 2023
Featured Zmack performance at the Manila Improv Festival.
- April 2024
Nepalaya Improv Festival and residency in Pokhara, Nepal.
- 9 to 16 July 2024
Conceived, designed and led Thailand Groove Oasis, an Open Space Technology-based improv retreat with participants from around the world.
- 26 to 30 September 2024
Typecast performed at the Singapore Improv Festival.
- 5 to 16 December 2024
Artist in residence at Improv Hub in Hanoi, Vietnam.
- 27 December 2024 to 2 January 2025
Featured performer and featured workshop instructor at the Now Improv Festival in Beijing.
- 19 to 27 April 2025
Featured performer, featured instructor and panel leader at the Vietnam Improv Festival.
- September 2025
Macau Theater Festival.
- 9 to 12 October 2025
Hong Kong Improv Theater Festival.
- 5 to 7 November 2025
Featured instructor at the Singapore Facilitation Conference.
- November 2025
One-week artist-in-residence engagement at Ningbo British International School and UNNC.
- 2025
The UN Theater Group initiative selected the Zmack Improv Training Center curriculum for its devised-theatre program. The program uses performance and social media to introduce New York City audiences to the UN's work.