Joe Vanderhelm has been performing with Rapid Fire Theatre since 1999. Joe has had the opportunity to participate in many improv festivals across Canada, The USA, Germany and the Reunion Island (off the coast of Madagascar).

From 2006 to 2016 Joe Vanderhelm served as Rapid Fire Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director – Youth, and from 2016-2018 he worked as the Director of Education. In these roles he grew a 3-day improv tournament for teens from around Edmonton into a 3-week improv festival for teens from all around Alberta. He also founded and produced the Northern Alberta Improv League, a twice-monthly performance opportunity for high school students that runs from October to May. He also wrote curricula for Rapid Fire Theatre’s public workshop academy. As Director of Education, Joe helped expand workshop offerings from two 4-week sessions per month, to four 4-week sessions per month. In 2021, Joe jumped back into a staff role taking over the position of Associate Director of Education – Academy, where he will resume his role in creating and delivering curricula to helping to make learning about improv more accessible to those who wish to learn.

When he isn’t improvising or acting, Joe works as a physics and chemistry teacher after having earned his Bachelor of Education, with a General Science major and Drama minor, from the University of Alberta. Joe Vanderhelm was honoured to be awarded the 2015 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Province of Alberta.