Shenanigans Cast
The Ensemble Cast at Shenanigans Comedy Theatre is a dynamic group of improv comedy performers, ranging from seasoned veterans boasting over a decade of experience to recent graduates of our Level 1-3 improv classes. This talented cast brings energy and humor to our rotating improv shows. Beyond the stage, you may see them lending a hand at the ticket booth, sound booth, concessions, and more!
Braxton Barley
Braxton Barley took his first improv class in 2023 with the goal of building confidence at work. Since then, he’s taken more classes and workshops, falling in love with the artform, making cherished friends, and enjoying the ability to give back to Shenanigans. Braxton is also a talented photographer, plays Dungeons & Dragons with his best buds, and likes to enjoy a nice beer! He dislikes baloney (the food, the figurative kind, and the correct spelling: bologna) and Michael Bay’s Transformer series.
Ben Bowden
Ben fell in love with improv comedy here at Shenanigans by taking classes and watching Rocket City Improv perform. He continued his training at The Annoyance Theatre in Chicago, bringing those refined skills back to Huntsville as a founding member of the Fantastic Invaders troupe. At Shenanigans, Ben regularly performs and produces in a variety of shows, writes and performs sketch comedy, teaches improv classes, and serves on the Board of Directors. Two truths and a lie about Ben include: he was a two-time state champ as the coxswain for his crew team, he was a Papa John’s pizza model for a day, he cries when Professor Snape dies…every time.
Taylor Bush
Taylor was introduced to improv as a Mississippi State student when he joined Lab Rats Comedy in 2015. This was the start of his darkness. Taylor took a break from being publicly funny after graduating but came back post-pandemic to play at Shenanigans, performing with Rocket City Improv and the Fantastic Invaders. In his free time, Taylor writes adventures for tabletop RPGs and spends long hours thinking about wizards.
Matt Carter
Matt Carter has been making things up for well over 20 years, but things got serious in 2002 when he became a founding member of Face2Face Improv under Eugene Banks and improv turned from a hobby into a passion. Matt later honed his skills in Chicago at the iO Training Center and Annoyance Theatre, performing with iO house teams The Softest and The Darned. After a hiatus, he returned to Huntsville and launched Rocket City Improv in 2018, a group which introduced long-form improv to Shenanigans Comedy Theatre. These days, Matt juggles home life while leading Huntsville’s only long-form-focused improv show, Sidechat, teaching classes at Shenanigans, and jumping into as many shows as he can.
Josh Dean
Josh was birthed in the foothills of South Carolina. There, he was taught improv by learned friends, performing with them in parks, coffee houses, and one guy's barn. From there, he studied with the Kansas City Improv Company for a brief stint. But, alas, he wandered for many years without an outlet for jests and japes. Now, fortune has brought him and his partner to Huntsville where he is ready to improv your face off at Shenanigans.
Natura Sant Foster
Natura Sant Foster started an improv club in highschool, but their team only practiced and never performed. She was reluctant to get on stage due to nerves which carried over into college not getting a chance to perform there either. All that to say, now is her moment! After completing the series of improv classes at Shenanigans, Natura is feeling much more confident as a performer. She's excited to continue learning about improv as an artform while doing her darndest to make the audience laugh!
Jessica Gardner
Jessica started improv classes at Shenanigans in August 2024 as a way to build confidence and express herself creatively. This was a great way to add some “razzle dazzle” to her life after surviving puberty, a stint as a Corrections Office at an all-male prison, and serving as a Combat Veteran. If it’s not clear, Jessica can handle just about anything, so she’s ready to lace up her Chuck Taylors and make the Shenanigans’ audience laugh!
Brittany Gollins
After a decade-long hiatus from the stage, Brittany burst back into the performing arts scene with Theatre Huntsville productions in 2022 and 2023. Her improv journey began in fall 2023, taking Level 1 Improv at Shenanigans and winning its Comedy Short Film Fest with her classmates. In 2024, Brittany completed Level 2 and 3 Improv at Shenanigans and conquered a Second City Improv Intensive in NYC, honing the ancient art of making stuff up. She founded Huntsville’s newest improv troupe, The Graduates, and produces a monthly Shenanigans show: All Call Improv Ball. Beyond improv life, Brittany can be found playing or watching Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, consulting on business process improvement, going on adventures with her family, or curled up at home enjoying books for her neighborhood book club.
Anders Horrocks
Anders first learned and performed improv in Houston, TX with Comedy Sportz. Her initial goal was to improve her public speaking and quick thinking skills, but Anders fell in love with the art form. She expanded her craft with long-form improv at Station Theater, deepening her passion for the stage. Upon relocating to Huntsville, Anders found her new improv home at Shenanigans, refreshing her skills through their classes. Outside of improv, Anders enjoys quilting and crafting, being outdoors or at the gym, and traveling including checking out other comedy theaters, and seeking out experiences to inspire her creativity!
Cannon Hyche
Cannon Hyche is an improv comedian and songwriter known for turning ordinary moments into hilariously absurd adventures. He got his start in high school improv/theatre and later joined the “Tongue and Chief Players,” of Steamboat Springs CO, where he wowed audiences and occasionally baffled them at festivals and local shows. Cannon has also released music under both his own name and the alias "Cannonball Z." When he’s not onstage, Cannon builds LEGO masterpieces and perfects his disturbingly convincing monkey impression.
Paul Jackson
Paul started his improv journey in 2011 while attending Georgia Tech, as a part of the student improv troupe, Let's Try This! (LTT!). He grew tremendously as a person and comedian during his time with these amazing people, many of whom remain lifelong friends. Upon graduating in 2016, a job opportunity brought Paul and his wife, Jenna, to Huntsville. Shenanigans is now an essential part of their life. Doing improv has brought Paul more joy than he could fathom, and he hopes you find joy in watching! Paul performs with Fantastic Invaders, and loves to travel and play TTRPGs.
Justin Kizer
Justin Kizer likes to make stuff up, sometimes on stage, and sometimes it makes people laugh! Justin got bit by the improv bug in 2017 when he took a corporate workshop offered by a member of the Groundlings at his engineering job in LA. He then took some classes in Austin, continued to think he was funny, and started performing in Huntsville in 2019. When not improvising, you can find Justin playing boardgames, pickleball, or with his wife, Heidi. Justin encourages everyone to get improv in their lives and still swears to this day it's not a cult.
Meryl Kruskopf
IT’S A BIRD!! IT’S A WHALE?! It’s... Meryl? Hailing from the great land of Portlandia, Meryl Kruskopf has been keeping it weird for a lifetime. Her love of improv began in middle school but lay dormant until its unceremonious reawakening when she moved to Huntsville and fell in with a goofy crowd at Shenanigans. She has since enjoyed a foray into sketch writing, debuting her work at Shenanigans’ first sketch shows. Meryl’s hobbies include making piñatas, dancing, and staring flowers in the eyes to see if they blink.
Justin Ledlow
Justin Ledlow is an experienced improviser, host, and producer with deep ties to Huntsville’s comedy scene. He began performing stand-up and improv in 2010, joining Face2Face Improv that same year, and launched Epic Comedy Hour in 2011. In 2012, Justin moved to Atlanta where he took classes and performed in shows at The Village Theatre, Whole World Theatre, and other Metro-Atlanta venues, often with a troupe known as Banshee Improv. After returning to Huntsville in 2023, Justin got involved with Shenanigans by performing in shows and creating new ones like Player You and Ultimate Improv Challenge. He lives in Madison with his wife, Kendra, and their 4 cats and 2 dogs!
Beth Ridgeway
Beth Ridgeway has been performing on stage for more than 20 years. After watching an improv show in NYC one summer, she returned to Huntsville looking to perform comedy. Beth has enjoyed being an improviser since 2013. She currently performs with Rocket City Improv and is a board member at Shenanigans Comedy Theatre. When she is not on stage, you can find her at home with her daughter and husband playing board games.
Jeremy Satcher
Jeremy Satcher started his comedy experience performing stand-up, later taking an improv class at Shenanigans with the goal to loosen up a bit on stage. He liked improv so much, Jeremy left stand-up behind and has been performing improv at Shenanigans since 2021. When not goofing around on stage or working, Jeremy can be found crafting incredibly long comic books, playing pinball, or watching movies bad enough they could get the actors and the director sentenced to The Hague.
Jason Sims
Jason Sims was born & raised in north Alabama and has been an improviser since 2009. He was a founding member of Comic Science Improv, Don’t Fear The Weasel Improv, and Rocket City Improv. He’s also the perfect height and NOT secretly a thousand years old. Jason serves as a member of Shenanigans’ Board of Directors.
Kyle Stark
Kyle Stark has been involved with Shenanigans for over four years, co-founding the Fantastic Invaders improv troupe and performing in other rotating improv shows. He enjoys poking fun at the dark and absurd, bringing the occasional unhinged and feral vibes to his performances. Kyle is a proud two-time girl dad and has a black belt in BS and tomfoolery! He brings his serious and generous side to his work as a member of Shenanigans’ Board of Directors, specifically supporting fundraising efforts and planning special events.
Aaron Story
Aaron is a Huntsville native with a lifelong passion for the stage. Aaron wrote and performed in high school productions, learned all about setting up a stage in college, and later gained professional experience in the production of live events. They completed all 3 levels of improv classes at Shenanigans in 2024 and now they are thrilled to continue this journey as part of the ensemble cast!