What Exactly is pineapple Improv?
…and where did the name come from?
The Pyramids of Giza. Stonehenge. The Peruvian Nazca Lines. The Toynbee Tiles of Philadelphia.
Sometimes there are mysteries in the world which are unexplainable. “Pineapple” in improv is one of them.
For some strange and unexplainable reason, whenever an improviser asks the audience to shout out a suggestion of anything at all, the most common response is “PINEAPPLE!”
Hence, Pineapple Improv was born. But what is Pineapple Improv?
Pineapple Improv is an educational institution based in Harlem, New York City. While we have yet to open a physical brick & mortar theater space, Pineapple Improv currently teaches classes & workshops out of Cre8ive Studios in Midtown Manhattan. Improv shows produced, sponsored, and promoted by Pineapple Improv can be found around Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Northern New Jersey.
Meet the team!
Mike Brown
Co-Founder, General Manager, Director of Classes, Instructor
Mike has been teaching improv since 2011. He taught at The People's Improv Theater for 3 years before going on tour with BeerProv aboard the MSC Meraviglia Cruise Ship performing Short Form Improv (Whose Line Is It Anyway) nightly. He developed his own signature style of improvisation (Solo Improv), and spent 10+ years traveling the globe performing in nearly every improv festival imaginable. He also met his wife, Kim, in improv class! He's got plenty of stories to regale you with, so maybe you should ask him about some of them sometime!
Kim Francis Brown
Co-Founder, Director of Marketing & Strategy, Facilitator
Kristin Elliott
Kristin has several decades of improv experience under her belt. She's performed on stages from Los Angeles to New York City while also training at LA Connection Comedy Theater, The PIT, The Magnet, and Second City. More recently, Kristin has been invited to perform at European improv festivals in Dublin, Oslo, and Nottingham. She is also an accomplished actress with credits on stage, film, and TV.
Head of Digital Marketing, Instructor, Facilitator
Ian Martin
Director of College & University Affairs, Instructor/Facilitator
Meet Ian, a dedicated professional in the realm of higher education and leadership development. Armed with a master's degree in Higher Education Administration from the esteemed College of William & Mary since 1999, Ian has committed himself to shaping the holistic development of college students beyond the traditional classroom boundaries. In 2014, Ian embarked on a new and transformative journey by enrolling in his first improv class at the Providence Improv Guild (P.I.G.). This unexpected detour proved to be a game-changer, as he quickly realized that the skills cultivated through improv were not only entertaining on stage but held the potential to revolutionize approaches to leadership development.
Amelia Giles
Graphic Design/Logo