Staff

Anthony Allocca is Theater Director + Educator, from Madison, NJ. After receiving his BFA in Theater Education, and a minor in Business Studies from Emerson College, he’s truly so excited to work at The PIT as Director of Classes. Currently, Anthony also teaches Musical Theater (Song Interpretation + Audition Technique), and Improv at The Neighborhood Playhouse’s Junior School for students ages 8-17.

Previously, Anthony has worked in schools in the Boston Area as a Theater teacher + Administrator. He founded his own Musical Theater organization at Emerson College for students across the greater Boston area, known as Musical Theater Against the Grain (MTAG), where he served as Artistic Director for 3 years, directed 5 musicals, and worked on over 8 more productions serving as Assistant Director, Producer, Scenic Designer, and more in his time at Emerson and in Boston at large.

Feel free to check out his website for more information about him and find ways to contact/collaborate with him!

Kayleigh Birch is a comedy writer and performer based in NYC/LA. Having a lifelong love for TV and sketch, she pursued her comedy education at The Second City Conservatory before becoming a regular writer-performer at The PIT in sketch and character shows, writing jokes, pilots, and musicals in her free time. After earning her MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA this past year, Kayleigh worked on Jimmy Kimmel Live and interned at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Presently, she works as a scriptwriter at Global Mechanic, in addition to Corporate Associate at The PIT.

Fletcher is thrilled to join the PIT as the theater’s new General Manager. Prior to the PIT, Fletcher served as the Managing Director of Shop Studios, a TV/Film soundstage located in Hell’s Kitchen. Having loved his experience as a PIT improv student, he is excited to continue advancing the PIT’s goals alongside the staff and administrative team. Fletcher grew up in Rhode Island and has been writing and acting in New York City since 2018.

Cassandra Briskman is a writer known for her work creating the hit television series “Young Rock”. Cassandra was inspired to create this inspiring series after watching “Young Sheldon” and thinking – huh. What if we did that but with a really big guy instead. Most days she can be found under a tree counting ants, or waiting for her carrier pigeon to bring her the mail.

Ali Reza Farahnakian was born in Esfahan, Iran in the fall of ‘68. He came to America in the summer of ‘69. He is an immigrant. He is not eligible to seek the office of the presidency in America and is therefore a second class citizen in this country. Maybe that’s why he got into “comedy”. His teachers include Michael McCarthy, Charna Halpern, Del Close, Maryanne Thebus and Wynn Handman. He is an alumnus of ImprovOlympic, The Second City Chicago and SNL. He was a founding member of UCB and The PIT. He has acted at The Steppenwolf, BAM, and Playwrights Horizon. He has been in numerous TV shows, commercials, films and voiceovers. He has been doing this work for over three decades because he loves it and because it doesn’t seem like work. We started The PIT in 2002 in New York City.

You can check out his website at www.AliRezaFarahnakian.com.

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Mac Gostow has performed and taught musical improvisation for more than 10 years in cities across the country including Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Nashville, Philadelphia and Chicago. A comedy school graduate, instructor and Lead Producer at ImprovBoston, Mac was a member of resident casts including The Family Show, All Access Improv and the ImprovBoston Musical AllStars. As a member of Catalyst Comedy, Mac performed with Boston’s Unscripted Musical Project (B.U.M.P.) and was a founding cast member of Dirty Disney and a kid’s musical improv show, Kerplunk. As one half of M&N: Musical Improv Duo, Mac performed over 100 shows and appeared at the Chicago Musical Improv Festival, Boston Comedy Arts Festival, New York Musical Improv Festival and landed a residency at historic Faneuil Hall. He served as Associate Producer of the Brooklyn Comedy Collective and co-produced Blank! The Musical at The Green Room 42. Mac now serves as the Director of Corporate Partnerships at the PIT, developing customized improv workshops for Fortune 500 companies including Google, Pfizer, JP Morgan, Delta, Burberry and many more. Mac founded the Musical Improv Jam at The PIT in Spring 2021, which still takes place every Monday night at 9:30pm at The Loft!

John is an award-winning actor, award-winning software engineer, award-winning mathlete, award-winning little-leaguer, and award-winning participant in numerous summer camp activities. His life philosophy is Paragon from the Mass Effect video game trilogy. He is perhaps best known for singing the Tiny Tunes theme from the special summer episode live on Z100 before putting on his suit for his job at a corporate bank one morning.

Susan, Suzie, Suzer, Duder, Suz proudly hails from the hills of Upstate NY and the slopes of South Central Pennsylvania. (Garbage Plates and Dill Pickles. Name a more iconic duo, she’ll wait.)

After attending Finger Lakes Community College and Binghamton University, she had a venerable career in museum retail. But, wanting to make use of her BA in English: Global Culture, she made the jump to a supporting role in comedy.

She is excited to join the team at The PIT in this behind-the-scenes role, as she’s the least funny, but most anxious, person who’s employed here.

Last, but not least, she is an enthusiastic devotee of craft beer, occasional purveyor of handmade novelty earrings, and perpetual absentee dog-mom to the sweetest basset hound, Lady Bug.

James Navan is a pianist, singer, actor and improviser. As a musician, James holds an M.M. in jazz piano from Queens College, has toured the world with groups such as The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and also has performed at many of NYC’s finest jazz clubs.

As you may have heard though, musicians tend to take things way too darn seriously, so he’s really glad to have gotten into improv over the past few years. And now, he’s finding it hard to not take improv too seriously. Stop it, James! In particular, James really gets a kick out of musical improv, both as a pianist and improviser, and you can usually catch him accompanying the PIT’s musical improv jam every Monday night.

Kihresha is an improviser/actor who hails from Cleveland. After earning her BFA in Acting from Ohio University she went on to study and perform improv at Florida Studio Theatre (FST Improv).

In addition to teaching here at The PIT, she produces, co-hosts the monthly Slow Burn improv jam, and performs regularly. On stage Kihresha has recently performed new works with Tantrum Theater and Shakespeare in bars with Backroom Shakes here in NYC.

Last but not least she is an occasional poet, amateur ukulele player, and an Adam Sandler enthusiast. To learn more and see what she is up to next you can check out her Instagram @redefinedby_k.

From Texas, not of Texas (yes, there’s a difference), Jason Tyus Smith is here to do his absolute best to not do his absolute worst. Catch him at a constant 11 in the PIT office, his sketch team the Bjjörks or in Brooklyn buying Hal’s Lemon Flavored Seltzer water.

Sean Christian Taylor @schristiantaylor started producing original work with the renowned narrative theater group Voices of the South in Memphis, TN.

For 10 years the Peoples Improv Theater (New York, NY) has been home.

Sean received his BFA from the University of Memphis, where he teaches as a guest artist.

As a director and producer his work includes, Love is Live! NY’s newest hit dating show w/ Producers and Hosts Mackenzie Jaquish Erin Gonyeau and Olivia Benedict., Cantatore & Allen A Comedy Cabaret  staring Seann Cantatore & Reagan Allen, the solo show Kid In Church created by Timmy Hart Barron which has received critical acclaim at NYCSketchFest, Chicago Sketchfest and the LookOut Series at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

He is one former producer of Old School Sketch Show! one of the  longest running sketch shows in New York – with a rotating cast of New York’s best comedians.

Also as an artistic team member of The PIT, Sean’s focus is original Pit Programming like 2 Min Drill! Tv Sketch Show Audition Show, Unfinished Business, Free POC Series, Wolfs Lair, Characters, Characters, Characters! PITizens Showcase, Fresh Faces and Duel with founder of The PIT and Ali Farahnakian.

Director credits include, resident Sketch House Team – RunDMV. Guest Director of Road Pizza, Old School Sketch Show, TreeHaus: A Latent Coming of Age Story, Virginian Brides, and Back Door BBQ.

Sean also has developed new material for, Timmy Barron (Chicago, IL @timmyhartbarron), PitTv, Jen Clark’s Mein Kunt Kult and BoomShot Productions (New York, Ny, Nashville, Tn).

He is a founding member of improv and sketch groups Vivian Delano, OSSS B-Sides, Food Fight, Caldwell & Taylor, Blonde Roast, and RunDMV.

Seeking to amplify voices, and be an asset to developing new work!