Freak Pony Improv
The improvisers of Freak Pony are true to their name: so majestic and strong that it’s almost freaky! With unique senses of humor and infectious energy, these women use longform improv inspired by stand up sets to showcase their talents and the fact that they can all pull off the jumpsuit look. Each Freak Pony show hosts a variety of guest stand up comics, so keep your eyes peeled to see who might be joining the cast for the next show!
MEET THE CAST:
Anne Veal, Ensemble
Originally from Kansas City, Anne traded in her pop for soda when she migrated to the Northeast. They’ve worn every hat theatre has to offer and studied improv with UCB and Annoyance. She taught and directed in NYC from 2016-2020, helped run a start-up theater, and developed an Instant Teams program that gave 300 improvisers a team, a coach, and stage time to develop their chops. Their improvised and devised theatre work has taken them to lots of equally cool places, like rural Montana and Prague. Anne loves creating all stripes of improv from silly make-em-ups, to arty esoteric pretension, to improvised plays and films.
Becky Hughes, Ensemble
In 2017, Becky made the only New Year’s resolution she’s ever kept: taking a level 1 improv class at Third Coast. A classic middle child, she was hooked on the attention from the first laugh. These days, Becky takes the stage with the femmes of Freak Pony and LGBTQ+ troupe Carol. Becky spends her time offstage working as a copywriter and collecting elderly dachshunds.
Bekah Stogner, Ensemble
Bekah is a funny person, a podcast host, a vinyl record collector, a professional Robin Williams fan, an eighth-grade emo kid, and an all-around good time. You can catch her around the club hosting the Triple Threat Cage Match, performing with Freak Pony and Improv Decathlon, or offstage on the Youth Group Survivor Support Group and Time Mousechine podcasts.
Courtney is a native of upstate NY and graduate of the Third Coast Training Center. She has been performing improv for 5 years. Many are surprised to learn that she is a mom of two because she’s so cool and young-looking, but it’s true! She raises Henry and Harriet with veteran improviser and husband Dan in Madison, TN.
Jessica Farmer, Ensemble
Jessica Farmer is thrilled to trot and sometimes even gallop with Freak Pony. A Nashville native, Jessica spent time in Chicago at iO, and previously in NYC at the Magnet. She’s studied improv with lots of fabulous New York and Chicago people and is forever grateful. Presently, she creates Pre-Kindergarten curriculum, walks her dog, and hugs her cat. Jessica believes in the spirit of improv and is over-the-moon happy to have the space to play at Third Coast.
Katy Hennen, Ensemble
Like most children, Katy started playing make-believe at a young age, specializing in such creative characters as “sister” and “dog.” However, unlike most of her peers, Katy never outgrew this pastime. She likes to think her younger self would be impressed that she has learned how to play more than two characters, and has somehow found a way to get people to pay for what she used to do at home for free.
Kelsie Craig, Ensemble
Kelsie moved to Nashville from Arkansas in 2011. While in Arkansas she was part of Improv Little Rock! She loves improv and telling stories. When Kelsie is not on stage you can find her around town attending births as a certified birth doula, napping with her cats, and helping folks at The Turnip Truck Natural Market. She’s happy she’s found a home with Gnu Tales and Freak Pony at Third Coast. Meow.
Libby Genz, Ensemble
Libby has been saying stupid things to her mirror for as long as she can remember, and is very grateful to have stumbled upon Third Coast, where she gets to say stupid things to other people and call it “improv.” Libby moved to Nashville in 2008 to attend Belmont University and stayed [was too lazy to move] after graduation, but she will always be a St. Louis gal at heart. You can see her performing with Freak Pony, and you can hear her on true crime podcast Murder She Joked.
Mary Claire Reynolds, Ensemble
Mary Claire grew up in Nashville so it is unsurprising that her first professional acting gig at age 15 was playing a mermaid in a country music video. Many moons later, she got her start practicing improv while she was in Chicago for a casting & decided to sign up for a Second City intensive class on a whim. Hooked, Mary Claire went on to train at UCB Theatre in Los Angeles and perform with a long-form team, Bacon Marmalade, around LA’s indie improv scene including the iO West and the Clubhouse stages. Upon her return to Nashville, she jumped into all the improv she could find, learned some short-form performance skills along the way, and now is thrilled to be regularly on the Third Coast stage playing with Freak Pony, Gnu Tales, and IST4K. When Mary Claire is not on stage, she can be found taxiing her daughters around to their various activities and/or staring into an empty mug, wondering how the coffee’s already all gone.
Mary Elizabeth Roberts, Ensemble
Mary Elizabeth is a native Nashvillian and an all-around cool girl hottie. She first started doing improv in high school, forcing her closest theater friends to create a troupe with her. Now, she can be seen on stage at Third Coast Comedy Club with Freak Pony and Carol. You can also find her chugging hot coffee or yelling at strangers about her love of the 1982 classic film Annie.
Stephanie Carozza, Ensemble
Stephanie is a big Canadian dork. She made a joke in 7th grade that absolutely killed and she’s been chasing that dragon ever since. Steph started doing improv in college and then took improv classes in every city she moved to afterwards because she just couldn’t get enough (Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Boston, Nashville). Now she’s happily planted in Nashville and excited to perform with the hilarious ladies of Freak Pony.
