ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR SOME ROAD PIZZA? Known for their wacky, absurdist, character-driven sketches with impeccable comedic timing, Road Pizza boasts a roster of 11 highly talented and experienced writer/performers. Road Pizza ran as a house team for The PIT for 3 seasons from 2017-2019, and now performs as an independent sketch team to sold out houses city-wide!
Season 3 director/head writer: Kate Moran
MEET THE TEAM
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Adriano La Rocca
Adriano La Rocca is an actor, comedian, and screenwriter from Queens, NY. He’s the youngest writer/performer on the PIT house sketch team “Road Pizza”, and has been a member of its original cast since he was 20. As a teenager he studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute and Michael Howard Studios, and began his career in comedy after graduating from the UCB’s core improv program. He holds a BFA in Film from the School of Visual Arts, and has just begun pre-production on a new web series to premiere this Summer. www.adrianolarocca.com
Jeffrey Copeland
Jeffrey Elizabeth Copeland is producer, comedian, and tiny dog owner. She makes cool digital stuff for Lifetime, Refinery29, Facebook Watch, and National Geographic – she still doesn’t know if it’s pronounced Jiff or Gif. She serves as a writer-performer for the house sketch team Road Pizza at The People’s Improv Theatre. She’s also currently a performer on the Armory improv team, Weird Cat, and the independent hip-hop improv team, RoboPop. Yes, hip-hop improv is a thing. In her free time, Jeffrey spends copious amounts of time on Twitter – not in a ‘leader of the Free World destroys democracy’ kind of way, but more of a ‘I love Black Twitter’ vibe. To get in her head, check her out at @atl_Spielberg. When she isn’t writing, performing, or Twitter-ing, Jeffrey spends her time brunching (frugally, of course) and watching YouTube beauty tutorials.
P.S. Jeffrey isn’t using the wrong pronouns; she’s named after her uncle, Jeffrey Jerome Copeland. All things considered, her name could have been a lot worse.
Josh Bowen
Josh Bowen is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, an alumni of the Barrow Group, and performs monthly at The PIT with the sketch team Road Pizza. As a writer, Josh’s work has been seen at the Kraine Theater, The Barrow Group, and the People’s Improv theater. Josh’s solo show ‘The Savage Bros; How Fred and Ben Savage Warped My Teenage Brain’ debuted at The PIT’s Solocom in 2017, and his new play ‘Treehaus’ (follow @treehaustheshow) will debut at the PIT in May. Social Media: @joshsjunkdrawer
Kevin Gilligan
Kevin Gilligan is an actor/writer/comedian who has been seen on SpikeTV, TVLand, Style Network, Travel Channel, TruTV, and Funny or Die. You may have seen him as Kevin the bisexual on the season 5 premiere of Billy on the Street. He has written for HEEB Magazine and Geeks OUT, and co-hosts the Geeks OUT Podcast (available on iTunes & Libsyn). He recently produced and co-wrote the second season of his acclaimed web series Gigahoes, set to premiere on Amazon Prime in the fall of 2019. He’s performed at UCB, UCBEast, The Magnet, Gotham Comedy Club, and The PIT. Find more at www.KevinRyssGilligan.com or @Gilligan_McJew.
Kevin Ralston
Kevin Ralston is an actor, writer, filmmaker & producer based out of Brooklyn, NY. He wrote and directed the short/web series “A Great Christmas” which was selected for film festivals in England, Denver, Toronto, Chicago and had a run at The PIT in NYC. He wrote, directed and performed in the show “The Superhero Rom-Com Show. The Movie” for Sketchfest 2018. He is a writer/performer/filmmaker on the sketch team Road Pizza. He is currently working on an Art-Comedy sketch/variety show. See more at vimeo.com/kevinralston
Kristen Gonzalez
Kristen Gonzalez is a Nuyorican Comedian living in NYC. When she’s not performing sketch or improv at the Peoples Improv Theater you can catch her doing due diligence for investments at her company, FJ LABS. Kristen is currently working on a tv pilot loosely based on her life in New York. For more information about current shows check her Instagram (@Krisaygon) and website (kristen-gonzalez.com).
Laura Hankin
Laura Hankin is a writer and performer whose second novel, HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, will be published by Penguin Random House in 2020. The viral videos she makes with her musical comedy duo Feminarchy have been featured in HuffPost, The New York Times, NowThis, and more. As a performer, she has acted in everything from film (While We’re Young) to experimental rock operas (Stop The Virgens at St. Ann’s Warehouse) to award-nominated Off-Broadway children’s shows (Wanda’s Monster). As a human, she once broke her rib from hugging too hard. More information at www.laurahankin.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @LauraHankin.
Maggie Howell
Maggie is a funny lady with a podcast about the many odd jobs she’s worked to fund a career as an entertainer. When she’s not creating extremely relatable content or sketch writing with Road Pizza, she bartends on Broadway! Ask Maggie to tell you about the time Beyonce came to Frozen the Musical- she will try not to cry but can’t promise anything. See more at www.mehowell.com
Marissa Stuart
By day, Marissa is a trend forecasting editor and copywriter, but by night she is a comedic writer and performer in New York City. Marissa is a member of numerous house teams at major NYC comedy theaters with Road Pizza (The PIT) and The Big One (The Armory). She is a founding member of DMXX, an all-female hip-hop improv team, that freestyle raps all over the country, and is one half of Soul Crush, a sketch duo with a hilarious monthly show. Marissa has also performed in a competitive karaoke league (and won) and has been a hand model (twice). You can learn more at www.marissastuart.com and follow her internet musings @makastuey on Instagram and Twitter.
MICHELLE FRANCESCA THOMAS
Michelle Francesca Thomas has studied and performed improv and sketch at The Peoples Improv Theater and UCB, since 2009. Michelle is currently a writer/performer for the house sketch team Road Pizza (now completing its 3rd season) and has been improvising with Gas Station Horror, since 2013. When she is not performing Michelle works behind the scenes in film and recently produced the pilot, “Smuchr” for BRIC TV, which won “Best Comedy” at NYTVF 2018. Michelle knows all the commercial jingles and TV theme songs ever. More about her can be found at www.MichelleFThomas.com
Mike Wirsch
Mike Wirsch is a writer/performer/occasional trombonist. He has written shows for FringeNYC and for theaters in and outside of New York, including a 30 minute musical set in a witch’s pot of soup. In addition to Road Pizza, Mike performs with musical improv team Good Catch. He likes pandas. www.mikewirsch.com
k.mo. productions 