Monkey Business Institute

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Monkey Business Institute Voted Best Improv Comedy Troupe in Madison, WI! Weekly performances, private shows, corporate training, and more! Full menu and bar available. Free parking.
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Every Saturday, Monkey Business Institute creates unique performances at the Glass Nickel Pizza East - 2916 Atwood Ave. We craft spur-of-the-moment, seat-of-the-pants improv comedy by mixing audience suggestions, decades of improv experience, and sheer moxie. Our group features over 20 experienced and talented performers with backgrounds in stand-up comedy, acting, writing and music. Many of our members are also frequent guests of the Blame Society Films ensemble (Chad Vader, Beer & Board Games, Welcome to the Basement). We recommend buying your tickets online to guarantee your seats, as our venue sells out quickly. Saturday All-Ages Show ($20, 5:30PM, Seating at 4:45PM), and Saturday Grown-Up Show ($25, 8PM, Seating at 7:15PM)! See our website for special shows and showcases. Pizza is included in the ticket price.

10/23/2026

Come see our Musical Grown Up Show this Saturday, October 24 at Glass Nickel Pizza Co. - Madison East — where the songs are made up and so are the stories!
Featuring the cast of DJ Marc, John, Brad, Vanessa, Brett, Ben, Keyboardist Nora, and Host Adam!

Join Monkey Business Institute for a night of hilarious musical improv comedy featuring two acts of fast-paced scenes, audience-inspired songs, and a live keyboardist improvising right alongside the cast. Every lyric, melody, and punchline is created on the spot, which means no two shows are ever the same.
Feeling brave? We might even create a mini You-sical inspired by someone in the audience! Celebrating a birthday, anniversary, promotion, retirement, or other special occasion? Let us know—we’d love to sing about it.

Content is typically rated PG-13, with the occasional playful venture into more mature territory.

Show starts at 8:00pm, doors open at 7:15pm.
Get advanced tickets here: https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/event/grown-up-oct-24/

10/22/2026

A little scene from a recent MBI Playshop with our friends at Park Bank!

We helped their team shake up the usual workday with some improv, a little team building, and a whole lot of hahahas. Turns out, getting your coworkers to do something ridiculous together can be pretty good for team morale.

Want to bring some fun to your workplace? Visit our site to book an MBI Playshop – https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/corporate-playshops/

10/22/2026

Come see the unrivaled cast of Ben, DJ Marc, Adam, Zoe, Vanessa, Brad, Keyboardist Nora, and Host Brett, as they perform in our MUSICAL All Ages Show at Glass Nickel Pizza Co. - Madison East this coming Saturday, October 24, 2026!

Improv for all ages — now with music made up on the spot!
Songs, scenes, and laughs made up on the spot! This family-friendly musical improv show features Monkey Business Institute’s talented improvisers and a live keyboardist creating comedy and music in real time based on audience suggestions. Expect hilarious games, spontaneous songs, and plenty of chances to be part of the fun. Perfect for kids and adults who enjoy quick wit, creativity, and clean comedy.

Show starts at 5:30 pm; doors open at 4:45 pm.
Get advanced tickets here: https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/event/all-ages-oct-24/

10/21/2026

We’re excited to try something new at Monkey Business Institute on November 6: a Teen Night at MUSO designed to introduce teens to live stand-up and improv comedy and give them an easy way to connect afterward.

We love all the comedy teens can discover online, but there’s something completely different about sitting in a room together and watching comedy happen live.

Our featured show is The Merge: Where Improv Meets Standup!, bringing stand-up comedians and MBI’s professional improvisers together for one night of comedy. Featuring comics Alice Pauser and Shawn Vasquez, hosted by Vanessa Tortolano!

Afterward, teens are welcome to stay for a roughly 15-minute improv icebreaker facilitated by an MBI improv professional. It’s a low-pressure way to meet some of the performers, connect with other comedy-loving teens and get a little taste of improv again.

Or just come for the show! Staying afterward is completely optional.

Funny first. Social second.

MUSO is a listening room with no alcohol on site. Tea, snacks and sodas are available for purchase.

Doors: 6:15 PM
Show: 7:00 PM
Get tickets here!
https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/event/the-merge-nov-6/

"Winterim" 2026 Adult Improv Classes are live and ready for sign-ups on our website! Click on each individual class her...
10/19/2026

"Winterim" 2026 Adult Improv Classes are live and ready for sign-ups on our website! Click on each individual class here to learn more information and to sign up! https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/improv-classes/

Here's what we're offering:

SHORTFORM LEVEL ONE: INTRO TO IMPROV
Taught by Casem AbuLughod w/ Andrei Baiu.

SHORTFORM LEVEL THREE: ADVANCED SCENE WORK
Taught by Adam Loux.

SHORTFORM LEVEL FOUR: INDIVIDUALIZED IMPROV WORK
Taught by Jess Schuknecht.

LONGFORM: LEVEL ONE
Taught by Brad Knight.

We hope you can join us for the "Winterim" 2026 improv class session!

10/16/2026

Come see The Music Department TONIGHT, FRIDAY, October 16, 2026 at Muso Madison!

Monkey Business Institute is proud to present The Music Department! This variation will be a Musical Montage Longform Musical Improv Show. Look for big musical numbers, crazy characters, and outrageous dancing!

Improv is weird. Making new friends as an adult is also weird. So we’re joining the two! What could possibly go wrong?
Come alone, bring a friend, and settle in watching MBI’s improvisers making it up as they go. Then, if you want to stay and meet some of the performers and other showgoers, stick around after the show for a roughly 15-minute improv icebreaker game facilitated by an MBI improv professional. We may be known for our knack for laugh, but we do also know how to get people talking.
Funny first. Social second. Leave whenever the heck you want.
Tea, snacks, and sodas are available for purchase.

Doors at 6:15pm, Show at 7pm.
Get advanced tickets here! https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/event/the-music-department-oct-16/

10/16/2026

Come see our All Ages Show at Glass Nickel Pizza Co. - Madison East this coming Saturday, October 17, 2026!

Improv for all ages! This one-hour show is packed with fast-paced, classic, short-form improv comedy! Audience participation is guaranteed and the content is appropriate for kids, as well as grown-ups who appreciate smart, clean comedy.

Get advanced tickets here: https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/event/all-ages-oct-17/

10/14/2026

Come see MBI perform at Sugar River Atelier & Gallery on Friday, October 23, 2026!

This 60 minute show is packed with fast-paced, classic, short-form improv comedy! Audience participation is guaranteed. This show is for people who like their improv a little bit saucy, so content is usually rated PG-13 with an occasional dip above “PG-17.”

Show starts at 8:00pm, doors open at 7:00pm.
Get advanced tickets here! https://monkeybusinessinstitute.com/event/sugar-river-oct-23/

Come see MBI at ART House 360 this Thursday, October 15, 2026! This 75 minute show is packed with fast-paced, classic,...
10/14/2026

Come see MBI at ART House 360 this Thursday, October 15, 2026!

This 75 minute show is packed with fast-paced, classic, short-form improv comedy! Audience participation is guaranteed This show is for people who like their improv a little bit saucy, so content is usually rated PG-13 with an occasional dip above “PG-17.”

Get tickets here! https://www.arthouse360.com/event-details/comedy-improv-show-2026-10-15-19-30

Address

Performs At The Glass Nickel Pizza East/2916 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI
53704

Telephone

+16086585153

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