ABOUT THE ARTICHOKE

Creator and host Drew Prochaska is a storyteller and screenwriter with strong opinions about Star Wars. A two-time Moth StorySLAM champ, he has coached writers and performers in theater, film, and open mic venues for over 20 years, specializing in personal stories with comedic spark (and the occasional sea monster). In 2018, Drew had a vision for a show that did more for the audience and the performers. Bada boom, the Artichoke was born.

Seriously, though. Not to be weird, but the Artichoke isn't just a show. It’s a creative community with a heart so deep and real, it's almost church to us.

We love storytelling. We love to recall our histories and victories, our cringy gaffes and lessons learned. We nerd out on shaping the narrative arc of events, or the poetry of an ironic mishap. We promise a funny show, but we don’t censor the tough stuff–we commit to finding the light in it, which means our performers bring honesty without despair, and gravity without heaviness. In other words, our stories are the bloody, sweaty truth, but we will always leave you better than we found you. Not just because it’s a better night for you, but a better life for us.

Composing our stories with a rigor for humor means we get a break from the sads, too. We get to find exactly where “making fun” starts making fun. And that’s not all!

Our storytellers share their entire selves on stage, so we share our everything off stage. Our performers and staff are paid for their presence, and promoted wherever they play. We trust our artists to create without oversight, and we make sure they feel celebrated while they do it. The best part–every Artichoke weekend begins and ends around Drew’s dining room table, from late afternoon till the wee hours of the morning, with an encore breakfast for the out-of-towners. 

It’s a whole thing that takes a whole crew. On top of all Drew does to make the Artichoke happen (production, promotion, recruitment, curation, booking, web development, vendor comms, amazing cooking, guest housing, video editing, bookkeeping, email marketing, ticket sales, emceeing…I mean it is really very much and he didn’t even write this part), we rely on storytellers-with-job-skills, Adam Selbst (graphic design) and Susan Kent (social media) to keep our digital world afloat. 

Our hospitality team includes Norma’s Cafe owners Crystal Williams and Dee Plowman, who set tables, sweep floors, wash dishes, serve snacks, and fill glasses from morning to night to morning again. While the stage lights are on, we enjoy the expert eye of Michael Isabel for photo and video documentation, and much more than a mention, we basically owe our whole vibe to The Howland Cultural Center and their staff, who host us in their absolutely enchanting space. 

You are the delectable little leaves around our heart.