The ARTICHOKE TEAM
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & HOST
Drew PROCHASKA
Drew Prochaska started (The) ARTICHOKE in January of 2019 in the hopes of bringing the live storytelling scene he loved so much in NYC to Beacon. He's a two-time Moth StorySLAM champ who's been on a slew of podcasts and public radio. He has a big love of comedy, charcuterie, mushroom-hunting, and can often be seen around Beacon walking his dog who looks like a hyena. And, obviously, he has a weird thing for artichokes.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ADAM SELBST
An accomplished storyteller in his own right, Adam Selbst is also the mega-talented designer behind ARTICHOKE’s flyers, promo graphics and our 2025 rebrand. He’s host and creator of one of NYC’s best shows: Big Irv’s Storytelling Roadshow, and he’s a fan favorite performer at our Main Stage. Check out his stories on our YouTube channel.
PRODUCTION MANAGER
SUSAN KENT
Susan Kent moved from South Georgia to Brooklyn where she discovered a love for storytelling and—thanks to hangs with Drew at McSorley’s Old Ale House—a distaste for liverwurst. Susan’s stories have been on a bunch of podcasts and NPR, and she’s produced a range of storytelling shows, festivals, and live events, including Tell It: Brooklyn, the open mic where a lot of old school NYC storytellers got their start.
THE BAND
CHARMING DISASTER
Drew met Jeff & Ellia—aka the goth-folk duo Charming Disaster—while performing with them in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Their mix of humor and the macabre won him over instantly, and as luck would have it, they’d written a dark ditty called, The Artichoke.
We clearly adopted it as our theme song, and play it at the opening of every Main Stage show. Hear it here.