Gnu Tales

The second Saturday of every month, Gnu Tales has been delighting audiences with brand-new, never-before-seen, improvised fairy tales created before your very eyes! Our shows are recommended for ages 2-102 (but especially geared toward ages 3-8), so bring anyone you know who’s looking to add a little childlike wonder to their world—it’s only $10 for the whole family if you get your ticket online in advance ($15 at the door)! And don’t forget the camera—the kids are welcome to join the cast on stage to help create the adventure! Come out to our show and let us add some magic to your Saturday morning.

Run time is about 60 minutes. Come early for coffee and coloring, and appearances by our mischievous puppet crew!

MEET THE CAST:

Amanda Abicalaffe, Ensemble
Amanda is a unicorn-obsessed storyteller who came from a far, far, far away land called Brazil. She loves playing with her new puppy Nescau, eating chicken nuggets, and scuba diving in the ocean with her dad, and is so excited to be joining the cast of Gnu Tales!

Carlton Fripp, Ensemble
Carlton is a screenwriter and performer who enjoys making people laugh just as much as he enjoys taking naps.

Dylan Kinney, Ensemble, Founder
Dylan accidentally began his improv career in 2003, when he registered for (and won) the first annual "Mr. Star Wars" contest at Dragon*Con in Atlanta. In the fifteen years that followed, he performed hundreds of shows with multiple teams in the Nashville area. He met his wife while he was performing improvised Shakespeare at the Tennessee Renaissance Festival. His daughters were his inspiration to create the improvised fairy tale show "Gnu Tales" for families with young children of their own.

Joe Mobley, Ensemble
Originally from southeast Missouri, Joe Mobley is a recent graduate of Belmont University where he studied theatre and coping with sleep deprivation. When he's not putting beans on a plate at Calypso Cafe, he's probably teaching at the Nashville Children's Theatre or playing a board game. Or a video game. Or a word game. You know what, he's probably just playing a game. Joe is new to improv, but he's trying his best!

Katy Hennen, Ensemble
Like most children, Katy started playing make-believe at a young age, specializing in such creative characters as “sister” and “Hermione Granger.” 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. While in college she traveled to New York for a Second City intensive. She teaches 4-18 year olds at Nashville Children’s Theater and Centennial Performing Arts. She especially loves the little ones and their vast imaginations. 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 at Third Coast.

Kirsten Jacobsen, Ensemble
Kirsten is a cast member of Cherry Bomb and Gnu Tales. She loves telling (and singing) made up stories with her friends on stage! She tried improv on a whim by taking classes at Third Coast and is incredibly glad that she did. She often says that improv makes her a better attorney and an all-around better person. Beyond improvising and advocating, she loves cooking, learning new things, and her dog Lillian.

Mary Claire Reynolds, Ensemble
Mary Claire grew up in Nashville, so it’s unsurprising that her first professional acting gig at age 14 was playing a mermaid in a country music video. Many moons later, she got her start in live improv while she was in Chicago for a commercial casting & decided to sign up for a Second City intensive on a whim. Hooked, Mary Claire went on to train at UCB Theatre in Los Angeles. While in LA, she performed with her long form team Bacon Marmalade all over town including the iO West and the Clubhouse stages. Upon her return to Nashville, she jumped into all the improv she could find and now she’s super excited to be playing the Third Coast stage with Freak Pony and Gnu Tales. When Mary Claire is not on stage, she can be found chasing her two preschool age daughters around and/or staring into an empty mug, wondering why the coffee’s already all gone. And she always double knots her sneakers.

Max Kemp, Ensemble, Producer
Max is a Nashville transplant from a small town in northern Connecticut. She caught the improv bug back in 2007 and hasn't been able to shake the habit since! She performs with Gnu Tales and Cherry Bomb at Third Coast and teaches classes at the Third Coast Training Center, where she also serves as Assistant Director. Working with and helping kids has always been a passion of hers, from serving at camps to working at a preschool company to volunteering with the foster care review board. She's excited to have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of young children through the magic of improv with Gnu Tales.

Sam Brewer, Ensemble
Sam is a Computer Scientist (he has been called a Mad Computer Scientist in the past). He currently teaches Computer Programming at the high school level. He’s been studying and performing improv since 2018 after he moved to Nashville from his hometown of Memphis, TN. His hobbies include Video Games, Tabletop Games, Card Games, Board Games, and… wait… it’s just games isn’t it. Sam is a Nerd, and proud of it!