You Had To Be There is an improvised comedy show in which a storyteller tells personal stories that provide the inspiration for the comedy scenes that follow. This cast, made up of some of Third Coast Comedy Club’s most accomplished performers and a fabulous guest storyteller, will fill your night with inspiration and laughter.​

MEET THE CAST:

Carley HaggertyEnsemble
Bio coming soon!

Carlton Fripp, Ensemble
Bio coming soon!

Caroline ConnorEnsemble
Bio coming soon!

​​Emily SmithEnsemble
Emily prefers to be known as a Fanilow and Directioner. You can also catch her performing as one-half of Letters From Camp, and as a member of I Love You, Sheila Kansas. She is also co-producer of several shows including Springer!.

​​Grant CollinsEnsemble
Have you heard of Dana? Dana Jean Daniele is an American actress. Often described as the “best actress of her generation,” Daniele is particularly known for her versatility and accents. Her accolades include a record 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and a record 32 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning nine. Just kidding, she wishes she was Meryl Streep.​

​​Haley Johnson, Ensemble
Self-described “Theatre Trash,” Haley Johnson hails from the Midwest and has a *subtle* accent to prove it. Haley loves performing in all sorts of things and especially enjoys improv and comedy. If you mention puppets or musicals, Haley will talk to you for much longer than you intended. “Yes, and” is one of her life mottos and she is so happy to perform at Third Coast Comedy Club! 

Hilary SwaimEnsemble
From a young age, Hilary has used humor as a coping mechanism. When you realize you’re a nerd, you have to commit to the bit. She has only recently started to refer to herself in the third person. 

Hilary’s official improv journey began through the Third Coast Training Center. She also performs with Worst Case Scenario, a local improv and sketch troupe. Her calling card is a seamless transition between a French accent and the fetal position. 

Isabelle PattonEnsemble
Isabelle was born and raised in the great state of Tennessee. She has been a theatre kid all her life and loves to make others laugh. Isabelle got her start in improv right here at Third Coast Comedy Club in 2021 and can’t seem to get enough. You can also catch her on stage monthly in ‘Improv Decathalon’. When Isabelle is not on stage playing make believe, you can find her camping in the woods, drinking a mezcal margarita, or hanging out with her adorable nieces and nephew.

​​Jack Stell, Ensemble
Jack Stell is a self described “cool dude” living in Nashville, TN.  A recovering musician, he currently performs sketch and improv comedy with Worst Case Scenario and You Had To Be There at Third Coast. When not making silly joke-em-ups on stage he really loves yoga, digging in the dirt and The Fast and The Furious movies. He rewrote this bio seven times and this is the best he could do.

​Libby GenzEnsemble
Libby has been saying stupid things to her mirror for as long as she can remember, and is very grateful to have stumbled upon Third Coast, where she gets to say stupid things to other people and call it “improv.” Libby moved to Nashville in 2008 to attend Belmont University and stayed [was too lazy to move] after graduation, but she will always be a St. Louis gal at heart. You can see her performing with Freak Pony, and you can hear her on true crime podcast Murder She Joked.

Madeline FarrEnsemble
Madeline Farr dreamed for years of working in the music industry before packing her bags and launching her career in Nashville, only to discover that was totally lame and not fulfilling. Desperate for a different kind of creative outlet, she stumbled upon Third Coast Comedy’s special brand of improv comedy, so addictive, not even a pandemic could quell her interest. Now she performs regularly with an assortment of casts, most notably You Had To Be There!​

Nathan Clancy, Ensemble
Nathan has trained at and performed long-form improv at iO Chicago, the Annoyance Theater, and One Group Mind in Chicago, as well as at UCB Theater and the People’s Improv Theater in NYC including the notorious team, Herschel. He is also a co-founder, writer, and producer of the online sketch comedy group, Cedarville Comedy.

Nathan is a native Chicagoan now living in Nashville and really enjoys directing and performing in You Had to Be There at Third Coast Comedy Club.