Go Comedy! Improv Theater
Go Comedy! Improv Theater is a Ferndale, Michigan improv venue founded in November 2008 by Pj Jacokes, Chris DiAngelo, Tommy LeRoy, and Gerald Knight. The four founders launched Go Comedy after Second City Detroit relocated and later closed, filling the void in Metro Detroit's professional improv scene. Located at 261 East 9 Mile Road in downtown Ferndale, Go Comedy presents the long-running Showdown short-form show alongside long-form improv and scripted productions, and operates Go U adult classes, Go Youth programming, and Go Corp corporate training.
History
Founding (2008)
Pj Jacokes, Chris DiAngelo, Tommy LeRoy, and Gerald Knight founded Go Comedy! Improv Theater in November 2008 in downtown Ferndale, Michigan, at 261 East 9 Mile Road two blocks east of Woodward Avenue. The four founders, all seasoned Metro Detroit improvisers, launched the company after Second City Detroit's move out of the city left local performers without a professional improv home.
Programming and Recognition
Go Comedy's flagship show The Showdown became Metro Detroit's longest-running short-form improv show. The company also presents long-form scene work and scripted productions. Go Comedy has been voted Best Comedy Club by Real Detroit Weekly and Metro Times.
Training Programs
Go Comedy operates Go U (adult classes), Go Youth (launched fall 2010), and Go Corp (corporate improv training) as its three training tracks, built on the company's founding philosophy of Integrity, Inspiration, and Innovation.
Artistic Identity
Go Comedy! Improv Theater presents both long-form and short-form improv as Metro Detroit's primary professional comedy venue, with The Showdown as the anchor short-form format and a three-track training program serving adults, youth, and corporate clients.
Key Events
Go Comedy! Improv Theater Founded in Ferndale
Pj Jacokes, Chris DiAngelo, Tommy LeRoy, and Gerald Knight founded Go Comedy! Improv Theater in November 2008 in downtown Ferndale, Michigan, establishing the primary professional improv venue in Metro Detroit.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Go Comedy! Improv Theater. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/go-comedy
The Improv Archive. "Go Comedy! Improv Theater." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/go-comedy.
The Improv Archive. "Go Comedy! Improv Theater." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/go-comedy. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.