Alchemy Comedy Theater
Alchemy Comedy Theater is a Greenville, South Carolina improv and comedy venue founded in fall 2011 by Harrison Brookie, Ben Burris, Jason Underwood, and Meg Pierson, four Clemson University alumni. Located in the basement of Coffee Underground at 1 East Coffee Street in downtown Greenville, the company presents six shows per week combining improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up. Alchemy produces the annual New South Comedy Festival and celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2021.
History
Founding (2011)
Harrison Brookie, Ben Burris, Jason Underwood, and Meg Pierson, four Clemson University alumni, founded Alchemy Comedy Theater in fall 2011 with a single Friday-night show. The company established its home in the lower level of Coffee Underground at 1 East Coffee Street in downtown Greenville.
Growth and Festival
Alchemy expanded to six shows per week and launched the New South Comedy Festival as an annual showcase of regional and national improv and comedy. The festival ran through at least its eighth edition, establishing Alchemy as Greenville's primary comedy institution. The company celebrated ten years of operation in 2021.
Beyond the Home Venue
In February 2023, Alchemy performed their show "Humongous" at Centre Stage, one of Greenville's major regional theaters, marking a notable step beyond their home venue at Coffee Underground.
Artistic Identity
Alchemy Comedy Theater combines improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up in Greenville's downtown Coffee Underground basement, presenting six weekly shows and the annual New South Comedy Festival to serve the South Carolina Upstate comedy community.
Notable Productions
Haymaker, the flagship Harold team performing weekly long-form sets. Mouthband (improvised musical comedy). Toast (improvised life event format). House Party showcase featuring rotating house teams and student ensembles. The New South Comedy Festival, an annual multi-day event drawing over 100 performers from across the United States, running since 2014 (13th edition in 2026). Weekly Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows at Coffee Underground in downtown Greenville.
Legacy
Co-founded by Harrison Brookie, Ben Burris, Meg Pierson, and Jason Underwood, all alumni of Clemson University's Mock Turtle Soup improv group. Established Greenville's first dedicated improv comedy venue and training program. The four-level curriculum (Improv 101 through 401) feeds graduates into house team auditions. Alumni have relocated across the country while returning for anniversary celebrations, including the 10-year milestone in September 2021.
Key Events
Alchemy Comedy Theater Founded in Greenville
Harrison Brookie, Ben Burris, Jason Underwood, and Meg Pierson, four Clemson University alumni, founded Alchemy Comedy Theater in fall 2011 in the basement of Coffee Underground in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. Located in the basement of Coffee Underground at 1 East Coffee Street in downtown Greenville, the company presents six shows per week combining improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up.
Alchemy Comedy Theater Hosts 9th Annual Greenville Comedy Marathon
In July 2022, Alchemy Comedy Theater hosted the 9th Annual Greenville Comedy Marathon, an endurance comedy event the theater had been producing annually since approximately 2014. The marathon represented one of the theater's signature community events and demonstrated its continued programming depth and local engagement more than a decade after its 2011 founding.
Alchemy Comedy performs 'Humongous' at Centre Stage
In February 2023, Alchemy Comedy Theater performed their show 'Humongous' at Centre Stage, a major regional theater in Greenville, South Carolina. The engagement marked a notable expansion beyond their home basement stage at Coffee Underground, bringing their work to one of the city's most prominent performing arts venues.
New South Comedy Festival Launches in Greenville
Alchemy Comedy Theater hosted the New South Comedy Festival in Greenville, South Carolina, drawing regional audiences and generating a notable economic boost for downtown businesses. The festival, covered by local ABC affiliate WYFF4, highlighted Alchemy's role as a civic anchor in the downtown entertainment corridor and demonstrated the company's capacity to produce multi-act comedy events beyond its regular weekly programming.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Alchemy Comedy Theater. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/alchemy-comedy-theater
The Improv Archive. "Alchemy Comedy Theater." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/alchemy-comedy-theater.
The Improv Archive. "Alchemy Comedy Theater." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/alchemy-comedy-theater. Accessed November 5, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.