After a remarkable run at the helm of Monkey Business Institute, Brad Knight is passing the torch — and we couldn’t be more delighted to share who’s catching it.
If you’ve been around MBI for more than five minutes, this won’t shock you. Sheila has been a fixture on our stage, in our classrooms, and at the heart of our community for years. Now she’s officially the one steering the ship — or, more accurately, the one making sure the ship keeps doing weird improvised musicals about whatever the audience yells out.
A heartfelt thank-you to Brad Knight
Before we get into Sheila’s whole deal, a huge thank-you to Brad, who has poured years of energy, creativity, and care into MBI. But never fear, Monkey Biz fans — you’ll still catch him performing and teaching at MBI, and anywhere else someone needs a giant, funny teddy bear of a man.
Meet your new (but also very familiar) owner
Sheila Robertson has been making people laugh on Madison stages for more than 35 years. She’s performed in over 4,000 (and counting) live shows, first with ComedySportz Madison and, for the past 20+ years, with MBI, where she’s led and developed our mainstage, corporate, and education programs. She’s played stadium-sized audiences of 3,000, and one unforgettable evening for twelve rowdy librarians, and she’ll tell you both were equally important.
MBI’s improv community is so special, fun, weird, and talented. I’m so excited to find new ways to show off our performers, follow the fun, and keep finding ways to say ‘Yes, and.’
Sheila Robertson
MBI Owner
A few things to know about Sheila:
She will ALWAYS accept a dance-off challenge. She will never watch your cat for you. (Hey, we don’t make the rules – Sheila does)
She’s behind several of MBI’s signature offerings, including our flashmobs, interactive keynote sessions, and custom events and pranks.
She has an uncanny ability to make a room feel safe enough to take a creative risk, which is more or less the whole job.
She co-created our musical improv classes and The Music Department, MBI’s long-running musical improv show.
She co-founded Yes Ma’am, an all-female improv ensemble making bold, hilarious, distinctly Madison work.
She designs and teaches our curriculum across every level of our improv classes, from “I’m terrified to be on stage” to “I would like to make this my whole personality.”
She holds a Medical Improv certification from Northwestern University — yes, that’s a real thing, and yes, she’s used it to train doctors, nurses, educators, and entire corporate teams.
Yes, and?
The short version: more shows, more classes, more workshops, more community.
The slightly longer version: Sheila plans to keep doing what MBI does best while expanding our traveling shows, applied-improv work in schools, businesses, and healthcare settings and sharing the joy of improv everywhere we go.
Come hang out
Whether you’re a longtime student, a first-time audience member, a curious HR director, or just someone whose therapist told you to try something playful — we’d love to see you.
