Meet the Team
Mike Rubino
Director of Marketing
Mike is a performer, writer, and visual artist. He’s has been involved with sketch comedy and improv in the region since 1998, and helped to co-found the Arcade in 2013. He has split his time between creating the brand identity and visual language of Arcade, while also serving as its Director of Programming from 2013-2022. By day, Mike is a creative director at Level Agency, a digital marketing agency based out of Pittsburgh. He has been recognized as a “40 Under 40” recipient by PUMP and Pittsburgh Magazine, and he’s won a regional Emmy and a Golden Quill award for his work with WQED. At Arcade, Mike can be seen each month performing with the Knights of the Arcade. As a producer, he has overseen the productions of “Sex a.k.a. Wieners and Boobs,” “Bubble Boy: The Musical,” as well as the various iterations of Sketchville, the theater’s sketch comedy mini-festival. As Director of Marketing, Mike is focused on telling Arcade’s story to the community and connecting artists with audiences each and every week.
Nia Johnson
Manager of New Programming
Nia is Arcade’s Manager of New Programming, as well as a comedian, actress, and improviser. As a graduate of Arcade’s improv program, her love of improv and Arcade grew with the theater when she became a house manager in 2017, with the move to 943 Liberty Ave. Nia has been a member of Arcade max team Change Machine, as well as a cast member of such beloved shows as Playlist and The Smallest Show in Town. She also co-produced a month-long live-read series for Arcade’s first-ever Black History Month celebration. Nia is excited about the possibilities of this position and committed to expanding the Arcade audience and community
Robin Hitchcock
Academy Director
Robin is Arcade Comedy Theater’s Academy Manager and has taught Improv 101, Intro to Sketch, and Advanced Sketch at Arcade. She began as a sketch writer and performer with Frankly Scarlett in 2012, and although she didn’t think she could ever be comfortable on stage without a script, she started taking improv classes as a way to make friends after moving to Cape Town, South Africa for her husband’s career. To her surprised delight, she not only could improvise, but loved to improvise, an experience she strives to re-create for her 101 students. As Academy Manager, Robin administrates Arcade’s comedy classes, seeking to run the program in a way that is efficient and rewarding for all of Arcade Academy’s students and teachers.
Working Volunteers
Aaron Tarnow
Technical Director
Madi Ogburn
Development Manager
Louis Stein
Photographer
Ben Mayer
Legal Counsel
Brian Gray
New Artist Liaison
Mary Quick
Social Media Coordinator
Jerome Fitzgerald
Web Developer
Brendan Macdonald
Online Programming Coordinator
Apryl Peroney
Events Coordinator
Bob Shields
A/V Editor
John Feightner
Historian
Scott Trampus
Student Team Coordinator
Board of Directors
Matt Lancaster — President
Chapter President
Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic
Dr. Nilesh Shah — Secretary
Assistant Professor, Biostatistics
University of Pittsburgh
Maher S. Hoque — Vice President
Scrum Master
IRALOGIX, Inc
Christa Lerch — Treasurer
Accountant
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Liz Labacz
Project Manager
UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital
Katie Tarara
CMMI Institute
Dr. Reed Van Deusen
Assistant Dean for Human-Based Simulation Education;
Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh
Jay Evans — Board Emeritus
Attorney and Partner, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP