Everything is a Gift: An Interview with Madeline Evans
With Ames Doyle
Performer, improviser, teacher, Road Trip creator Madeline Evans does it all—and now she’s adding a one-woman show to her resume! Always the Goat, Madeline’s brand new solo show, is an intimate, inspired, and full-hearted look at life debuting February 2026 at Dad’s Garage. We chatted with her about the journey from inspiration to completed show, vulnerability as a super power, and how adults really need their own summer camps.
DG: Tell me about yourself! In a nutshell, How did your improv performance journey lead you to Dad’s Garage?
ME: My name is Madeline Evans and I've been a performer since I can remember! From embarrassing cousin living room plays as a child to full length scripted performances, I have always been drawn to the stage.
The comedy bug bit me in high school when I started performing TheaterSports with the improv club and playing all the Carol Burnett roles in productions. From there, I joined an award-winning improv group at UGA where we performed two to three times a week for crowds of up to 200 people—which is so lucky and insane for a college group! That independence and driving force led to my journey in Atlanta where I formed several independent improv teams (Camp Crush, Too Nice Ladies, Something Musical, Six Kids, and more), performed as a cast member of Village Theatre, started producing my own shows, and launched my own improv program in 2022, MadsJoy, to encourage people to find their voice and their joy rooted in the philosophy that "Everything is a Gift."
I was beyond lucky to be Belle/Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit/Young Scrooge in the 2022 and 2023 Invasion Christmas Carol productions directed by Maged Roushdi. Because of my involvement in IXC, I started performing more regularly at Dad's Garage in Murder She Improvised (directed by Matt Horgan) and The Tight Acquaintances, as well as understudying for the sketch show To Peach Their Own, teaching improv, and working with the corporate team.
DG: Where else beyond Dad’s Garage do you play?
ME: I've performed and trained all over the country in improv festivals in LA, NY, Chicago, Nashville, and Florida, as well as the Del Close Marathon and the Fringe Festivals in Edmonton and Atlanta. The improv puppet variety show I am part of, Edgewood Avenue, won the Best Ensemble in the 2025 Atlanta Fringe.
After more than 15 years into my comedy journey, and I am still finding exciting avenues to explore and grow. I love to do things that scare me. I love to be stretched and challenged because I know that's what breeds growth, and Always the Goat is just that kind of challenge: It's scary for me to do, it's raw, and it's full of heart. I fell into comedy by chance and passion, but my heart is in scripted theater, so I am beyond thrilled to have this opportunity. And "Goat" doesn't mean what people think it means...that would be insane to say that I think I'm the “Greatest of All Time” when we all know that title is reserved for the true greatest, Hugh Jackman. You'll have to see the show to find out what it really means!
DG: Your heart is in scripted theatre, huh? While this is a scripted show, it also incorporates stand up, sketch, and impersonations. Can you speak to more of that side of your experience?
ME: I have performed stand up on and off for the last decade, including the 2025 West End Comedy Fest and as the March open mic resident of Laughing Skull. I've dabbled in sketch since college and was a finalist in 2024 and 2025 for the solo character showcases at Dad's Garage.
I’ve also explored storytelling through burlesque, including in the 2023 Vavianna Vardot's Famous Sex Party Presents: Halloween at the Mansion. I recently had the honor of being in my first short film, Lamb of God, created by my immensely talented friend and duo partner, Brett Schultz. And, not to brag, but I was also in a church band and I am a marching band nerd....just context as to who I am—cheesy, and a little too proud to wear bibbers.
DG: Okay, back to the new show! Given all those influences, what inspired you and what was the process like for writing it?
ME: I am so excited to share Always the Goat with new and old friends! This is my first solo show that mixes my stand up material from the last 10 years, solo sketch work, awkward stories, intimate diary entries, more than 15 years of improv experience, and personal philosophy all in one place.
The show is set in a sleepover where we play silly games, dance, and talk allllll about love—romantic, self-love, love for Les Mis—we talk about it all. I just LOVE love! Relationships have always been what I am drawn to in conversations, so I am excited to have a whole show centered around one of my favorite topics where I have the opportunity to highlight my own ridiculous dating stories as well as the crowd’s. I hate talking about myself (which is very ironic since this is a solo show), but I love asking questions and being curious about other people’s stories, so I get to ask a lot of questions to the audience during the show. They really are a part of the journey in the best way—and everyone will be at a “sleepover”, after all!
Funnily enough, a breakup in 2023 inspired me to write it initially (because you can’t have a good love story without a little heartbreak) and I’d been looking for the next step in my artistic journey, so when the opportunity came to pitch something, I pursued what was scaring me most—sharing this show with others. I was fortunate that Eve Krueger agreed to direct the show and she has been a guiding light throughout the development process, brilliantly nudging me towards what is most important to tell the story and how to showcase my range of characters.
My community has also been instrumental in the writing process. I held two readings where I invited other artists and close friends to provide feedback, and I feel so lucky that people shared their thoughts, punch-ups, and notes. Now, it’s a matter of fine-tuning everything and picking the strongest elements to effectively tell the story. After deciding on a name (I considered Heart on My Sleeve; Love, Hope, Grief, and M.E.; and something music related, but I ultimately decided to reference to something in the show), editing the show down for time will be the biggest hurdle for me to clear because I would love to submit this show to Fringe Festivals.
So the show is storytelling meets characters, meets crowdwork, and with a whole lot of silliness and vulnerability in between.
DG: The show plays off your “camp counselor energy”. If you could create a super-specific themed camp about anything, what would it be?
ME: This is hard! I love so many things. I love gatherings of people and I think camps are already perfect.
I am an improv nerd, however. Improv is a place where everyone feels celebrated and seen for what they uniquely bring to the space. I firmly believe it changes lives and that the spirit of improv is magic. So my answer would be an improv camp (which may be too obvious?)
Camp is also a place where people are in touch with their best selves, but there aren’t really camps for adults. There could be more adult camps where adults are encouraged to pursue playfulness, get silly, and shake off the burdens and weight of their day-to-day. It would have all the classic camp activities like hiking, camping, rock climbing, boating, archery, and mess hall eating, but there would be improv and writing workshops and performances embedded throughout. Also secret sharing—I LOVE SECRETS. And swimming! Can't forget swimming. And horseback riding! And karaoke/jamming around the fire. I think I just love camp.
DG: How different will this show be from Road Trip—or are there any Easter eggs Road Trip fans can look out for in this show?
ME: Road Trip is one of the improv shows I produce around Atlanta alongside No Alibi (an improvised murder-mystery), Mad’s Mixer (an instructor/bucket show with WeirDass), and other MadsJoy/MadsImprov shows. The Road Trip format is called an Armando, which features a guest storyteller and a group of improvisers who use the stories to influence their scenes. I’ve been fortunate enough to host Road Trip for almost four years and it has grown into the largest Armando in Atlanta and a community favorite, with many audience members calling the energy “electric.”
My hope is that Always the Goat will be a place for the community to gather, feel seen, and feel that electric energy. In Road Trip, I encourage my storyteller to discover in the moment, bring their authentic self, and connect with the audience—which are all things I do throughout Always the Goat. Since there are moments of crowd interaction, I will be discovering more humor and delight in each show as I highlight other people’s love journeys (meaning the show will be a little different every night as well!) I also always tell my Road Trip players to edit from a place of love and that they are there for a reason, which is also the heart and main message of Always the Goat. I’ll take you on a journey of awkward stories and struggles of love to uncover why loving ourselves is the most important act of love we can do. It’s CHEESY, it’s silly, it’s sometimes cringe, but at its core, it’s heartfelt with elements we can all see ourselves in and relate to—and I promise you will laugh.
Vulnerability is my super power, and I hope I can make someone’s day just a little bit better by sharing my story. Writing and working through this show and material over the years has helped me understand my own “why” and how to best share it. My improv teaching philosophy and values—Chase Joy, Everything is a Gift, Pursue Playfulness, Lead with Love, and Cultivate Community—are embedded into most work I do, but especially this show.
Also, I do talk about road trips a little bit in the show. I’m from Chicago and my parents are firm believers of taking the car over flying, so I have spent my fair share of commutes to different states and countless hours in a car. The whole reason Road Trip has its name is because road trips are where people get to know each other super intimately, just as the crowd is getting to know the storyteller (as well as the players.) The closest thing to the intimacy of a Road Trip is the intimacy of a sleepover! And what better way to spend the month of love than spending a night talking about love!?
Always the Goat premieres at Dad’s Garage on Thursday, February 5 at 8 p.m. and runs every Thursday through February 26.
