Shai and Brenden have been improvising together since 2021, when they were both accepted to The Titanic Players, the only college improv troupe to win multiple national titles. They were trained by Mike Abdelsayed, director of The Comedy Clubhouse in Chicago and a disciple of the legendary Del Close.
For Brenden and Shai, it was love at first Yes, And: in 2022, Shai directed Brenden's play, Pintop, in 2024, Brenden directed Shai's stand-up special, Trimmings, and together, they co-directed the 2025 Mee-Ow shows.
Senior year, they began experimenting with two-person long-form, and Challah & Oats was born. Their debut show, Challah & Oats Go Yeast Mode, was performed on Northwestern's campus just before graduation. Their second show, Kosher Cheesesteak, was performed at Next In Line Comedy in Brenden's home town of Philadelphia. They recently finished a 3-month run at Ki Smith Gallery (Challah & Oats Eat The Banana) in New York City, and can't wait to play pretend again at a theater near you.