July 2024
Our free monthly newsletter, AKA an absolute embarrassment of comedy riches for anyone looking to laugh...
Hi everyone,
Welp, long weekend’s over. (Sigh.)
We’re excited to leap into the back half of 2024 with this month’s digest of the best disruptive comedy we’ve seen recently (and what we’re looking forward to).
Also, if you have a lead on something funny you’d like to see featured in a future newsletter, never hesitate to send us a tip.
OK let’s ride:
Los Angeles
Bringing back their unique brand of high tension/high reward improv, Tim Platt and Mo Fry Pasic return to UCB Franklin on July 18th with an all new improvised play called “SIBLINGS.” Also available to livestream, in case you want to feel like you’re watching a really messed up multi-cam.
Stand-up Rachel Kaly always delivers a unique performance through her deadpan delivery, natural quirk, and coverage of uncomfortable topics/scenarios. You can only imagine how equally funny and uneasy it is to hear Rachel relay the more than 300 times she’s been hospitalized for her mental illness — unless, of course, you see her hour. Rachel is performing HOSPITAL HOUR in LA on July 15th at The Elysian and on July 22nd & 23rd at Union Hall in NY before taking the show to her first Edinburgh Fringe in August.
New York
The loud Michael Abber and the soft spoken Clara Olshansky (both, hilarious writer/performers) will host Lunch Money, a new show at Baby’s Alright on Tuesday July 9th.
LA’s Trans-It Girls, Nori Reed and Hayden Johnson, are at the Bell House on Saturday July 13 — the lineup is full of stunning comedians, but also we’re only recently aware of Marley Gotterer and are excited to see her live.
The Babysitter is a dark sketch about an unsuspecting babysitter caught in a "Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf"-style hypersexualized fight between an unhinged married couple. Great writing and performances here, especially from writer Eilise Patton.
Difficulty is another great short from duo Good Cop Great Cop - aka Charlie Hankin & Matt Porter - about a karaoke-like video game where you have to emulate mundane, everyday dialogue. The premise and execution are straightforward and effective, with the visual comedy of the horrible video game graphics adding a great touch.
Scrapbooking is a fun short from UCBNY performer Will Jacobs about a young idiot who is very out of place in the scrapbooking club of an older women who hates him.
There's a new animation streaming service called Animation+ bringing together iconic names in animation — Explosm Entertainment of “Cyanide and Happiness” fame and Hunter Hancock of “MeatCanyon” and “Papa Meat.” The service will solely focus on animated comedy and will feature 600+ hours of content, geared toward millenial and Gen-Z audiences.
We present to you: President Grumby. After last week's Presidential debate, everyone is asking if there's a better candidate. The answer is maybe, but only if it's Grumby. A silly, hybrid short (from Dylan Woodley) that imagines a third party candidate in the form of a puppet, Woodley gives us a comedic pressure release valve that we've all been craving.
Max Schneider — aka Max4Cracks — has amassed close to 400k followers, where his uniquely recorded videos about everyday dating woes entertain girls and guys alike. He shares helpful tips on how to impress your girlfriend's mom, how it feels when you confront the “board of trustees” (aka your girlfriend’s group chat), and what to do when you notice your ex is starting to move on.
Comedian and actress Katherine Ellis has struck a chord on social media as Concordia Schwarma McGraw, her NPR radio host from the future who analyzes rap and hip hop songs from the early aughts. Life is now imitating art, with Ellis doing the character for “Important Things of Great Importance” on LA’s local NPR station, KCRW. The series starts out with a guest appearance by newsletter favorite, EJ Marcus.
New York based sketch group Hotel Art Thief is getting another shout out in the newsletter with their latest zeitgeisty-as-hell digital sketch — this time, it’s FX’s The Bear as a video game (played on “no rush” mode).
That’s it for this month.
Thanks!
*This newsletter features contributions from a team of comedy tastemakers:
Carly Hoogendyk
Emily Kochman
Keelin Ryan
Casey Hodgkinson
Natalia Ramirez