Hi friends,
It's Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting. Feel free to spread the word and share these emails with friends. If you're checking this out for the first time, you can sign up to get these emails here.
Live shows
PHILADELPHIA:
Saturday, July 30 at 7:30/9:45 p.m. at Punch Line Philly. Tonight! I'm opening for the hilarious Aparna Nancherla at Philly's newest comedy club. Two shows! Link
NEW YORK:
Wednesday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m at The Wild Project. A new one act play I wrote is being performed as part of Cherry Picking, an annual festival of new works. Link
Thursday, August 4 at 9:00 p.m at Upright Citizens Brigade East. I'm telling jokes on Fresh Out, a great standup show hosted by Jim Tews and Ashley Brooke Roberts. Link
Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m and 9:30 p.m. at The Wild Project. You're the Expert tapes two live episodes at the Festival of the Unknown. Featuring Jo Firestone! Link
BOSTON:
Wednesday, August 17 at 7:00 p.m at Oberon. You're the Expert returns to Oberon for a live taping. Link
You can also find my full up-to-date show schedule online here.
This week's list
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
Mike Birbiglia's latest movie, Don't Think Twice, is great. It's about what happens to an improv group when one of its members gets cast on TV. But it's really about how to navigate success and jealousy and figuring out what exactly you want. It's also painfully accurate when it comes to the comedy scene in NYC. The screening I went to included a Q&A and one of the things Birbiglia said afterwards really stuck with me. He said that in his twenties, everyone was chasing the same thing (being cast on SNL), but he only found success in his thirties when he stopped trying for that and thought about what actually made him happy and what made him unique. The always excellent Dana Schwartz interviewed Birbiglia about the film and his career: Mike Birbiglia Wants You To Know Life's Not Fair
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
Dan Chamberlain is one of the most magnetic live performers in NYC. Between his deep voice and his theater chops, he sells even the silliest premise as dead serious. I laugh every time. I recently re-discovered this hilarious four minute sketch where Dan just makes fun of how Nelly Furtado's lyric "I'm like a bird, I only fly away" doesn't make any sense. Or, if you're looking for a classic, there's always Dan's masterpiece: Everyone's Upstairs Neighbors (h/t Tao Yang)
1 Interesting Thing:
Mollie West is a writer and Liz Fosslien is a cartoonist. They've been collaborating on a series of articles about the nature of work. They're funny and charming and always leave me thinking about things in a new way. This particular piece is ostensibly for introverts, but I think it's a really interesting look for anyone at how creativity works. From poets to painters to choreography, Liz and Mollie look at what people need to make art. 4 Ways to Make Space in Your Brain to Create
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online at www.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris