A live panel and performance about comedy with KALW Public Media, which will later be broadcast!

Meet the comedians behind the Bay’s vibrant comedy scene and hear how stand-up, sketch, and improv intersect today, with live performances.

Comedy in the San Francisco Bay Area has given us many gifts: a robust improv ecosystem with multiple institutions, stand-up that nurtured greats like Ali Wong and Robin Williams, and sketch comedy that forged favorites like Dana Carvey, Andy Samburg, and Will Forte. But without insider knowledge, many residents of the Bay Area might not be aware of the access they have to "the scene"--a comedy environment that, like most San Francisco ventures, encourages bold new approaches to the art form.

Join KALW and representatives from the worlds of Bay Area sketch (Killing My Lobster), improv (BATS Improv, Endgames Improv), and stand-up (Jackie Keliiaa, Good Medicine Comedy; Tirumari Jothi, Critical Hit Comedy) for a deeper dive into the ins and outs of Bay Area comedy across its various forms. Get an inside look at how the scene has evolved through the pandemic and beyond, and the ways comedy artists are working together to continue to uplift and enrich comedy in San Francisco. This will be followed by hilarious sample performances from our guests!

You'll learn something (maybe), but more importantly–you'll probably laugh.

PARTICIPANTS:

Nicole Odell (Artistic Director at Killing My Lobster, sketch comedy troupe & nonprofit)

Scott Meyer (Director at Endgames Improv, improv theatre and training center)

Jackie Keliiaa (Stand-up comedian and writer, producer of Good Medicine Comedy)

Tirumari Jothi (Stand-up and sketch comedian, playwright, producer of Critical Hit Comedy)