October Show:

Check out our new show!

New Show Date Announced!

Meat and Potatoes
Friday, May 23 @ 11 pm
The People's Improv Theatre
154 W. 29th Street
$8

Featuring:

Dan Allen (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, FlockofMullets.com)
Becky Donohue (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin' Shorties)
Kumail Nanjiani (Unpronounceable at UCB, Open Mic Fight on Comedy Central)
Bernadette Pauley (Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Fox's Red Eye)
Jenny Rubin (Cinematherapy on WE, Here TV's Hot Gay Comics)
Kyle Supley (High School Talent Show at UCB, Bert & Mona at Rififi)

Hosted by Shawn Hollenbach (Here TV's Busted) and Carolyn Castiglia (VH1)

Recap: Premiere!

The show last night was a wonderful success! Many thanks to Shockwave for curating the show and Jon Braman for sharing the bill. Also, *e-applause* for our delightful audience! Here's what performer Kambri Crews had to say about the show:

"It truly was an amazing night of music and stories and comedy. I left there feeling warm and uplifted... like I had gone to church if I did that sort of thing."

Audience member Kristen Elde echoed that sentiment:

"Nice job last night! Tim and I laughed our arses off! Comedy was spot-on."

Lastly, here's a video of my Dad for those of you who missed it or just need to see it again:

Performer Bio: Elon James White

Elon James White hails from Brooklyn, NY. He grew up on the streets of crack-riddled Bed Stuy in the early 90's, constantly hearing gun shots and police sirens. His mother raised him without his father (who was in jail), and at age 14, he was shot. As a kid he was taught that as a Black male it was likely he would end up in prison or be dead by 21 years of age. Thankfully, Elon's 21st birthday has passed. He approaches the next decade of his life as the founder of the Brooklyn Comedy Company, the producer of the popular Shades of Black comedy series and the webmaster and creator of The Black Comedy Project.

Did I mention Elon is black? Oh, and he's fond of the television program Friends.

Performer Bio: Paul Case

Born the eldest of three boys to a hard-working family on the Pennsylvania riviera that is Erie, Paul Case discovered he had a penchant for sarcasm and a quick wit early on. Spending a childhood playing with My Little Pony and, remarkably enough, He-Man, he idolized his two older, crimped-haired/teased-banged/guns-and-roses-loving cousins and wondered what it would take to make him as hip and cool. He joined the swim team thinking it might help him lose some weight - it didn't.

Hmm... I wonder which one is Paul?

After his last attempt at athleticism, he soon found his way onto the stage in a bit part in a local production that lead to several others. After high school graduation and a conversation with a director who led him to believe he actually had found something he was good at, he decided it was time to leave rural beach life behind and head for the city... the Steel City, Pittsburgh.

While at the University of Pittsburgh, Paul switched his major 7 times and settled on Cultural Anthropology. This allowed him time to work on building his acting resume without the pesky required theatre courses in lighting and design, and to maintain a GPA high enough to graduate with honours while simultaneously holding down two part-time jobs. (Golf claps...)

He booked it to New York after graduating where the blue collar work ethic that had been instilled in him came front and center and he took any job that would pay the bills, thus balancing "the meal and the real." He's spent countless hours doing data entry, working in an upscale pet day care, stuffing envelopes, working as both a production and personal assistant and waiting tables.

Paul has worked hard to carve out a niche for himself, treading the line between actor and comedian, working in film, television and on stage. He was recently interviewed for Here TV's podcast Hot Gay Comics hosted by pal and colleague Dave Rubin.

Host Bio: Baron Vaughn

Baron Vaughn was born in a small town called Portales, NM to a very young woman. So young that his great-grandparents took him from his mother and raised him for a bit in another small town called Tucumcari, NM. At about 7 years of age, his mother came to get him so she could start being a responsible adult. Together they discovered New Mexico had little to offer besides soot and poverty so they packed up their bags and moved to Las Vegas, NV. After a turbulent middle school and high school period involving drinking, yelling, punching, screaming, gangs, violins, theatre, kissing, bra straps, movies, theatre and theatre, Baron went to college in Boston which involved all of the same things except gangs and violins. After much training and many open mics in Boston, Baron moved to New York City where a person's success never equals that same person's sense of self worth.

Baron has performed at the HBO/Aspen Comedy Festival, on all the major shows in the alternative comedy scene and at clubs and colleges around the country. You may also have seen him in one of his many television commercials or dressed as a turkey on Nickelodeon. Oh yeah, and he did a little thing called "a Broadway show" as well.

Performer Bio: Pat Candaras

Pat was born in Brooklyn, New York into a family of seventeen.

A year out of high school Pat was married with children. Before she reached her twenty-fifth birthday she was deserted. Having to care for her three children, she found a job working for a maritime union – she spent twenty-three years working her way from accounting clerk to Chief of Operations.

In addition to her work, Pat sought out ways to understand the world – especially trying to understand the term "postmodern" and what it meant to be an existentialist. She also made time for disco dancing and dating.

Along the way she met a man who became her second husband. In the mid-nineties her husband suffered a fatal heart attack. Once again, Pat found herself alone. During this time, a group of newly elected union leaders for whom she worked approached her with their plans to engage in questionable transactions. When she declined to cooperate – they forced her to resign.

Widowed and unemployed, Pat spent her time shopping and dusting until one day as she was leaving Saks 5th Avenue a salesperson said, “Good night Mrs. Candaras. We'll see you tomorrow.” She knew then she had to find something to do.

Pat has since appeared on Nick-at-Nite's Funniest Mom in America Contest (in which she placed 2nd overall) and at the 2007 Montreal Comedy Festival. She's also taken her solo show, "Grandmotherf*cker" to the Edinburgh and New York Fringe Festivals.

Performer Bio: Shawn Hollenbach

Shawn Hollenbach grew up in rural Pennsylvania as the son of a truck driver and a housewife. He has a twin brother who is currently an electrician and local 4 cylinder stock car driver. The family of 6 lived on a very modest salary and would always fill the dinner conversation with tales of Dale Earnhardt's latest victory and debates about why Chevrolet is better than Ford. Shawn's first job was at a local truck stop. Everyone knew he was gay except him, despite his trusty unicorn Trapper Keeper. Luckily he found solace in the world of community theater and the high school synth group.

Shawn has grown into a handsome young man who is the co-producer and host of the popular show The Back Room and is well-known for his musical comedy, including his duo act Skip and Sparkle. He is the co-producer of Meat and Potatoes.

Performer Bio: Kambri Crews

We're thrilled to have our first show feature such great talent with such interesting stories, so we'll be profiling each of them as we lead up to the show. That said, introducing... Kambri Crews!

Kambri once lived with her Deaf parents in Montgomery, Texas in a tin shed with no electricity or running water. They upgraded to a trailer, but it was repossessed so they moved into their barn.

The shed.


Kambri in front of the outhouse signing, "I love you."

You can read more about Kambri's childhood and fascinating family at her website, Love, Daddy, chronicling letters sent by her "Jailed Deaf Dad" who is currently in prison for the attempted murder of his third wife.

Since her days in Texas, Kambri has earned a paralegal degree, pursued banking, promotional and acting careers and now owns Ballyhoo Promotions, a production and public relations company in New York City, serving such high-profile clients as Comix comedy club and comedian Christian Finnegan.

Idn't she purty?!