The Peoples Improv Theater proudly announces the 10TH ANNUAL SOLOCOM!
SOLOCOMNYC has launched over 400 new solo comedies that have gone on to longer runs, tours and festivals around the world (including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.)
SOLOCOMNYC is a festival of new solo work. All shows presented are 75% – 100% new material, and are created specifically for the festival. SOLOCOM’s goal is to push artists to create a show that is meaningful, personal and to follow the fear.
Fame as we know it is a relatively modern phenomenon—and though performers intrinsically strive for it, the reality might be just as bad as good. In “Why Haven’t You Heard of Me?” veteran standup comic Katie Compa takes us on a hyperfocus-fueled ride through the history, highs and lows of becoming known to other humans, exploring her own relationship as a standup comic to fame and to its rewards, trappings and tribulations.
Mr Ephraim Hussain/ From Hysterical Misery to…
John who, since childhood, has struggled mightily with his mental health and is working through his latest difficulties decides to try a different and relatively little-known form of psychotherapy called Lacanian Psychoanalysis. John has done a bit of research and knows that Lacanian psychoanalysis is nothing like your garden variety CBT or any other manner of psychotherapy for that matter. However, he’s about to learn that no amount of reading (despite his most vehement efforts over the course of his “treatment”) can shield someone from the “experience” of a Lacanian analysis.
Obi O’Brien/ Obi : Big Titty Energy
The Shy Vaudevillian is a show about a comic overcoming debilitating lifelong social anxiety. Using a mixture of stand-up and storytelling, I share my journey from a disastrous 3rd grade performance as the titular Alice in Wonderland to being nicknamed “Mute Girl” in high school to finally finding my voice as a comedian in my forties. Along the way, I tell stories and jokes about mental illness, relationships, and how a 10-year correspondence with Starbucks Coffee helped me finally work up the courage to try stand-up comedy. I’m hoping to integrate my autobiographical stories into my comedy set to create a more intimate narrative arc. My goal is to prepare the show for touring and to eventually film my first comedy special.
Hope Cary/ Hope’s Neighborhood
Hope’s Neighborhood is a near-sitcom length homage to Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood where I introduce the audience to characters developed around vintage puppets with off-putting, uncanny valley features, just like the real Mr. Rogers. I’ll figure out what my neighborhood would look like (probably a little more nightmarish than Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood) and how I would treat an unexpected neighbor who is hanging out in my house before I get home (like serving them water in a plate because all my cups are dirty). I’ve already done some work with puppets, but this will give me an opportunity to rapidly expand my cast of characters, experimenting with big personalities, and also experiment with audience participation, another thing that I’ve been dabbling in.
