SOLOCOM NYC’25: CHANEY/MONTGOMERY/MILLER/BERGER/COIN

Upskirt Wizard – MILES CHANEY

From the mind of one of Chicago’s best comedic character performers comes a show about busted mattress salesmen, the inner workings of the Amazon Naming Committee, and what happens when your kids are stuck in a well. Crafted in similar fashion to a full cast show, this solo sketch revue is packed with larger than life characters showcasing unexpected twists and big dramatic turns. See the characters that Chicago can’t get enough of in this 20-minute show.

Dogs in Strollers, Babies on Leashes – TOMMY MONTGOMERY

“Dogs in Strollers, Babies on Leashes” is a variety show of characters and musical comedy by Tommy Montgomery. My goal is to form a cohesive set of my favorite characters and musical ideas, from G Freezy (a rapper with a gluten allergy) to a pair of NYC Subway Doors that just want to be held. I rap and sing, play saxophone and guitar, and do impressions from Bernie Sanders to Mickey Mouse. I will incorporate all these elements in this variety show as silly as the title.

Tick, Tick…Boob! – MADELYN MILLER

The clock strikes midnight on March 15, 2024. In a park overlooking the East River, Madelyn rings in her 30th birthday, blasting “30/90,” the iconic turning 30 angst anthem from Jonathan Larson (and by extension Andrew Garfield). What will the big 3-0 have in store for Madelyn? Cut to 195 days later when we find out that “flirty and thriving” is making a hard pivot to Stage 2 triple negative breast cancer. In Tick Tick… Boob! Madelyn provides a musical look at her breast cancer journey through parody songs like Breast Health Scare (to the tune of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl) and C-H-E-M-O (to the tune of Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO!), punctuated with funny and poignant patter throughout.

I Was A Teenage Reptilian – MARS BERGER

“I Was a Teenage Reptilian” is a drag standup show about coming-of-age as the unwitting center of global conspiracies. Equal parts wry sendup of B-horror and a heartfelt look at Jewish, queer, and trans identity in a society determined to misunderstand all of the above, the show is a defiant take on who gets to be human and the freeing power of monstrousness in the disinformation age. Imaginatively based on a true story.

The performed work will be a sample of the full length show in development. Overall, the project is the latest in my body of work centered on radical re-examinations of marginalization and the gaps in queer legacy across media. As open discrimination increasingly pervades discourse and legislation across the country, I hope the power of performance can reshape public compassion. The work dares an audience to care for the most camp and elusive of society’s scapegoats–onstage and off. With a bit of imagination and a lot of laughter, all of us can be more reptilian, and more human, than we realize.

Fizzers – LIZ COIN

Fizz has been in her room for 9 years. She doesn’t mind! She’s locked in! This character showcase will follow less of a “formal play”-like structure, more of a litany of character creations and JOKIES and GAGGIES that can only emerge when a little observant lunatic is left to her own devices.

SOLOCOM NYC 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.)

SOLOCOM NYC is a festival of new solo work. All shows presented are 75% 100% new material, and are created specifically for the festival. SOLOCOMs goal is to push artists to create a show that is meaningful, personal and to follow the fear.