SOLOCOM NYC’25: PENZA/WILKINSON/MCNAMARA/MATTHEWS/COLEMAN

Roman Reigns, Jigsaw, Michael Douglas, Moira Ledda – DYLAN PENZA

I was diagnosed with cancer in 2023. And when I did, I started writing jokes about it. Now that I’m past one year survivor status, I’m ready to show them to the world and I think SoloCom would be a great place to do it especially because I’ve written it more like a character piece about myself than a standard standup set. The title/running gag of the show is that I’ve come up with a Mount Rushmore of other people who had cancer and each person picked I use as a jumping off point for the jokes.

Zoom: The Unofficial Musical – EDDISON WILKINSON

“Zoom: The Unofficial Musical” follows Eddison, an early 40s Black millennial former child star, as he grapples with an adulthood he didn’t envision or really bargain for. He began his career on the PBS show “Zoom” but currently works as a public school teacher and improviser when he’s not regularly booked for a gig. In his universe are his neighbors and former co-stars who also face the quandaries of an aging working class American millennial: unstable jobs, divorce, anticipatory grief of elderly parents, grief of deceased parents, comorbidities, declining health, and the reprisal of emboldened bigotry in America. The course of the musical follows Eddison and his former co-stars as they prepare for a Zoom reunion episode that leads to an unraveling and stark realization that no one is well during these perpetual unprecedented times. “Zoom: The Unofficial Musical” seeks to meet a cross between the musicals “Avenue Q” and “Company” while infusing the sobering truths from authors such as James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. Join Eddison and Friends as they recount the unfulfilled promises of being a 90s Toys’R’Us kid!!! (Note: Eddison Wilkinson, the writer and producer of this show, is not a composer and cannot promise any original music at this stage of the show). This stage of the show is aiming to just have one scene of the first act and MAYBE one song.

The Quest – ROBIN MCNAMARA

We follow the journey of a woman understanding and accepting her identity as a witch. She will meet characters along the way and learn to love herself fully with an open heart. A whimsical character and storytelling piece sprinkled with a little magic. (I am still developing it so the description can change slightly).

JENNY MATTHEWS

I have been slowly working on a solo show for some time now. I have had two episodes of psychosis and have wanted to make a show about my experience with it. My psychosis while very scary the delusions I was having were very funny. I have been doing a lot of stand up about my experience but I want this show to be more theatrical than just stand up. I do a lot of bits incorporating music and dance so I plan to showcase that in this piece as well. I hope to be able to showcase the first half of the show by doing SoloCom. I have not performed this piece yet and this would be a great first step.

Mike’d Up – KATHERINE COLEMAN

Look, I don’t know why I name all my male characters Mike. They all just have a definitive “Mike” energy, if you know what I mean. And if you don’t, let me introduce you to the Mikes.

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.