My First Sketch

This week, Josh talks to Kristi Schaffner about dancing in Oklahoma, becoming a pirate, and Forevermore. Forevermore is performing at DC Sketchfest Wednesday, March 20, at the DC Arts Center in the 7:30 block along with Bring Your Own Bob. But then Forevermore and Bring Your Own Bob are coming here to Philly on Friday, March 22. Philly Sketchfest Presents. 8pm at the Skinner Studio at Plays and Players. Tickets are available at sketchballphilly.com/tickets. $17 with no fees. $20 at the door. You can follow Forevermore on Instagram at @forevermoresketchcomedy. Philly Sketchfest is just over two months away, May 31-June 8. You can submit your live act at phillysketchfest.com/submit2024 and your short film at phillysketchfest.com/film2024.

This week, Josh talks to Yena Frick about Maddy Night Live, Galentine’s Day, and the comedy scene in Baltimore. You can see Yena’s group, Forevermore Sketch, at DC Sketchfest on Wednesday, March 20, in the 7:30 block along with Bring Your Own Bob at the DC Arts Center. And if you live in Philly, Forevermore and Bring Your Own Bob will both be coming to Skinner Studio at Plays and Players on Friday, March 22 at 8pm for Philly Sketchfest Presents. phillysketchfest.com for tickets for that show. $17 in advance, $20 at the door. Follow Forevermore Sketch on Instagram at @forevermoresketchcomedy. Philly Sketchfest 2024 will take place with live shows happening from May 31 to June 8. Submissions to perform live are open at phillysketchfest.com/submit2024. And you can submit your short films for the film festival, which will take place on June 5, at phillysketchfest.com/film2024. If you wanted to volunteer or join staff, head to phillysketchfest.com/volunteer for all the info.

This week, Josh talks to TNutt (@inactionnetwork) about moving to Philly, being an extrovert, and coming back after the pandemic. February 28, Sketch Ball featuring InAction Network and Jai Nim doing some musical comedy to open up. 730pm at Plays and Players Skinner Studio on the third floor. $15 tickets available at sketchballphilly.com/tickets You can follow InAction Network on Instagram at @inactionnetwork. The March edition of Cutthroat Sketch entitled Spring returns to Sawubona on March 7 at 730. cutthroatsketch.com/tickets. Philly Sketchfest returns May 31-June 8. If you want to submit your live act, head to phillysketchfest.com/submit2024. If you have a short film you’d like to submit to the film festival on June 5, phillysketchfest.com/film2024.

This week, Josh talks to Ben Maher about starting Philly Sketchfest, a life behind the scenes in comedy, and so much more. Philly Sketchfest 2024 is coming, May 31-June 8. Submissions open on February 1 at phillysketchfest.com. Come to Cutthroat Sketch: Heart at Sawubona on February 1 at 730pm. Tickets available at cutthroatsketch.com/tickets. Sketch Ball returns February 28 at Plays and Players Skinner Studio. Tickets available at sketchballphilly.com. 

This week, Josh talks to Chase Jeffels about learning clowning in Paris, rediscovering video work during the pandemic, and joining two sketch teams since then. Follow Chase’s sketch teams on Instagram at @west2westcomedy and @20dollarsandwich. You can follow Chase on Instagram at @chase.jeffels and on TikTok at @chasejeffels. West 2 West is heading to Montreal Sketchfest Wednesday, May 10, at 8pm at Theatre Sainte Catherine along with Jonah Border, Rails Comedy, and Gotham K. $20 Sandwich has a new show, Double Date Comedy Show, on May 23th at The Assembly Theatre in Toronto. Tickets are available through Eventbrite, and there’s a link on their Instagram page. Keep an eye on myfirstsketch.com and phillysketchfest.com for more about Sketch Ball and Cutthroat Comedy coming soon.

This week, Josh talks to John Taylor about teaching drama, Try-Racial, and Schoolin’ Around. John and the rest of Try-Racial are heading to Montreal Sketchfest, performing Friday, May 5 in the 10pm slot at Montreal Improv along with Sproink and Oink from Montreal and Cheap Wine from Toronto. Tickets and more information are available at montrealsketchfest.com. Try-Racial will also be performing at Toronto Fringe Festival, this July 5-16. Follow Try-Racial on instagram at @try_racial. Sketchubator returns live and in-person this Sunday, May 7, at 2pm at Tattooed Mom on South Street here in Philly. It’s a sketch comedy open mic, so bring your sketches, and we’ll do some readings. sketchubator.com for more info.

This week, Josh talks to Vivek Srikanthan (Try-Racial) about Second City, Schoolin’ Around, and so much more. Viv and the rest of Try-Racial are heading to Montreal Sketchfest, performing Friday, May 5 in the 10pm slot at Montreal Improv along with Sproink and Oink from Montreal and Cheap Wine from Toronto. Tickets and more information are available at montrealsketchfest.com. Try-Racial will also be performing at Toronto Fringe Festival, this July 5-16. Follow Try-Racial on instagram at @try_racial. Viv also co-runs writes a comedy zine, called Egg Magg - A Humorous Zine, with Nina Charest. Follow that on Instagram at @eggmaggazine. Maggazine has two G’s. Online Canzine takes place from May 5-11, where you can grab physical and digital copies of Egg Magg. Sketchubator, our sketch comedy open mic, live and in-person returns to Tattooed Mom this Sunday, May 7 at 2pm in the afternoon. All the information, including if you want to sign up beforehand, is available at sketchubator.com.

This week, Josh talks to Rachel Niswander (Rails Comedy) about college comedy, creating a sketch team to get out of trouble, and moving to New York. Rails Comedy will be hosting Sketch Comedy Spectacular this Saturday, April 29, at 8pm at the DC Arts Center, with sets from Bad Medicine and The Character Show. Tickets are available at railscomedy.com. Then, Rails Comedy is heading to Montreal Sketchfest, performing on May 10 at 8pm at Theatre SainteCatherine along with Jonah Border, West 2 West, and Gotham K. Head to montrealsketchfest.com for more info on that show. You can follow Rails Comedy all over the social media world at @railscomedy, and follow Rachel on Instagram at @rachel_n24. Sketchubator, our live sketch comedy open mic, will take place at Tattooed Mom on South Street here in Philly. Sunday, May 7, at 2pm. All the info, including if you want to sign up beforehand, is available at sketchubator.com.

This week, Josh talks to Bethany Stokes (@bethanysalright) about madrigal choirs, college a cappella, and competitive improv. Bad Medicine will be performing a set on Saturday, April 29, at Sketch Comedy Spectacular along with Rails Comedy and The Character Show. It’s an 8pm show at DC Arts Center. Tickets are available at railscomedy.com. Then, on Tuesday, May 2, at 7:30pm, Bad Medicine will be headlining their own regular show at the DC Improv. This one’s called “Bad Medicine: After Dark.” Tickets available at dcimprov.com. You can follow Bad Medicine all over the social media world at @badmedicinedc. And you can follow Bethany on Instagram and TikTok at @bethanysalright. Sketchubator, our live sketch comedy open mic, is happening at Tattooed Mom on South Street on Sunday, May 7, at 2pm. sketchubator.com has all the details on that one.

This week, Josh talks to Elizabeth Leff about starting in New York City, continuing in DC, and finding a scene in New York state. Lots of Feelings will be performing along with Amanda Xeller at Bad Medicine Presents this Saturday, March 18, in the Lounge at the DC Improv in Washington DC, for two shows at 7 and 9:30. Tickets are available at dcimprov.com. Follow Lots of Feelings on Instagram at @lofsketch. And you can follow Elizabeth at @leffingoutloud. Sketchubator, our sketch comedy open mic, returns to Zoom on Friday, March 24 at 10pm in the East. The live, in-person Sketchubator returns to Tattooed Mom here in Philly on Sunday, May 7, at 2pm. sketchubator.com for all the details on those.

This week, Josh talks to Bobby Cohoat (Lots of Feeling, Washington DC) about moving from Chicago to DC, finding comedy there, and toy thrones. Lots of Feelings will be performing along with Amanda Xeller at Bad Medicine Presents this Saturday, March 18, at the DC Improv in the Lounge in Washington DC, for two shows at 7 and 9:30. Tickets are available at dcimprov.com. Follow Lots of Feelings on Instagram at @lofsketch.

This week, Josh talks to Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller (Don Valley Girls, Toronto, ON) about The Bob at Toronto University, clowning, and being ready to take a break. Fateema and the rest of Don Valley Girls will be performing twice at Toronto Sketchfest. First, as part of the Curator Program: with Manifest Destiny’s Child and Tita Collective, curated by Candace Scott-Moore. Friday, March 10, at 8pm at the Theatre Centre. Then, Friday 17, at 6pm with Maple Daddies from Seattle, Washington, at the Theatre Centre. Tickets are available at torontosketchfest.com. You can follow Don Valley Girls on Facebook and Instagram at donvalleygirlscomedy. Follow Khafeef Dam Productions at @khafeefdamproductions and Fateema at @fateemasaurus.

This week, Josh talks to Elizabeth Hicks (Mom’s Girls in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador) about new drama, comedy acting, and the guidance counselor with an Etsy shop. Elizabeth and the rest of Mom’s Girls will be heading to Toronto for Toronto Sketchfest for two shows. First, on Friday, March 10 at 7pm with Birdie, then Saturday, March 11 at 9pm with Boy Girl Party Live! Both of the shows are at Comedy Bar, and tickets are available at torontosketchfest.com. You can follow Elizabeth on Instagram at @elizabethhicks1 and Mom’s Girls on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at @momsgirlscomedy. Elizabeth also features in JackTV, a series created by Andrew Tremblett and Stuart Simpson and directed by Mary Walsh. It is now available at YouTube.com/@JackTVComedy. The next Sketchubator on Zoom will take place Friday, March 25, at 10pm Eastern. And the next live Sketchubator will be at Tattooed Mom on Sunday, May 7 at 2pm. sketchubator.com for more.

This week, Josh talks to Anesti Danelis about Edinburgh Fringe, gaining confidence as a solo act, and pandemic electronic music. Anesti is performing multiple times at Toronto Sketchfest. Starting with the Opening Night Gala Thursday, March 9 at Theatre Centre, starting at 7pm; Saturday, March 11 at Comedy Bar at 7pm along with The Nitro Girls from New York City; and the Shot Live Special at Theatre Centre Tuesday, March 14, at 7pm along with Shohana Sharmin and Gillian Bartolucci. The Shot Live Special will actually stream live, so you can watch it from wherever you are. torontosketchfest.com for all the information on those shows. You can follow Anesti on Instagram and TikTok at @anestidanelis and learn more at anestidanelis.com. Stream (or download) his albums wherever you get your music.

This week, Josh talks to Allison Moira Kelly (Mom’s Girls from St. John’s, NL) about theater, the floordrobe, and the ridiculousness of the English language. Allison and the rest of Mom’s Girls will be heading to Toronto for Toronto Sketchfest for two shows. First, on Friday, March 10 at 7pm with Birdie, then Saturday, March 11 at 9pm with Boy Girl Party Live! Both of the shows are at Comedy Bar, and tickets are available at torontosketchfest.com. And I understand those tickets are selling well, so you might not want to wait. You can follow Allison on Instagram at @allisonmoira and Mom’s Girls on Instagram and TikTok at @momsgirlscomedy.

This week, Josh talks to Emily Milling (Big Chick Energy, based in Toronto) about suspicious view counts, pandemic projects, and job hopping. Emily and the rest of Big Chick Energy will be performing at The Sunday Funnies at The Rivoli on Sunday, February 26 at 7pm. Tickets are available on EventBrite. Big Chick Energy will be performing two shows at Toronto Sketchfest; first on Thursday March 9 with Chelsea Larkin at 8pm and Friday March 10 with Acuna Acuna at 7pm. Both shows are at the BMO Incubator at Theatre Centre. For more information, go to bigchickenergysketch.com. On April, they’ll be heading to Hamilton, Ontario at the Staircase Comedy Cabaret. Follow them on Instagram at @bigchickenergysketch. You can like Big Chick Energy on Facebook at facebook.com/bigchickenergysketch. They also have a YouTube channel at youtube.com/bigchickenergysketch. Emily’s album “Take Your Life More Seriously” is available on all the streaming platforms. Visit emilymilling.com and follow Emily on Instagram at @emily.millin

This week, Josh talks to Gerald Yeung (Crunchy Tigers in Toronto) about gaining life experience, pro wrestling and comedy, and stereotypes. Gerald and the rest of Crunchy Tigers will host their monthly show (this one’s called Cheap Chocolate, Cheap Laughs) at The Social Capital Theater, Friday, February 24 at 8:30pm. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/crunchy05. Later that evening, Gerald will be doing stand up at Gay AF at Comedy Bar. It’s a late night show. Then, during Toronto Sketchfest, Crunchy Tigers will perform Thursday, March 9 at 8pm at Comedy Bar along with Ladies and Gentlemen International. Tickets for that are available at torontosketchfest.com. Follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/crunchytigers and @crunchytigers on Instagram. For more on Gerald, check out evilascot.com. Sketchubator will return to Zoom Friday, March 24 at 10pm. sketchubator.com for more on that.

This week, Josh talks to Stef Curran (Mom’s Girls from St. Johns, NL) about gaining a voice in the room, dad rock, and how Newfoundland and Florida might not be so different. Mom’s Girls will be heading to Toronto for Toronto Sketchfest for two shows. First, on Friday, March 10 at 7pm with Birdie, then Saturday, March 11 at 9pm with Boy Girl Party Live! Both of the shows are at Comedy Bar, and tickets are available at torontosketchfest.com. You can follow Stef on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @rawstefc and Mom’s Girls at @momsgirlscomedy. Here in Philly, Sketchubator, our live and in person sketch comedy open mic, returns upstairs at Tattooed Mom, at 5th and South Street, this Sunday afternoon, February 19 at 2pm. Sketch comedy with its lowest stakes possible. We’ll read some sketches, have some drinks, and eat some sandwiches. Come join us. sketchubator.com for more info.

This week, Josh talks to Alicia Carrick (Big Chick Energy in Toronto) about the cult of comedy, starting with a troupe right before the shutdown, and the awfulness of Zoom comedy. Alicia and the rest of Big Chick Energy will be performing at The Sunday Funnies at The Rivoli on Sunday, February 26 at 7pm. Big Chick Energy will be performing two shows at Toronto Sketchfest (torontosketchfest.com): Thursday March 9 with Chelsea Larkin at 8pm and Friday March 10 with Acuna Acuna at 7pm. Both shows are at the BMO Incubator at Theatre Centre. For more information, go to bigchickenergysketch.com. Follow them on Instagram at @bigchickenergysketch. You can like Big Chick Energy on Facebook at facebook.com/bigchickenergysketch. They also have a YouTube channel at youtube.com/bigchickenergysketch. Don’t forget Sketchubator will be live and in person on Sunday, February 19, at 2pm at Tattooed Mom at 5th and South Street. We’ll be upstairs, so grab a drink and a snack and your sketches to read. sketchubator.com for all th

This week, Josh talks to Colin Mahan (The Great Difficulties) about Die Hard, impressions, and auditioning for SNL. Colin is doing a solo show called Colin Mahan: Himselves on Friday, February 3 at the PianoFight’s Second Stage along with Goldbaby from LA and Strong Male Leads from Austin, TX. The Great Difficulties, Colin’s duo with Mike Spiegelman, will be performing along with Please Leave the Bronx on Sunday, February 5 at 8pm at PianoFight. Info for both those shows can be found at sfsketchfest.com. If you live in the Philadelphia area, we’re doing a live Sketchubator at Tattooed Mom on Sunday, February 19 at 2pm. All the info on Sketchubator is at sketchubator.com.