My First Sketch

This week, Josh talks to Maureen McQuilkin about The Brendan Leonard Show, a monkey conductor, and being a part of the first new sketch team in Philly after the pandemic. Septar is heading to Sketchfest Seattle on Saturday, September 13 in the 7pm block along with Brandy Alexander. sketchfest.org for more details on that. When they return to Philly, they’ll be putting up their new show, Are We Having Fund Yet? at Plays and Players Theater on October 3 with two shows at 7pm and 9pm. Follow Septar on Instagram at @septar_sketch.

This week, Josh talks to Chrissy Bisbee (Soy Pony) about scarecrows, setting a deadline, and acting for the screen. You can follow Soy Pony on Instagram at @soy_pony_sketch. Soy Pony is now performing at Philly Sketchfest on Saturday, June 14 in the 7pm block along with Jazz Baby, Live! Tickets are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. There are still 8 live shows this weekend. Buy the night pass to see all of Friday and Saturday’s shows. A weekend pass for all three nights of next weekend’s live shows; and just tickets for individual shows a la carte. They’re all available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. In addition to the live shows, there is another workshop. On June 14, Murphy McHugh of Brick Penguin will be doing a workshop on stage directing and stagecraft. Brick Penguin has probably performed at Philly Sketchfest more than almost anyone, and he knows what he’s talking about. The workshop is at Sawubona at 3pm on Saturday, June 14. The workshops will be over with plenty of time to grab a quick

This week, Josh talks to Justin Williford (@and_another_thing_sketch) about growing up in Arkansas, finding a comedy oasis in Harrisburg, and starting sketch comedy after years in improv. And Another Thing is coming to Philly Sketchfest on Friday, June 13 at the MacGuffin Stage in the 10pm block along with Brick Penguin from Washington DC. Tickets are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. There are still 8 live shows this weekend. Buy the night pass to see all of Friday and Saturday’s shows. A weekend pass for all three nights of next weekend’s live shows; and just tickets for individual shows a la carte. They’re all available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. In addition to the live shows, there is another workshop. On June 14, Murphy McHugh of Brick Penguin will be doing a workshop on stage directing and stagecraft. Brick Penguin has probably performed at Philly Sketchfest more than almost anyone, and he knows what he’s talking about. The workshop is at Sawubona at 3pm on Saturday, June 14. The work

This week, Josh talks to Andi Rogers Patton about creative duos, collaborating long distance, and the fear of a novelty song. You can follow Chronically [Ch]ill on Instagram at @chronicallychillcomedy. Chronically [Ch]ill is coming to Philly Sketchfest along with Motel Party. They’ll be performing on Thursday, June 12, at 730 along with Philly’s own Motel Party at Sawubona. Tickets are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. Buy the night pass for this weekend’s shows. A weekend pass for all three nights of next weekend’s live shows; and just tickets for individual shows a la carte. They’re all available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. In addition to the live shows, there are also two workshops. On June 7, The Chris and Paul Show will do their workshop on using physicality for storytelling, and on June 14, Murphy McHugh of Brick Penguin will be doing a workshop on stage directing and stagecraft. Both of the workshops are at Sawubona at 3pm on their respective Saturdays. The workshops will be over with

This week, Josh talks to Eoin Wenger (New York City’s EZ Pass) about touring in a band, open mics down the street, and joining the sketch world. You can follow EZ Pass on Instagram at @ezpasscomedy. If you’re in New York, EZ Pass is performing at the PIT Loft on June 4 at 7:30 PM. Then, EZ Pass is coming to Philly Sketchfest on Saturday, June 7 in the 10pm block along with Chaps from Washington DC and Disco Horses also from New York. Tickets for the festival can be found at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. Philly Sketchfest 2025 starts June 4 with the Sketch Comedy Film Festival at PhilaMOCA. Then over the next two weekends, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: 16 live shows featuring 35 acts. Tickets and passes are all available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. In addition to the live show, there are also two workshops. On June 7, The Chris and Paul Show will do their workshop on using physicality for storytelling, and on June 14, Murphy McHugh of Brick Penguin will be doing a workshop on sketch directing and

This week, Josh talks to Katherine Coleman (@katherineisfunny) about Taylor Swift, boys’ names, Roll Tide and War Eagle, and calling me out for saying wooder. Swiftie 101 comes to Philly Sketchfest 2025 on Thursday, June 5 at 730 along with Gooses. Back in New York, Swiftie 101 returns to the PIT on June 17 at 8pm. Starting June 4 with the Sketch Comedy Film Festival at PhilaMOCA. Then over the next two weekends, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: 16 live shows featuring 35 acts. You can get a festival pass to see everything; a weekend pass for three nights of live shows; a night pass for all 3 shows on a Friday or Saturday; and just tickets for individual shows a la carte. They’re all available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com.

This week, Josh talks to Russ Bizaro about humor magazines, not being loud enough, and a brief detour about the history of sketch in Philly. Septar will be performing at Theme Park: Looking Ahead on Thursday, May 29, at 730. And then, at Philly Sketchfest along with Mean Sparkle on Friday, June 13 at 7pm at the MacGuffin Stage. Follow Septar on Instagram at @septar_sketch. Philly Sketchfest 2025 starts June 4 with the Sketch Comedy Film Festival at PhilaMOCA. Then over the next two weekends, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: 16 live shows featuring 35 acts. You can get a festival pass to see everything; a weekend pass for three nights of live shows; a night pass for all 3 shows on a Friday or Saturday; and just tickets for individual shows a la carte. Tickets and passes are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com.

This week, Josh talks to Allison Villaseñor (@avillasenora) about meeting your comedy partner in the real world, studying at the Atlantic Theater Company, and not totally being a Swiftie. If you’re in New York City, you can see Allison in Clownclave (a clown show with a papal twist) on May 24 at 930 at the Pinebox Rockshop. Both Hands returns to the PIT on June 4 at 730. And Swiftie 101 returns to the PIT on June 17 at 8pm. Allison is coming to Philly Sketchfest with Swiftie 101 on Thursday, June 5 at Plays & Players at 730 along with Gooses; with Jackie & Allison Into the Multiverse on Friday, June 13 at the MacGuffin Stage at 830 along with Vivek Srikanthan; and with Both Hands on Saturday, June 14 at the MacGuffin Stage at 830 along with High Dramma. Before Philly Sketchfest, get a preview with Theme Park: Looking Ahead at Plays & Players on Thursday, May 29, at 730pm. So many Philly sketch comedians in one place. Tickets for all Philly Sketchfest shows are available at phillysketchfest.simplet

This week, Josh talks to Katie Congrove of Big Ol’ Mess (@bigolmesscomedy) about editing yearbooks, building trust with the audience, and being dumb. Big Ol’ Mess are heading to Austin Sketchfest on May 25. Then, they return to Denver May 30 at the Denver Press Club and May 31 at Rise Comedy. The following week, they come to Philly Sketchfest June 6, performing at 8:30 along with Brandy Alexander. Tickets for that are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. Submissions are now open for Denver Sketch Fest. The festival will take place October 9-11. Go to risecomedy.com for more info.

This week, Josh talks to Jackie Skinner about clown, idiots, and creating a comedy show with an old work friend. Jackie and Allison into the Multiverse is coming to Philly Sketchfest on Friday, June 13 at 830pm at the MacGuffin Stage at the Adrienne Theater along with Vivek Srikanthan. Tickets are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. Before they come to Philly, Jackie and Allison are performing two more shows at Boston Fringe, Friday, May 9 at 915 and Sunday, May 11 at 7:05. Follow Jackie and Allison on Instagram at @_jackieandallison (that’s Allison with 2 L’s) and you can follow Jackie at @jackiebskinner.

This week, Josh talks to Greg Baker (@heypartypersons) about college sketch, moving to LA, and moving to Maine during the pandemic. Hey Party People are performing at Philly Sketchfest on Friday, June 7 in the 7pm block along with The Incredible Shrinking Matt & Jacquie. Tickets are sold out, which is very exciting, but I truly can’t help you get in. Then, back in Portland, ME, Hey Party People will be presenting No Jerks Allowed on Thursday, June 13 at The Hill Arts and Friday, June 14 at Craft Brew Underground. Follow Hey Party People on Instagram at @heypartypersons. Nine shows round out the closing weekend of Philly Sketchfest. For all the info, head to phillysketchfest.com.

This week, Josh talks to Paul Valenti (@chrisandpaulshow) about old comedy, the Edinburgh Fringe, and Bring the Funny. The Chris and Paul Show is coming to Philly Sketchfest, first teaching a workshop on physical comedy on June 8 at 2pm at the MacGuffin Stage and then performing along with Bomb Bomb Bombshells at 830 that evening. You can register for the workshop and buy tickets to the show at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. If you are legally not allowed to leave New York City, The Chris and Paul Show is performing at The PIT in New York on Saturday, June 1 at 730pm. Tickets are available at thepit-nyc.com. You can follow The Chris and Paul Show at @chrisandpaulshow. But if you’re anywhere near Philadelphia, come to Philly Sketchfest. Three shows on May 31 and June 1. The Sketch Comedy Film Festival on June 5. Two shows celebrating the first year of Cutthroat Sketch on June 6. Three shows that are already sold out on June 7 and three more shows to close it off on June 8. All the information at phillysketchf

This week, Josh talks to Chris Iannucci (@thebrandyalexandershow) about starting out in Rhode Island before heading to Chicago, the online pandemic game show, and adapting to the venue. Brandy Alexander is coming to Philly Sketchfest on Friday, May 31 in the 7pm along with local favorites, Septar. Tickets are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. Back in Chicago, Brandy Alexander hosts The Brandy Alexander Show at My Buddy’s, and you can find out more information when you follow them on Instagram and Facebook at @thebrandyalexandershow. Come to the opening weekend of Philly Sketchfest at the MacGuffin Stage in the Adrienne Theater. Three shows a night on May 31 and June 1. More information at phillysketchfest.com. Tickets for individual shows are $15 and the Night Passes are $30, and those are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. 

This week, Josh talks to Evan Starr about Major Undecided at Tufts, pausing comedy after college, and the pandemic leading the way to Field Trip. Field Trip is performing at Philly Sketchfest on Friday, May 31 in the 830 block along with AJ Schraeder. Tickets are available at phillysketchfest.simpletix.com. Then, back in the Boston area, Field Trip will be performing their next full hour-long set on July 13 in Somerville. Full details for that show haven’t been announced yet, so follow them on Instagram at @fieldtripsketch. Philly Sketchfest is happening May 31-June 8. Head to phillysketchfest.com for all the information. 

This week, Josh talks to Jesse McIntosh (@publicbreakup) about comedy short films, independent comedy in Los Angeles, and so much more. Jesse and the rest of Public Breakup will host Sketch Cagematch on May 29 at 7pm at the UCB Annex. Here in Philly, they’ll be performing at Philly Sketchfest along with Philly favorites, High Dramma, on Saturday, June 1, in the 7pm block. You can find more information at phillysketchfest.com. Follow Public Breakup on Instagram and TikTok at @publicbreakup, and you can subscribe to their Youtube channel.

This week, Josh talks to Seyoung Kim (@partytrick_sketch) about standup in college, sketch comedy after the pandemic, and so much more. Party Trick is performing at LiveWire, the monthly show for the sketch house teams at the Magnet Theater in New York City on Tuesday, May 21 at 9pm along with Malarkey. Tickets and more information at magnettheater.com. Then, they’re heading to Austin, Texas for Austin Sketchfest on Saturday May, 25 in the 8:30 block along with Roca. More info at atxsketchfest.com. Then, Party Trick is coming to Philly Sketchfest to perform along with Grace & the Gang from Washington DC and Stay Funny. Stay Scared. from Brooklyn on Saturday, June 8 in the 10pm block. Check out phillysketchfest.com for more on that show and the rest of the festival.

This week, Josh talks to Beth Ann Powers (@railscomedy) about starting a theater troupe in Minnesota, teaching theater in the DMV, and joining Rails. You can also find Rails all over social media at @railscomedy. To highlight a couple shows: Etch A Sketch on Wednesday, May 15 and The Character Show on Wednesday, May 29, both at DC Arts Center. Tickets and more info about all of Rails’ shows and classes can be found at railscomedy.com. Rails is heading to Austin Sketchfest on Saturday, May 25 in the 10pm block along with Jon Blair and Group Chat. atxsketchfest.com for more on that. Then, Rails comes to Philly Sketchfest on Saturday, June 8, with a show at 6:30 also featuring Cam Wyllie and Mean Wendy Band. phillysketchfest.com for tickets and more info. 

This week, Josh talks to Nick Ryan (@funinmoderation) about indie sketch in NYC, being in the background of SNL, and so much more. A lot of chances to see Nick and the rest of Fun in Moderation. You can catch Fun in Moderation at Caveat Sketch Sampler on May 10 at 9:30 at Caveat in New York City; at Austin Sketchfest on May 23 at the Coldtowne Theater; and at Philly Sketchfest, sharing the bill with Brick Penguin from Washington. Saturday, June 1 in the 10pm block. Tickets and more infomation at phillysketchfest.com. Fun in Moderation will premiere their new show with all new material at Caveat on Friday, June 28. caveat.nyc for more on that show. Head to funinmoderation.com. Follow them on Instagram and TikTok at @funinmoderation. 

This week, Josh talks to Jana Gillis about NL Sketchfest, moving from Newfoundland to Toronto and back, and so much more. NL Sketchfest runs at the Hub in Saint John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador from April 3 through April 7. Follow them on Instagram at @nlsketchfest. Jana will be performing at NL Sketchfest in Saint John’s on Sunday, April 7 in the 7pm block along with Four Idiots. Here in Philly, Cutthroat Sketch returns to Sawubona Thursday, April 4, with the theme Ring by Spring. Tickets are $12 and available at cutthroatsketch.com/tickets. Philly Sketchfest returns in all its glory, May 31 through June 8.

This week, Josh talks to Grace Fennell (Grace and the Gang) about cease and desists, wanting to be the star, and more. Grace and the Gang is performing at DC Sketchfest Thursday, March 21 at 7:30 at the DC Improv along with Pressed from Chicago and Maple Daddies from Seattle. Tickets are sold out. Here in Philly, Philly Sketchfest Presents, on Friday, March 22 at 8pm with Forevermore from Baltimore and Bring Your Own Bob from New York. $17 with no fees at sketchballphilly.com/tickets, or $20 at the door.