stand-up comedy

In Hijabs Off, comic Zainab Johnson jokes about dating and growing up Muslim in Harlem, one of 13 siblings.

Arts

With 12 siblings, comic Zainab Johnson has plenty to joke about in new special

5:02am October 24, 2023

by Elizabeth Blair

Comedian, writer and actor Zainab Johnson turns personal chaos into comedy. In her new special, Hijabs Off, she talks about being a Black Muslim, growing up in Harlem, having 12 siblings, and dating.

A Tennessee native, Leanne Morgan refers to herself as the "Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia."

Arts

Leanne Morgan, the 'Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia,' jokes about motherhood and menopause

1:34pm July 31, 2023

by Tonya Mosley

"It took me a long time to find my audience ... but I always knew they were out there," says Morgan, who started doing stand-up as a mom in her mid-30s. Her new Netflix special is I'm Every Woman.

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Angelo Colina is starting a Spanish comedy circuit. He's pictured above performing at Room 808 in Washington, D.C., on April 30.

Arts

At a 'Gente Funny' show, only bilingual audience members are in on the joke

5:29pm May 25, 2023

by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento

Latinx comedians with non-English routines have largely been relegated to restaurants, bars and other spaces where Spanish already dominates. But a new generation is changing that, one show at a time.

Stand-up comic Akau Jambo, 25, remembers a fellow comedian saying, "Dang, I never knew people were laughing in South Sudan." Jambo is out to prove him wrong.

Health & Safety

So a South Sudanese comic put on a comedy fest in a land of 'suffering.' How'd it go?

2:39pm April 13, 2022

by Nick Roll

Akau Jambo just staged the first international comedy festival in a country that the U.N. calls a place of suffering. Talking about the role of laughter, he says, "Life doesn't stop – we keep living."

"Neal Brennan: Unacceptable" will run in New York City through November.

Arts

Comedian Neal Brennan's New Show Centers On The Ways He Feels Unacceptable

1:56pm September 15, 2021

by Ziad Buchh

Brennan is best known for his creative partnership with comedian Dave Chappelle. Now, his new one-man show, Neal Brennan: Unacceptable, addresses feelings of self-criticism and mental health.

Norm Macdonald speaks during a panel discussion of reality television talent show Last Comic Standing in 2015.

Arts

Comedian Norm Macdonald Has Died At 61

6:07pm September 14, 2021

by Mandalit del Barco

The Canadian stand-up comedian died from cancer on Tuesday. He was best known for his deadpan humor and work on television shows including Saturday Night Live.

Dave Chappelle: This Time This Place chronicles Chappelle's efforts to entertain audiences during the pandemic with a series of outdoor shows. He's pictured above in North Charleston, S.C., on Jan. 30, 2020.

Arts

Chappelle Fans Flock To D.C. Live Events As New Mask Mandate Is Announced

1:11pm August 02, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

Dave Chappelle drew sold-out crowds to his live, indoor appearances in Washington, D.C. — 3,500 attended his show at the concert venue The Anthem and more than 2,000 came to the Kennedy Center.

"If we can erase some of the stigma around [depression and suicide]," says podcast host John Moe, "that person can have at least a better shot at treatment and avoiding this kind of fate."

Humorist Lightens Depression's Darkness By Talking (And Laughing) About It

3:53pm May 05, 2020

by Terry Gross

Though John Moe's podcast, 'The Hilarious World of Depression' centers on mental illness, the conversations are funny. Humor "can bust me out" of a dark place, he says, the way platitudes never would.

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Jerry Seinfeld pictured in his Netflix special, 23 Hours to Kill. He says he's "adjusted pretty comfortably" to life at home.

Arts

Jerry Seinfeld On Staying Home: 'At My Dinner Table, You're Supposed To Be Funny'

12:08pm May 02, 2020

The comedian says he's doing well under quarantine. He talked with NPR about comedy during a pandemic and his new Netflix standup special, 23 Hours to Kill. "Humor is an essential survival quantity."

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Dewayne Perkins performed in one of the New Faces showcases at Just For Laughs.

Arts

New Faces Emerge At The World's Biggest Comedy Festival

3:18pm July 30, 2019

by Andrew Limbong

At Just For Laughs in Montreal, a series of events showcase up-and-coming talent — and has a history of giving comics their first big break. Here are 10 top performers from this year.