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The Comedy Bureau Field Report

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The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 263: Shannon O’Neill & Molding Comedy Into a Potholder
July 9, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
ceramics, improv, nyc comedy, shannon o'neill, ucb

While many of you have to come, know, and love the fantastic Shannon O’Neill through improv and wherever you watch TV, she has discovered another marvelous facet of herself through her work in ceramics. In fact, she’s just about to close out her very first exhibition Beat One at The Empty Circle in Brooklyn and was very keen on infusing a comedic spirit into the whole experience of making, presenting, and interacting with her pieces. We have a truly wondrous conversation about art, improv, and the cross-pollination of the two on this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Shannon @spotastic and @sporamics on IG and make sure to make the closing party for Beat One and the Empty Circle in Brooklyn this Friday, July 11th at 6PM.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 262: David Drake & The Power of Bowling Alleys
July 2, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
comedy special, cysk nyc, david drake

From just the look of Big Break, David Drake‘s third and latest hour, you might be surprised that Drake has helped build an entire corner of NYC comedy through the hallowed ground of The Gutter in Brooklyn (that also happens to be a lovely bowling alley). Between CYSKNYC and his multiple hour special in the space, Drake has gotten himself into rarefied air of making 80 minutes of stand-up very, very enjoyable. We get into all of that and more in this week’s TCB Field Report.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @yocoland

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 261: Linzy Beltran & Comedia Por Todo
June 25, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
fringe, hollywood fringe, linzy beltran, race comedy, solo show

At the same time, comedy can indeed speak truth to power and also express joy from one’s unique perspective, but it can be quite the balancing act to do both at the same time. One Linzy Beltran manages the feat with a bold stroke of unabashed silliness with her solo show El Mago Loco, currently playing at the Hollywood Fringe. For this week’s TCB Field Report, we explore Linzy’s own explorations within and outside herself to bring to the stage a show that’s crucial, playful, and kind-of-not-really-a-magic-show that has a magician as the main character.

Follow Linzy @linzybeltran and get tix for El Mago Loco @ Hollywood Fringe on 6/26 & 6/28 here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 260: Erica Bitton & 10 Years of a Solo Show
June 11, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
edinburgh fringe, erica bitton, solo show

Almost always, the work that goes into a deeply personal solo show is almost entirely invisible. There are years of work and reworking and giving up and getting re-obsessed that drive a person to create something possibly so unique and inspiring and hilarious and then perform over and over and over and over again only to have audiences marvel an hour at a time. Erica Bitton and her work with her amazing solo show Vacuum Girl has gone through all of its peaks and valleys all the way to the marvelous place that it is now. We talk to her all about it on this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Erica @gurubf and get tix for Vacuum Girl here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 259: Julie Seabaugh & Documenting Marc Maron
June 4, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
are we good, julie seabaugh, marc maron

Julie Seabaugh has been and still very much is one of our absolute favorite people in comedy because, like us, she has dedicated blood, sweat, and tears to the telling of stories of, about, in, and around comedy. Following her endeavors as an esteemed journalist, author, and documentarian, Julie’s latest work focuses on the comedy icon Marc Maron following the passing of his partner, Lynn Shelton in the doc, Are We Good?, brilliantly directed by Steven Feinartz (and screened at SXSW & Tribeca).

This week’s TCB Field Report goes in on Julie’s process of showing Maron’s process of both grief and comedy, which are beautifully intertwined in this movie.

Follow @julieseabaugh & @arewegoodfilm on IG.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Troy Conrad

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 258: Victoria Male & Revisiting the 90s the Good Way
May 21, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
victoria male, whatever happened to baby j

A lot of what has been dug up from the 90s, mostly by Gen Z, has kind of been a rude look into the mirror for Millennials, but acclaimed, veteran screenwriter Victoria Male has cooked up a comedy feature, Whatever Happened to Baby J?, that is taking a much more favorable look into the 90s, so much so that the one and only Jodie Sweetin (as well as Drew Seeley and stacked cast) is going to be part of a staged reading of Whatever Happened to Baby J? at Dynasty Typewriter on June 9th (tix available here). This week’s TCB Field Report follows Victoria’s journey all the way to doing this big time staged reading that will be support of the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children.

Follow Victoria @victoriamale1 and get tix to Whatever Happened to Baby J @ Dynasty Typewriter on June 9th here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 257: Sam Walt Jones & Manifesting the Theatrical in Live Comedy
May 15, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
parody, sam walt jones, survivor

The undertaking of putting on a live comedy show can be a lot, but putting on a full scale, multi-week, improvised parody of a celebrated TV franchise is a whole other sport. Yet, that seems to be Sam Walt Jones‘ favorite thing to do as he is just about to cap off his third season of Survivor: Island of Idiots, one of the most ambitious comedy productions we’ve ever come across. We get into the how and why of Sam’s process on this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Sam @samwaltjones across socials and get tix for the remaining Survivor: Island of Idiots here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 256: Business Casual & Focused Chaos for Comedic Gold
May 1, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
business casual, cory peter lane, hunter sailing, jeremy elder, sketch comedy

Cory Peter Lane, Jeremy Elder, and Hunter Sailing, better known collectively as the wondrously rambunctious Business Casual, are leveling up to having their very own ranch of controlled chaos with their new show on All Things Comedy, the aptly named The Business Casual Show. We catch up with the boys on this week’s TCB Field Report on getting in on their process for pitching and running bits for what might seemed like really fun mayhem, but definitely has a plan (mostly).

Follow @businesscasualcomedy on IG

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 255: Laser Webber & Defying with Queer Joy
April 23, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
festival, gnc, laser webber, trans

These days, the notion of representation mattering is more crucial than it has been in a long time, especially when it comes to trans/gender non-conforming/non-binary folks. Thank goodness for the likes of people such as Laser Webber, a do-it-all performer/producer in all worlds in and around comedy, music, and theater to co-found The Joy Who Lived, a festival celebrating trans and gnc comedy/performance/art (that’s specifically counter-programming a Harry Potter play at the Pantages). We talk about the importance of communing and having joy whilst in survival mode in 2025.

Follow Laser @lasertheboy & The Joy Who Lived: trans/gnc comedy & performance festival @joywholived (that still has a handful of shows left, FYI)

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 254: Alexis Dubus & Attempting to Translate Comedy in 2025
April 17, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
alexis dubus, marcel lucont, uk comedy

The brilliant Alexis Dubus has made an entire career out of not only playing a character, but playing a misanthropic Frenchman, Marcel Lucont and that presents quite a winding path here in 2025, especially as Dubus is set to play a handful of American dates as Lucont coming up very soon. We have a badinage as well as an in-depth chat about Alexis’ journey in and out of himself and Marcel and how he is forging ahead with a character drenched in tasty irony.

Follow Alexis @alexisdubuscomedy and Marcel Lucont @marcel.lucont and get tickets for his 4/21 show at The Elysian here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 253: Rebecca Drysdale & Using The Force With Improv
April 10, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
improv, improv classes, la comedy, rebecca drysdale

Still, to this day, Rebecca Drysdale is one of the funniest improvisers we’ve ever seen. Coupled with her vast writing experience, we’ll take any chance to have her on TCB Field Report and what a chance it was for this episode. We legitimately intertwine The Force from Star Wars into improv theory and practice (along with some other IP based metaphors) for a marvelously comedy philosophy heavy episode.

Follow Rebecca @beckdrys on IG and sign-up for her classes (the latest round start next week) at drysdaleclasses@gmail.com.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 252: Pilot Season & Growing an Improv Show Out of the Writers’ Strike
April 2, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
improv, pilot season, ucb, writer's strike

At a time where AI is threatening writing jobs and Trump is mercilessly dismantling all the DEI initiatives that he can, a hybrid improv/writers show, Pilot Season, rises, phoenix-like, from the rubble of the WGA Strike. Hosts/creators Chris De La Cruz and Saleh Karaman lead a packed improv show that creates a freshly baked before the audience eyes and ears where some of the most accomplished TV writers around collaborate with UCB’s best and brightest. Also, very often, as it would happen, the panel of writers and cast of improvisers are from almost every background imaginable. This week’s TCB Field Report talks to De La Cruz and Karaman in how they built this juggernaut of a show and exceeded any expectation they had.

Follow Pilot Season @pilot_szn on IG and get tix for 4/6 show UCB LA here. Follow Chris @chris_dlc_ and Saleh @cirquedusalad.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 251: YALL Comedy Fest & Juggling Truth to Power & Safe Spaces in Comedy
March 26, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
nyc comedy, yall comedy fest

A comedy festival premised on the idea of punching up and calling it the absurdity of those in power and also providing space for representation for those that are in the margins is now, more so than in a long time, pretty crucial. Thank goodness to the Yes And… Laughter Lab Comedy Festival AKA the YALL Comedy Fest. This week’s TCB Field Report chats with the leadership team at YALL Comedy, Mik Moore, Erika Soto Lamb, and Chike Robinson on putting on this festival that fervently believes that comedy can make a difference and aims to make that notion a truth.

Follow Yes And… Laughter Lab @yallcomedy and get tickets to YALL Comedy Fest here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 250: Skyler Higley & MANDAL & Guaranteeing GUARANTEED!
March 19, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
guaranteed, la comedy, lyric hyperion, mandal, Skyler Higley, stand up, vulture

Skyler Higley and MANDAL are on the precipice of making what very well may be LA’s next stand up to always be at with GUARANTEED! presented by Vulture (and produced by our very own Jake Kroeger). The trio breaks down launching this very special show (as well as the use of RICO charges in crime thrillers).

Follow Skyler @skylerhigley and MANDAL @themandalman and get tix for GUARANTEED every 2nd & 4th Tuesday starting 3/25 @ 7:30PM right here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 249: Sarah Claspell & Doing Improv Literally Everywhere
March 12, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
improv, la comedy, sarah claspell, world's greatest improv school

Even though improv had one of the longest roads back from COVID, it’s back and more expansive than we remember. Sarah Claspell, a longtime celebrated veteran of improv in LA, walks us, on this week’s TCB Field Report, through how that’s happening both with her touring the world doing/teaching improv and co-owning the World’s Greatest Improv School (affectionately pronounced WEE-gis) and the best way to take notes on improv.

Follow Sarah @claspy across socials.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Clay Larsen

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 248: Kristal Adams & Fields-of-Dreams-ing It in NYC
March 6, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
kristal adams, nyc comedy

The wonderful Kristal Adams packed up from LA a few years ago and journeyed to the America’s other comedy mecca, NYC. Adams had definitely established herself in the scene in LA, but opted for the wealth of stage time that New York. Over the last few years, Kristal has not only risen in that scene, but built up a wondrous independent show at multi-purpose bookstore, P&T Knitwear, Bookstore, Coffee, & Podcast Studio, with Alexis Bradby, another LA to NYC transplant. This week’s TCB Field Report has a beautiful in-depth chat about how and where Adams has put so much thought into building an indie comedy show in NYC in the 2020s.

Follow Kristal @thedarkkristal and Astigmatism Comedy @astigmatismcomedy on IG.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 247: Joel Mandelkorn & Closing Out a 20 Year Weekly Show
February 20, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
hot Tub, joel mandelkorn, kurt and kristen, la comedy

Legendary weekly comedy show, Hot Tub with Kurt Kristen, just marked its 20th year anniversary this past weekend and, for now, has come to its end. It marks the end of an era and the wonderment of what lies ahead with the new era ahead. As such, we talk with long time Hot Tub co-producer Joel Mandlekorn (shout out to his co-producer/partner Mandee Johnson as well for making Hot Tub one of LA comedy’s best shows) and pulling off one hell of a finale and where we all might go from here.

Follow Joel @cleftclips

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 246: Teresa Lo & Sticktoitiveness
February 13, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

Teresa Lo still very much is a fiercely determined up and coming stand-up comedian in the vast and highly competitive LA comedy scene. The proof rests in the fact that she is returning to telling jokes on stage after being violently assaulted at an open mic by a comedian who took issue with how he was portrayed in the documentary Breaking the Fourth Wall, a film covering the LA comedy open mic scene. Lo shares her story and her delightful plans in the not so distant future on this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Teresa @teresalowriter on IG and watch Breaking the Fourth Wall on Tubi here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @comedythatsbadass

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 245: Meg Penney & What Goes Into Running a Cool Brooklyn Venue
January 16, 2025
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
littlefield, meg penney, nyc comedy

As strange as it is to say since so much insanity has happened from Jan. 1st onwards, Happy New Year to you all. We’re thankful to talk all things NYC comedy, specifically at the wondrous venue that is Littlefield in Brooklyn with Junior Booker Meg Penney. Meg walks us through all the little things that folks might take for granted to put on an unforgettable show at a super cool indie venue.

Follow Meg @megpenneywashere and Littlefield on @littlefieldnyc on IG

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 244: Lindsay Adams & The Neverending Quest of Being Liked
December 18, 2024
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
artistic process, lindsay adams, solo show

This week’s TCB Field Report has a frank conversation with beloved LA scene staple Lindsay Adams on her constant quest to better herself as both a comedian and a person. This desire fueled her latest endeavor, an experimental solo show where she actively asks the audiences if they still like her after divulging the most cringeworthy moments of her life, offering up a great exploration of Lindsay’s persona, drive, and creative process.

Follow Lindsay @lindsayadamsispopular and get tickets for Do You Still Like Me? on 1/3 @ Lyric Hyperion here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 243: Sam Morrison & Endless Miles of Your Solo Show
December 11, 2024
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
sam morrison, solo show, sugar daddy

Sam Morrison, a wonderful, touring-round-the-world comedian, is hot on the trail of being the next big solo show turning into, possibly, a Broadway sensation (and probably a big time special) with his Sugar Daddy. This week’s TCB Field Report gets into the countless hours (and miles?) of work that has gone into and will go into having this show and himself ascend into stardom.

Follow Sam @samuelhmorrison and Sugar Daddy @_sugardaddyshow

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 242: Jenny Chalikian/Romantic Comedy & The World’s First & Only Bicoastal Romance Novel Store Comedy Show
November 28, 2024
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
comedy show, erin judge, jenny chalikian, romantic comedy

To do a live comedy show for 8 years is a feat, but try upping the ante to doing it in a romance novel only store and franchise it to the the romance novel store’s second location all the way across the country, THEN record an entire album. That has been the trajectory of Romantic Comedy, the long running comedy show at the wondrous gem that is The Ripped Bodice and we talk to co-host/co-creator Jenny Chalikian about what’s been integral to Romantic Comedy’s success.

Follow Romantic Comedy @romcomshow, Jenny @jchalikian, and Erin Judge @iamerinjudge. Get Live at The Ripped Bodice here starting this Friday.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 241: Emily Browning and the Path to Comedy Balloon Enlightenment
November 21, 2024
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
balloons, comedy, emily browning

The path of every artist is something truly singular and, far enough long, something amazing and often unprecedented. Emily Browning is marvelous example of this as she has found her way in and throughout stand-up, clown, writing, acting, and, yep, balloon art and is bringing all of that together in a very, very special balloon art crowd work special, shooting next month. TCB’s Jake Kroeger has an enlightening conversation of how Emily has come to this splendid current moment.

Follow Emily @emilybrowntown across socials and get tix for her Improvised Balloon Comedy Hour taping at Lyric Hyperion on 12/3 here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 240: John Hastings and the One After that Dumb Election in 2024
November 13, 2024
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
election, john hastings, los angeles comedy

After really, truly, deeply not having the time to do an episode last week because of one of the stupidest elections in our lifetime, we are grateful to reconvene with the Field Report and the realignment of comedy in LA and elsewhere with the ever gallivanting John Hastings (on the path to releasing 8 specials this year that you should very much enjoy and watch).

Follow John @thejohnhastings and watch his specials on YouTube here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 239: Lauren Leroux & Standing Out When Everyone Else Is Trying to Stand Out Just Like You
October 31, 2024
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

Lauren Leroux, the host/star of the illustrious NYC variety show, The Cigarette Club, talks with us about why she’s bringing the show to a close as well as the bright shining horizon she’s headed towards with her top secret new show. Lauren also details a nightmare of a show that she survived and looking onwards and upwards after such an ordeal all on this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Lauren @laurendesleroux on IG and get tix for the very last Cigarette Club on 12/7 @ Chelsea Music Hall here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @enemypixels

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  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 263: Shannon O’Neill & Molding Comedy Into a Potholder - While many of you have to come, know, and love the fantastic Shannon O'Neill through… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 262: David Drake & The Power of Bowling Alleys - From just the look of Big Break, David Drake's third and latest hour, you might… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 261: Linzy Beltran & Comedia Por Todo - At the same time, comedy can indeed speak truth to power and also express joy… Read More

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