If you don’t already know, SOLOCOM is NYC’s Only All-New Solo Comedy Festival. The fest takes place November 17-20 and since comedy often gets a reputation for being…less than feminist (ok, that’s an understatement), I felt it my duty to highlight the most subversive shows being performed at the 4th Annual SOLOCOM.
SOLOCOM was founded by the wonderful Peter Michael Marino who to this day remains the only teacher in my many years of schooling–comedy and otherwise to say that misognist, homophobic, and racist writing would not be tolerated in his classes (I remember seeing one male student leave and never come back). I have followed Marino’s work as a performer and the work he supports as a producer and festival programmer ever since.
Marino, over email said that he created SOLOCOM four years ago “to provide artists with a nourishing platform to debut brand new work solo comedy material.” Having worked in the solo show and comedy genre for so many years as a solo writer, performer, producer and director, he thought there was a gap in solo performance that needed to be filled. “Many solo shows can fall into the category of naval-gazing and sentimentality, and I wanted solo artists to have a place to create work that had a comedic bent while having universal themes and mold-breaking concepts of execution.”
Additionally when asked about why it’s important for people to start to dust themselves off from our collective post-election mourning, Marino said: “We need comedy and entertainment now…more than ever.”
Pick #1: Martha Chaves is coming to SOLOCOM from Canada via Nicaragua where she grew up during the revolution and was voted “Most likely to talk under torture.” Her show is called The Two Dairies of a Young Lezbo and is being performed on Saturday at 3:30pm at The Striker.
Pick #2: Boston-based Lucas Brooks sex shop show and genderqueer ex-nun Kelly Dunham’s shows are playing together on Sunday at 8:30pm at The Underground.
Pick #3: Jen Clark’s super radical lesbian late-night madness is happening Saturday at 11pm at The Underground.
Pick #4: Jamie Lerner’s feminist ukulele show takes place today, Thursday at 7pm in the Pit Loft.
Pick #5: You can see Becky Yamamoto directed by Erin Rose Foley in If I Could Turn Back Time Friday at 8:30pm at The Underground.
What shows are you going to see this weekend at SOLOCOM or otherwise? Let us know in the comments!
