The Underground Comedy Podcast

This is a special non-comedy episode. Russ Green is a great DC comic and former guest on the podcast. In this episode we discuss his lack of expectations for how the murder of George Floyd will change the country, being a black person in America, and how our society is based on white supremacy. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. In this episode he answers a question from a comic about how to decide between focusing on developing as a comic or focusing on a separate creative project - in this case, a YouTube show. And how to know how much time to devote to each. At the end, he answers a couple of follow up questions from last time about submissions tapes and websites. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Tommy McNamara is a New York-based comic where he is a regular at Caroline's on Broadway. He is also a contributor for Onion Sports and hosts the popular podcast Stand By Your Band. In this episode, he talks about what it's like trying to get jobs in comedy, his approach to comedy festivals, and being a part of Chris Gethard Presents. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Myq Kaplan is a veteran comic who has been on pretty much every late night show, Last Comic Standing, America's Got Talent, and has Comedy Central and Netflix specials. In this episode he talks about his background in linguistics and how he has approached his career by focusing on being true to himself. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. In this episode he answers questions from comics about what is needed from a submission tape and when you should start thinking about making a website for yourself and what it should contain. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Caleb Synan has appeared on Conan and Comedy Central, most recently on The Ringers with Bill Burr. In this episode he talks about starting out in Georgia before moving to Los Angeles to begin to climb the ladder there as well as his positive outlook on comedy and life. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Adam Newman is a Los Angeles-based comic who has appeared on CBS, HBO, and Comedy Central and has an hour special called Fuzzies on Amazon. In this episode he talks about how he was able to hit all of the early markers of stand-up success and how he has had to change his approach as the entertainment landscape has shifted. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Noah Gardenswartz is a great comic who has been headlining with us for years. He is a regular at the Comedy Cellar and is currently a writer for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In this episode, he talks about knowing when it's time to move on, whether from a job or a city, and about how he was able to push through setbacks in his career in order to find success on the other side. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Denise Taylor is a very funny DC comic. She is a contributor to the Onion and a regular on Underground Comedy shows. In this episode, we talk about her progression from her first open mic to getting a manager to writing a pilot to committing herself to pursuing a career in comedy. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Paris Sashay was a great DC comic for years before moving on to New York. After being brutally attacked outside of a night club in DC several years ago, Paris was able to turn her experience into a source of strength and inspiration. She found her voice on stage and cultivated a persona to match it. Soon after she found herself progressing through the clubs in DC before being selected to the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal and eventually being passed at the Comedy Cellar in New York City. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Mekki Leeper is a Los Angeles-based comic who started headlining clubs at the age of 23. Now 25, he is filming a pilot for Comedy Central that is over three years in the making and started as a live show in Philadelphia. In this episode, he talks about how that process unfolded and the perspective that has helped him successfully navigate the comedy world at such a young age. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Carmen Lynch has been headlining with us for years, is a regular at the Comedy Cellar, and has performed on Conan, Last Comic Standing, and the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In this episode, she talks about doing stand-up in Spanish, the challenge of continually writing new material, and trying to find the right balance between various forms of expression. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Russ Green is a good friend of mine and one of the first comics I met in DC when we first started almost nine years ago. Since then, Russ has written for multiple publications, including BET, and has been a fixture on Underground Comedy shows and in the scene in general. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Josh Gondelman spent several years as a writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO and is now a writer and producer for Desus & Mero on Showtime. He has performed on Late Night, Conan, and The Late Late Show. And he just put out a new book of essays called Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results. In this episode, he talks about the challenge of getting a late night writing job and how staying open to different possibilities has allowed him to succeed in multiple ways. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Ryan Donahue is a New York-based comic who has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Crashing on HBO. In this episode, he talks about trying to develop into an authentic comic who is irreplaceable while also learning to navigate the business side of comedy. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Sarah Tollemache has appeared on Comedy Central and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In this episode, she talks about using Twitter to write jokes, how she got into the clubs in New York, and the challenge of being assertive in the comedy world. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Joe List is one of the earliest Underground Comedy headliners and has headlined with us every year since we started. He has appeared on The Late Show, Conan, and Comedy Central. In this episode, he talks about dealing with anxiety and what it's like trying to do irreverent comedy while still being a good person. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Robby Hoffman is a Canadian comedian now living in Los Angeles. She has written for The Chris Gethard Show on TruTV and Workin' Moms on Netflix and was recently named a Comedy Central Up Next comic. In this episode, she talks about making the jump from accounting into stand-up, pursuing comedy in multiple forms simultaneously, and her commitment to finding and following her passion. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Ryan Schutt is a New York-based comic who has appeared on Gotham Comedy Live. Ryan and I started doing stand-up in DC around the same time. We talk about what it was like in those early days and how our paths diverged with him moving to New York to pursue stand-up while I stayed in DC to focus on producing. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.

Monroe Martin is a very funny comic who has appeared on Last Comic Standing, The Tonight with Jimmy Fallon, and Comedy Central. In this episode he talks about growing up in foster care, moving to New York with no job or money, and his approach to presenting his comedy to new crowds. Sean Joyce is the founder of Underground Comedy and produces over 500 live comedy shows each year. If you have a question about comedy or any feedback about the podcast, you can email undergroundcomedydc@gmail.com.