The Standups

S1: Fortune Feimster 

If you’re seen Chelsea Lately, you MAY have come across this unique comedian (Southern-raised, tall/plus-size, & lesbian). Feimster (who has MANY years as a stand-up_ parodied WH Press Sec. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on several eps of Chelsea Handler’s (Netflix) talk show. She has a V strong stage presence, her life stories are fresh (yet also east to relate to), and her delivery is confident. 

S2: Gina Yashere & Aparna Nancherla

Yashere (though now living w/ her partner in Brooklyn) is a proud British-Nigerian immigrant woman; she worked for MANY yrs as an engineer before becoming an actress/comedian. You may have seen her on some eps of Comedy Central’s At Midnight. “Hollywood didn’t know what to do w/ me,” the comic (now in her mid-40s) says at the opening of this V funny/smart set. FYI: Yashere lived in LA for a time several yrs ago; this could be seen as a comeback for her career. Her delivery is V strong and confident; she knows who she is and doesn’t pretend to be otherwise (which is probably why mainstream/Hollywood comedies wouldn’t suit). I think this comedian is TOO good for MOST of the roles out there for black women; Yashere knows it, too. On the stage, she is a MUST-SEE; maybe I can see her live one day! 

Nancherla MAY be familiar to some Gen X/Y-ers in the DMV area; she grew up in NoVA and started her career at open mics in DC (incl. SubDrift- I’ve been going in the last 3 yrs or so). I haven’t seen her in person, though have several acquaintances and pals who have; they are V proud of her success. Nancherla (who is in her mid-30s, BUT looks younger) might be best known as the ramen blogger on S2 of Master of None; she also wrote (along w/ Hari Kondabolu) for the TBS show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. Nancherla’s style and delivery are unique; she calls herself an introvert, awkward, and anxious. In the the last section of her routine, she utilizes PowerPoint (it’s V funny though). Unlike Kondabolu, her Indian heritage is NOT part of her comedy; this could be seen as a plus to some, a minus to others. Her comedy is V smart and unexpected, at times, making her a must-see!  

The Comedy Lineup

Ep. 1: Michelle Buteau

I’ve heard some (hilarious) interviews w/ Buteau on several podcasts over the last 2 yrs. She recently turned 40 and talks re: aging, relationships, and many universal topics. Some of the humor comes from her marriage to a Swedish (white) man, who sometimes doesn’t get the nuances of (black) American life. 

Ep. 5: Phil Wang

I’d NEVER heard of this 25 y.o. British-Chinese comedian before, BUT was V impressed by his routine! The big glasses are NOT for show- this guy is quite smart, observant, and socially aware.  I esp. liked his quick, self-deprecating delivery. An outsider in many nations, he uses a BIT of Mandarin (to poke fun at himself). Wang’s British (white) anthropologist mother traveled for work to Indonesia, where she learned that life could be a BIT rough. She decided to learn martial arts; her teacher was Chinese (Wang’s father). 

Ep. 6: Sabrina Jalees 

I’ve been following this Pakistani-Canadian actress/comedian for several yrs on social media (Twitter & YouTube). She is settled in NYC w/ her partner and their young baby (who she talks about in this routine). After she came out, Jalees was ostracized by some relatives on her Pakistani father’s side; however, things mended quickly (b/c they missed having her in the family). She is more confident, bold, and sure in her comedy (than what I recall from before). I hope to see more of her in the future; I think she has a LOT of potential. Jalees (who is in her early 30s) also dances and writes, aside from stand-up.