Category Archives: shows

Calgary Fringe Trailer and Interview

I’m doing the Calgary Fringe Theatre Festival as a digital performer, with my show about being laid off from a cell-phone ringtone company, Lord of the Files (short trailer above.) This is the first time Lord of the Files had been available online, so you haven’t seen it before, here’s your chance. It’ll be on-demand until August 14th. Tickets are available here.

Here’s an interview I did with the Fringe:

2021 CALGARY FRINGE SUMMER ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

TODAY’S FEATURE ARTIST: Lesley Tsina

SHOW: Lord of the Files (https://tickets.calgaryfringe.ca/event/366:18/)

WHAT DRIVES YOUR PASSION AS AN ARTIST? My brain is very full at any given moment. It’s crammed with trivia, obsessions, memories of terrible jobs, arguments I did not have or did not win. And in general, I’m too polite to say what I’m thinking a lot of the time. So basically, I do comedy and tell stories to keep my head from exploding.

BIGGEST INFLUENCER(S): Josh Kornbluth, Lauren Weedman and Brian Finkelstein. All great solo performers in different ways. Also, Claudia Shear for writing “Blown Sideways Through Life,” which is just the best solo show title.

SHARE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF WE DON’T KNOW (AND WOULD SURPRISE US TO HEAR): I am the author of a fake oral history of Windows 95 titled “Restart Me Up: The Unauthorized, Un-Accurate Oral History of Windows 95.” I watched the Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston 30-minute infomercial for Windows 95 all the way through, twice, in order to write it. If you have not heard of that, you are…fortunate? Anyway, it’s frighteningly well-researched for a funny book and also quite short, so you should read it.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BREAKFAST ROUTINE? I feed the cats first (always) and then make instant coffee and toast with some combination of butter/jam/peanut butter/almond butter/honey/mascarpone on it. I eat breakfast in the living room in front of my laptop and get meowed at until I let the cat smell the toast and lick butter off my fingers. Once the cat gets his butter snack, the day can begin.

TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS: go to www.calgaryfringe.ca#yycfringe2021

Motherhood in the Industry Panel

Hey! I’m doing a cool panel on motherhood in the industry with Tracy Wigfield, Yamara Taylor and Molly Hawkey. They represent various types of parenthood. I’m the representative of “or not.”

August 11th at 2 pm to 4 pm (doors open at 1:30)

Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth Theater
2511 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057

Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/motherhood-in-the-industry-tickets-48769367491

I expect it to go down in history as “Typewriter of Dynasties, Mother of Panels.” In any case, it’ll be interesting. Check it out!

Your TPT Late Night Show Tonight with Haley Mancini!

I’m writing and performing in this show at The Pack Theater. My friend Haley Mancini is hosting and the entire show takes place in the a void in space that somehow contains a desk and a late night talk show. It’s free! Come on by!

Produced by Gil Baron (Comic Relief), Ben Kuerschner (The Tonight Show) Jonathan Grant (Rotato) and Jasper Sams! Directed by Ben Kuerschner!

Special Guest Eric Bauza!

Written by Tim McGovern, Stacy Rumaker Bouchoux, Samantha Jane, Lesley Tsina and Jake Goldman

Idi0T Festival with The Devastator

Rare trip up to the SF Bay Area this weekend for Chris Hardwick’s Id10T Festival. I’ll be signing copies of Restart Me Up and manning the booth with The Devastator. We are in Exhibitor Village, Booth 605, next to Laser Tag, for your convenience. Bay Area friends, stop on by, watch a ton of comedy and music and look at some cool new books!

June 24-25 – 11am-midnight ( we will be there noon -8, both days)

Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA

http://id10tfest.com/

The Prop Comic at the Comedy Central Stage

I’m in a pilot with comedian Nina Daniels and it’s showing this week at the Comedy Central Stage along with her live show. It’s free with reservations. Come!

Thursday, February 25th – The Prop Comic

Comedy Central Stage at The Hudson
6539 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA  90038
Free – reservations required
call 323-960-5519

It was directed by Justin Donaldson and also features Majeed Nami, Drennon Davis, Jean Marie Black, Judilin Bosita, Katherine Palardy, Dax Herrera, Nicky Urban, Peggy Sinnott, and Paul Danke. There’s a writeup from the LA Weekly here: http://www.laweekly.com/event/the-prop-comic-6589684

Spoiler Country – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

spoiler county star wars

I wrote a page of what I think will happen in the new Star Wars movie. It’s an exquisite corpse script written by a ton of people and we’re reading it at UCB Franklin on Monday.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens blasts into theaters on December 18th, with a screenplay allegedly written by JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan. Or was it?? Come catch a sneak preview of the REAL screenplay for Star Wars Episode VII, written round-robin style by a rogue squadron of UCB’s funniest writers!

Written by: Jon Bershad, Ian Brennan, Julie Brister, Mark David Christenson, Joey Clift, Danny Cohen, Eric Cunningham, Joan Ford, Skander Halim, Jessica Haymond, Haley Hepworth, Ryan Hitchcock, Gina Ippolito, David Kantrowitz, Jess Lane, Marie Lively, Chuck Maa, Mark Mitchell, Tim Neenan, Kerry O’Neill, Joseph Porter, Cait Raft, Jake Regal, Tim Saccardo, Mark Schroeder, Rye Silverman, Gregory Lawrence Smith, Wilder Smith, Scott Sonne, Sydney Steinberg & Jeff Topolski, Mike Still, Lesley Tsina, & Heather Woodward

Hosted by: Mark David Christenson, Ryan Hitchcock, David Kantrowitz, and Jess Lane

Tickets $5 here: https://franklin.ucbtheatre.com/performance/43132