Back by very popular demand, EntryPointDC’s The Unkosher Comedy Tour returns with some of the funniest young comedians of DC. This annual Shavuot tradition will take place on Wednesday, June 7th at RFD in Chinatown. We asked Jewish Person of the Week alum, Stacy Miller, EntryPointDC’s Manager, to give us a preview of the event.
Why did you choose comedy for a celebration of Shavuot? What’s the theme this year?
Traditionally, Shavuot events focus on learning and studying.
We remain awake to show that, unlike the situation of our heavy-lidded ancestors at Sinai, there is no need to bring us to our senses; we are ready to receive Torah. And what could be a better way to stay up super-late than at a rocking comedy show?!
Comedians are storytellers and often share insights about the collective human experience that we all can relate to and learn from. Last year, our Shavuot comedy show theme was revelations. The comedians incorporated stories about a time when something was revealed to them, whether they learned something about themselves or about another person.
This year’s theme is ‘Up All Night,’ since we often stay up until the late hours learning on Shavuot. The comedians will be adding jokes to their set about a time something or someone caused them to stay up all night and what they learned from the experience.
What can the audience expect? A night of laughs, libations & l’chaim. This year you also can choose a VIP ticket option for the guaranteed best seats in the house.
Tell us a bit about the performers.
Max Rosenblum, our original host for the event, selected the comedians for the show. He has performed for both NOVA Tribe Series and EntryPointDC, and at our Confessions: A Storytelling Interrogation Show with hosts Perfect Liars Club last September in honor of Yom Kippur.
For this event, he selected a group of comedians that are Jewish, have Jewish content and/or have a lot of stage experience. Alex Scott, Moses the Funny Jew on Twitter, is a Jew of color, #kosher, and an Air Force vet. Naomi Karavani is a correspondent and writer for the weekly, comedy news show Redacted Tonight. Jeff Hyson performed at our first Unkosher Comedy Tour back in 2013. The first time I saw Yoki Danoff, he was a part of a comedy panel show where he was an expert on all things related to Jewish actors, and he had to compete with the audience on knowing Jewish trivia. Steve Brady is our token non-Jew and he has hosted shows with Max in the past. Our new host, Jon Yeager, tells me he is a proud quarter-Jew and he knows all about Shavuot.
What’s on the menu? We have drink and food specials all night! Definitely some cheesy and dairy goodness at RFD for the apps and desserts.
For more information and tickets, click here. For more events around Shavuot, check out our Shavuot Guide 2017/5777.
