Show 43: Olympic Champions

Photography by Aemiessence Fine Arts



Just in time for the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, The Living Room celebrated an extraordinary league of comedy heroes. No fake fireworks were used in the production of this show.

Host of Honor Vince Averill introduced the following lineup:

Luke Thayer
Victor Varnado
Jacqueline Novak
Nore Davis
Ryan Hamilton

with special guest appearances by M.I.A. and feminist motivational speaker Dr. Erick Newberry.


Abbi and Luke welcomed viewers to the forty-third show by discussing which Olympic sport they would have chosen to master. Eating mashed potatoes is a lame choice, in life and in fantasy.


So nice, he visits twice, Vince Averill returned for a second time to the show! He smoothly executed all of his material and captivated the audience like a young Mary Lou Retton.


Luke Thayer returned to the stage to rehash defeats past from his childhood. He won the sympathy vote from the crowd.


No sport events are complete without musical talent, and we were lucky to have a visit from M.I.A. Even though she didn't sing Paper Planes, she revealed how she comes up with her unusual songs. And now we know why they're not mainstream.


Victor Varnado enjoyed his first time on the show, celebrating his prank-worthy good looks, the hope for a black U.S. president and condemning dishonest drug companies. His observation skills get a ten-point-oh!


Jacqueline Novak, (the Phelps of the show, for winning a record number of FCAT awards) explained the obsession behind such dance films as Step Up 2: The Streets.


Dr. Erick Newberry returned from a national tour to read the news and give China a piece of her mind for the gymnasts lying about their age. Women need to embrace themselves no matter their stage of life! Somehow she tied the lesson to Toucan Sam. Huh? We're just glad she's back.


Representing Yonkers, Nore Davis came all the way down to share the woes of an overly protective family--or just to hide out from his mom for a while. Coaches are tough.


Ryan Hamilton closed the show and holds the record for going the longest riffing on things around the room. From identifying the berries in his smoothie to taking Matt Sears' order from the counter,



Hamilton had the crowd in stitches providing a new look at the backdrop for the hour's previous performances.


The Hat of Chance deemed Victor Varnado the Funniest Comedian of All Time! He can't decide which niece or nephew he hates enough to give a used edition of the Cat and Mouse. Hey, it's a board game. Olympic games...Yes, we've had enough of the references too.

No! One more:

Bring your synchronized swimming partner to our next show September 12th!

Show 42: Crazy Eights

Photography by Aemiessence Fine Arts


The room was filled to capacity and all abuzz about The Living Room's return from its summer hiatus! It was 8/8/08, dubbed The Night of Crazy Eights, named after a card game that little people know about and fewer people play.

Host of Honor Matt Little skillfully introduced:

Amy Crossfield
Leo Allen
Abbi Crutchfield
Josh Homer
Mike Dobbins

with special guest appearances by Shock Therapy and Reverend Pastor Gardner.


Abbi and Luke welcomed viewers to the forty-second show and marveled at all of the amazing projects they've been able to accomplish during the break. From appearances on MTV to working with Olympic NBA all-stars, Luke had a lot to be jealous about. He balanced the scale with a screening of a hilarious short called Indecent Proposals (about the lengths the couple would go to for a Klondike Bar from Nick Cobb's sweaty pocket).


Matt Little regaled the crowd (or at least the couple on the couch that loved graphic novels) with stories of comic book heroism.


The pleasantly wry Amy Crossfield graced our stage for the first time and didn't hesitate to share her ambivalence towards friends with babies.


Money-centric but frugal thug Shock Therapy came out to give his take on the news, brag about his job at the movie theater and show off his dollar-store bling.


Abbi Crutchfield stepped to the mic to share stories of being raised by a single mom, growing up on cereal, and the dangers of wishing for Brian Regan to be your step-father.


Leo Allen also made his Living Room debut, professing the show's first public service announcement on the calamities that may ensue atop the Grand Canyon.


Returning to the show for his second time, Josh Homer shared good (?) news about being a father-to-be, and hope (?) for the future of a multi-racial child. Congratulations! Maybe.


Visiting theologian Rev. Pastor Gardner talked to us about uncomfortable subjects in his 3-Minute Sermon.


Mike Dobbins appropriately followed with stories of his creepy uncle, in many a different dialect.


He became a two-time champion when he received the Funniest Comedian of All Time award! Coincidentally, this paralleled the ending of our show the first time it returned from summer hiatus. There is no need for his alter egos to scare him now that he has a comforting teddy bear night light (C Batteries not included).

Get your security blanket and cuddle up at our next show August 22nd!

Show 41: Summer Send-Off

Photography by Aemiessence Fine Arts


Summer time summer time sum-sum-summertime! We kicked off Memorial Day Weekend with a bang! Get out your Kool-Aid pitcher and water wings, because we're gonna tell you about the refreshing and splashtastic show called a prelude to warm weather. FCAT Award-winner Ruhbin Mehta hosted:

Rachael Parenta
Andy Hendrickson
Luke Thayer
Jaime Martin
Ray DeVito

with special guest appearances by absent-minded movie mogul Connie LaSource and WNBC's foul-mouthed Sue Simmons.

Abbi and Luke welcomed viewers to the forty-first show and listed things they plan to do this summer. Unfortunately the show is taking a break for two months(ONE FLAG), but it will be back and better than ever by August 8th (SIX FLAGS!)



Ruhbin Mehta took the stage and told the harrowing tales of hours spent in foreign prisons for petty non-crimes.



Rachael Parenta returned, this time discussing dates and drinks...lots of drinks on said dates. And settling. And growing older. But also the positive outlook of supportive friends. Who knew she had so much in common with Sex and the City? Cute shoes!



Andy Hendrickson made his Living Room debut, and it was definitely worth the wait!



In the wake of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hollywood screenwriter Connie LaSource fielded questions from her sequel-writing class in rainboots and with a bowl on her head. The she took a call on a banana and left. Write on!




Luke Thayer gushed over the joys of interracial dating and how they lead to interracial engagment. He just can't let it go.



The Living Room welcomed its first comedic spoken word poet Jaime Martin who took the invisible podium to preach a tribute to nerds. Two Wired magazine page-turning thumbs up!



Fresh out of anger-management classes, WNBC News Anchor Sue Simmons joined the show. She tried to repair her reputation of having sworn on live television by creating and reading "light-hearted comedy news". When the jokes fell flat, however, things got ugly. Old habits die hard.



Returning funnyman Ray DeVito intrigued us with musings on famous inventors' not-so-famous siblings.



His take on underachievers who see the glass of life half full inspired the Hat of Chance to select him as the Funniest Comedian of All Time!



He will play many a squealy tune on his new push-button xylophone.

An honorary prize was given to Jaime Martin for boldly going where no man had gone before.



He will spend hours racking up minutes on (or minutes chewing up bites of) his new banana phone!

So you didn't win the Indy 500. You can still zoom over to our very special one-night only performance of

Abbi and Luke: Character-Building
Sat June 7 8:00PM ($5)
Gotham City Improv
48 W. 21st Street
New York, NY 10010

And don't forget to come on back to Postmark and show us your postcards on
August 8th!

Show 40: The Announcement

Photography by Aemiessence Fine Arts


This was a very special Living Room show! Not only did it turn 40 (performances old), but the co-producers Abbi and Luke unveiled a secret they had been sitting on for three whole days:

They are engaged!

Some of you are saying, "I thought they were engaged years ago," or "I always figured they were brother and sister," or even "What is this? I was trying to get to The Living Room, the music venue". Hunker down, Partner, and read all about the fun surprises each performer revealed.

He's been there since the show started in 2006, and Matt McCarthy returned to lead the following lineup:

Ed Murray
Brent Sullivan
Abbi Crutchfield
Reese Waters
a sketch by Bacivo Nuggets

with special guests Jack Yu and Mark Helphenstein.

Matt confessed his trouble with spelling and the problem it poses to his artistic side.



Ed Murray pondered health insurance for starving artists and the reality of debt that's so close it's like family.



Chinatown merchant Jack Yu stopped by to sell us generic super hero toys and read us the news. For a white man adopted by a Chinese family, he sure knows how to insult a tourist.



Brent got audience participation to back him up on his crying problem. The same one he's had his entire life.



Abbi returned to the stage to reminisce on dating and dish about Barbara Walters' mild and crazy life.



The foremost George Michael impersonator in all of New York, Mark Helphenstein, took center stage to rock out to "Faith". Without his lucky pic, however, the song turned more into a rant session and a vendetta against Matt McCarthy.



Recent March Comedy Madness winner Reese Waters was our final stand-up of the evening and taught us about the difference among Duane Reades in each neighborhood.



For their first time on the show, the Bacivo Nuggets performed a sketch, a press conference whereby Dr. Seuss defends the private lives of storybook characters. Let's just say Rain Man had good reason to eat Green Eggs and Ham.



The Hat of Chance selected Reese Waters as the Funniest Comedian of All Time! A first-time recipient, he will hug his new figurine with pride.



Don't miss our next show on May 23rd, the final hurrah before our two-month summer break!