My First Sketch

This week, Josh talks to Veronica Dang (@modelmajority) about Lucille Ball, an overwhelming response when you want to start a sketch team, and doing background for SNL. Follow Model Majority on all social platforms at @modelmajority and go to modelmajority.com. See Model Majority during Toronto Sketchfest’s Screen Time Edition on Thursday 3/24 at 7pm. Veronica will be participating in the Comedy Road Trip panel Saturday afternoon, March 26, at 3pm. Go to torontosketchfest.com for more on those. Model Majority will be performing live and in person in Chicago, IL, on Friday, March 25, at 11pm at the Annoyance Theater. If you’re in the Second City, check out worldcomedyexpo.com for more on that festival. I’ll be hosting Sketch Train during Toronto Sketchfest on Saturday, March 26, probably around 11pm after the shows for the night. Then Sketchubator returns Friday, April 1, at 10pm. Head to sketchubator.com for more.

This week, Josh talks to Emily Richardson (@emrich44 on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok) about gaining the confidence to audition for sketch comedy, writing about celebrity news, and getting reposted by Lil Nas X to go viral. You can see Emily’s work during Toronto Sketchfest’s Screen Time Edition on Mar 26 at 8:30 pm. She will also be participating in a panel called TikTok MasterClass for Comedians on Mar 24 at 11am. All the information for those can be found at torontosketchfest.com. Follow Emily on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @emrich44. And Emily writes for dlisted.com where you can read her take on celebrity news. Sketchubator returns to Zoom on April 1.

This week, Josh talks to Rena Taylor (@reenerdog on Instagram) about Joy Provision, the disappointment of theater school, and sad little yankee comedians. Follow Joy Provision on Instagram at @joy.provision. Rena hosts a weekly standup show at Wenona Craft Beer Lodge in Toronto called Wenona Ride’r Die every Thursday night. Tickets are available at eventbrite.ca. Toronto Sketchfest is returning to the digital stage from March 23-27. Tickets and more information can be found at torontosketchfest.com. Sketchubator returns to Zoom on April 1 at 10pm. Check out sketchubator.com.

This week, Josh talks to Evan Forde Barden (Young Douglas) about comedy in Covid, college improv, Fire Marshall Bill, and the comedy scene restarting in New York. Follow Young Douglas on Instagram at @youngdouglascomedy. See Acorns at the Squirrel Theater at Caveat every Monday at 730pm. Check out thesquirrelnyc.com for more on those shows. Sketchubator returns to Zoom August 27 at 10pm EDT. Check out sketchubator.com for more.

This week, Josh talks to Bob Beshere (Trouble with Shapes) about watching Empty Nest, becoming a nerdcore rapper, and evolving as a comedy writer. Check out Trouble with Shapes on Instagram at @tws_comedy and live and in person at the Idiot Box (idiotboxers.com) in Greensboro, NC, on July 17. The next Sketchubator will be July 9: find out more at sketchubator.com. Sketch Buffet is coming to Crossroads Comedy at Theatre Exile on July 16. Visit xroadscomedy.com for ticket info.

This week, Josh talks to Emmy Serviss about Suzzy, comedy in Boston, and she introduces to a tv sketch show Josh had never heard of before. You can find Suzzy on Facebook at @suzzyboston. Suzzy is performing in a virtual show with the Jean Paul Bros this Saturday, July 11th at 8pm. Find out more information at theriottheater.com. Don’t forget about Sketchubator, this Friday, July 10 at 10pm eastern on Zoom. Check out myfirstsketch.com or phillysketchfest.com for more information.

This week, Josh talks to Dylan Sharp (Dang Dumb) about comedy in Edmonton, the future, and how improv helps him in the real world. You can like Dang Dumb on Facebook at facebook.com/dangdumb and on Instagram at @dangdumbcomedy. The next Sketchubator, our online sketch comedy open mic, will take place on Friday, June 26 at 10pm eastern. All the information can be found at myfirstsketch.com and phillysketchfest.com. If you’ve never joined us before, you’ve missed out on sketches about Jurassic Park, Garth Brooks, neti pots, and rock star heaven. Just to name a few.

I had intended to take a pause, like so many other podcasts, to allow for different voices and the bigger issues to be heard. Then, I remembered a chat I had with Briyana Clarel about their work with The Starfruit Project. Let's revisit a bit of that chat and learn more about The Starfruit Project. And remember: Black Lives Matter.

This week, Josh talks to Kelly Turner about Dang Dumb, improv to sketch, and comedy in Edmonton. You can like Dang Dumb on Facebook at facebook.com/dangdumb and on Instagram at @dangdumbcomedy. Don’t forget about Sketchubator, the sketch comedy incubator we’ve been hosting on Zoom every other week. The next one is May 29th at 10pm eastern/7pm pacific. For more information, including the Zoom ID, check myfirstsketch.com and phillysketchfest.com.

This week, Josh talks to Craig Scorgie (@thewowcomedy) about starting a sketch troupe in high school, learning how to write on the fly, and taking the step into producing shows. You can follow Craig’s sketch group, The Wow, all over social media at @thewowcomedy. I’ve also posted two of the shows we talked about during the episode in the blog section of myfirstsketch.com. So you can see Good Game Watches Homeward Bound and Craig Scorgie is a Growing Boy in one place. Don’t forget about Sketchubator, the sketch comedy incubator we’ve been hosting on Zoom every two weeks. The next one is May 29th at 10pm eastern/7pm pacific. For more information, including the Zoom ID, check myfirstsketch.com and phillysketchfest.com.

This week, Josh talks to Jacquie Baker about The Flat Earth, The Incredible Shrinking Matt and Jacquie, and a whole bunch more. Check out some of my favorite sketches and videos from Jacquie’s comedy life at myfirstsketch.com/blog. You can like the choir Jacquie sings with at facebook.com/AnnaCrusisChoir. For more information about Sketchubator, our sketch comedy incubator, head to myfirstsketch.com/sketchubator.

This week, Josh talks to John D. Babcock (Sketchworks in Atlanta, GA) about college sketch comedy, working in a remote writer’s room, and getting sued by a big Broadway show. Give Sketchworks a like on Facebook at facebook.com/sketchworkscomedy, where they’re posting a bunch of sketches from their history. And then sketchworkscomedy.com for all the information about classes and shows if you’re in the Atlanta area. Also, Philly Sketchfest and My First Sketch will be presenting Sketchubator: A Sketch Comedy Incubator while we’re unable to have live shows. The first one will take place on May 1st at 10pm. All the details will be posted on phillysketchfest.com and myfirstsketch.com as well as the social media platforms.

This week, guest host Julia Hudson talks to normal host Josh Higham in this "lost episode" about ripping off SNL, learning about comedy in his hometown, and the key of context. Continue listening to My First Sketch, and stay safe out there. I can't wait until we can laugh together again.

This week, Josh talks to Fred Chong Rutherford (Gary from HR, Milwaukee) about children’s programming, puppetry, and Oreos. Gary from HR and Milwaukee are both heading to Toronto Sketchfest this weekend, and both teams will be performing on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14, at the Theater Center. And it’s scheduled that one team performs in the 8pm block and the other team performs in the 10pm block. So go to one, grab a Steam Whistle or a County Cider, and then go to other. Tickets are available at tosketchfest.com. Follow Gary from HR and Milwaukee on Instagram at @garyfromhr and @milwaukeesketchcomedy respectively.

This week, Josh talks to Erica Gellert about Low Rise Queens, The Sketchersons, and so much more. Erica will be performing a number of times over the next couple weeks. During Toronto Sketchfest, Low Rise Queens will be performing on both Thursday, March 5 and 12 at Comedy Bar, and Erica will be performing her solo act on Friday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 11. Check out tosketchfest.com for tickets and more information. In addition, Sunday Night Live will be happening as it normally does at Comedy Bar on Sundays. Check out comedybar.ca for more on that show.

This week, Josh talks to AJ Schraeder about performing as a solo act, a duo act, and in a larger group. We also talk Muppets, college tours, and working with someone remotely. AJ will be performing as Thunderstood at Toronto Sketchfest on March 5 and 6. For more information on those shows, head to tosketchfest.com. Then, after AJ returns to North Carolina, he will be performing twice at the North Carolina Comedy Festival on March 21. Mon Frere will be performing with Bad Medicine and High Dramma in 8pm block and then Wikimedians will be performing with Mom’s Adhesive and Turkey Leg in the 935pm block. For more information on the North Carolina Comedy Festival, check out nccomedyfestival.com. AJ and his brother Al also maintain a blog about sketch comedy at unstoppablefailure.com.

This week, Josh talks to Meg Mackay (@megmackaycomedy) about starting in Halifax, beginning a career as a TV writer, and driving on ice roads. Like her on Facebook at facebook.com/megmackaycomedy. If you’re going to Toronto Sketchfest, you can see Meg on Sunday, March 8 as part of Flying Solo: An International Women’s Day Spectacular and then a longer set on Saturday, March 14. For all the information on those shows, head to tosketchfest.com.

This week, Josh talks to Sarah Nowak (@snowak) about traveling to Toronto from Buffalo for comedy classes, being a New Face at Just for Laughs Montreal, and a little bit about monster erotica. See Sarah with National Scandal at Cram-n It on February 20 at the PIT Underground Stage at 8:30. You can also see Sarah doing improv with The Baldwins at the PIT Underground every Saturday. Subscribe and listen to Sarah’s podcast with Josh Krebs, Eroticasaurus, wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Josh talks to Briyana Clarel (Mural Outrage) about being cast as a tree, jumping right into the sketch scene, and their work with The Starfruit Project. Briyana is directing Philly Improv Theater’s Valentines Day-themed show Smitten: February 13, 14, and 15. All shows take place at 9pm. Then, Mural Outrage starts their next run at the Philly Improv Theater the following week with a show called Nightsweat: two weeks, Thursdays and Fridays, February 20, 21, 27, 28 with all shows starting at 9pm. Check phitcomedy.com for more information, including tickets. Also, check out thestarfruitproject.com.

This week, Josh talks to Patrick J. Reilly (@notpatreilly) about Mel Brooks and Martin Short, musical theater, and David Foster Wallace. Check out Jellicle Pats, Patrick’s birthday show about Cats, at the PIT in NYC on Thursday, February 6th. On Saturday, February 22, Infinite Sketch returns to the PIT. For ticket info on both those shows, go to thepit-nyc.com. Check out Patrick’s comic memoirs for free at noisetrade.com.