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Performer and comedian Kellye Howard is headed to Geva Theatre’s Work Out Room in June.
The new “Work Out Room” comedy series, launching with Howard, is an opportunity for comedians to try out their freshest material in real time on Geva’s Fielding stage.
Baron Vaughn, Geva’s 23/25 Artist in Residence, curated the program. Vaughn envisions it as a way for audiences to witness more of the creative process while also finding entertainment and joy in up-and-coming comedians.
Howard will be working on her latest material, entitled “27 Hyenas,” multiple days in June. She refers to it as a “sharp, funny, and fearless hour of comedy” that wrestles with the inherently contradictory nature of intimacy, control, vulnerability and protection.
“Kellye Howard is a force of nature on the mic,” says Vaughn. “She has the rare ability to swing from ferocity to vulnerability in the space of a few words all held together by her commanding stage presence.”
Besides stand-up, Howard is a versatile writer and performer who has acted in movies and TV shows such as “Cherry” and “Power Book IV: Force.” Her one-woman show, “Crazy or Nah?!”, debuted at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, and incorporated storytelling and poetry to comedically question the lasting effects of emotional and psychological trauma.
She also refers to herself as an “MS warrior” and is the founder of MS-ing Around, a nonprofit that hosts annual comedy fundraisers and quarterly wellness retreats.
As part of Howard’s run in Rochester, Geva is partnering with Boulder Coffee Co. Cafe & Lounge for an open mic night. There will be a mixer at the cafe before the open mic with Howard, in which other comedians are welcome to sign up to perform.
“I believe Geva audiences will appreciate her stories, her charm, and the way she digs deep to find the funny,” Vaughn says.
The Boulder Coffee Co. Cafe & Lounge Comedy Open Mic will be held on Monday, June 16, with a mixer at 7 p.m. and the event set for 7:30 p.m.
Howard’s Work Out Room series will be featured on Geva’s Fielding stage from June 12 to 22. Tickets are $20 each, $15 for One Geva subscribers.
Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist.
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