How To Do Online Comedy That Does Not Suck
The Stand Up Comedy Sundays (SUCS) crew.
BY BETTY J. SMITHSONIAN | Did you know that wood frogs freeze themselves in the winter to survive? This is adaptation –things have to change, or they die. And yes, I Googled this example to introduce the topic of this article. I am not a scientist.
Y’all remember Blockbuster? Only some of you, because: youth. The internet came along. Blockbuster, the once thriving video store, could not adjust to an online world. So now, they are no more.
Pandemic has killed a ton of comedy spaces. But some are surviving. And one, very mighty, Philly comedy room is actually thriving: Stand Up Comedy Sundays (SUCS).
In the before-times, this free weekly comedy showcase and open mic was an award winning staple in the Philly comedy scene. Most comedy rooms are a bus stop full of comics frantically typing notes into their phones while waiting for the chance to get on stage, sling some jokes, and roll out to another mic. But SUCS was different; it was a community hub. On any given Sunday night, comics from all over the city were heading to Fergie’s to do time, catch up with some friends, and settle in for a bit.
Back to the tree frogs for a second. Seven months FROZEN each year, then they thaw, and hop away like nobody is the wiser. I needed to share that. It no longer connects to this story. (Or does it?)
So, nobody is piling into bars these days, yet SUCS is still at the heart of the Philly comedy scene – online and under a new name: SUCS to be QUARANTINED
Immediately into lock-down, Kat Mosley, Senior Producer on the SUCS Crew began producing this weekly multi-hour show using a Zoom + Facebook Live medley to broadcast. It took a few Sundays to figure out how to make the online show feel alive without the instant feedback of a truly live audience. But Kat and her crew quickly adapted. They added more comics to the virtual stage, and encouraged banter, unmuting for laughter, and Zoom chat commentary. Soon, the show started to feel and function like a clubhouse hang for local comics, similar to Sunday nights at Fergie’s.
Then four weeks in, the show adapted again. In direct response to the coronavirus’ disproportionate impact on Black people, SUCS launched the BLACK OUT show featuring an exclusively Black line-up. Each week from then on, this show began to respond to the news in some ways where the rest of social media was ignoring.
As the news of George Floyd’s murder took hold and streets and streams began filling with protestors, the SUCS show was themed on the social media response to the uprising. There was a week which was focused on unlearning that came with anti-racist homework for white comics; there was a celebration of Juneteenth; a show that centered non-male voices; a queer pride show in July; an immigration centered show around identity and ethnicity. Producers began inviting non-comedy folks to share mental health resources, talk about intersections of queer and anti-racist activism, and take a closer look at social justice movements happening in real life, in this city and all over the country. And every week there are more belly laughs than ever. In the midst of the shifts, there is more joy, more laughter and even more authentic comedy unfolding in the virtual room.
SUCS is exploring social justice through comedy and exploring comedy through social commentary. And Senior Producer Mosley is excited about the future. “There is still potential for this show to grow. It’s [the virtual space has] given me a safe place to play with creative power. “ Week after week, she says “the show is adapting to stay ahead of the audience.”
Quarantined or not, SUCS is still the place to be – the place where the top Philly comics come to work out their jokes and stay long after their set to catch up and connect. And, now it’s also a place where resources are shared, where education happens, and where perspectives can shift (dare I say, adapt).
And, it is consistently funny as shit. No, really. Check it out. Catch it streaming live, Sundays at 9pm.
Betty Smithsonian is a comedian and creator and helps run Free Fringe. You can follow her on Instagram @bettysmithsonian and Twitter @handstandstore. She wants you to know that if you want more on tree frogs, visit here.
