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Event Program
THUR, NOV 30
FEATURING
Guy Branum, Robin Gelfenbien, Sam Kebede,
Kenice Mobley, Gabe Mollica, & Rojo Perez
HOSTED BY MATT LOVE
Due to a scheduling conflict, Christi Chiello will no longer appear at this event.
Guy Branum is a comedian, actor, and writer. He created and hosted truTV's Talk Show the Game Show, and his screen credits as both actor and writer include Platonic, Bros, History of the World: Part II, The Mindy Project, Awkward., Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, Chelsea Lately, and No Strings Attached, among others. Branum's memoir My Life as a Goddess was featured on NPR's 2018 Good Reads List.
Guy Branum is a comedian, actor, and writer. He created and hosted truTV's Talk Show the Game Show, and his screen credits as both actor and writer include Platonic, Bros, History of the World: Part II, The Mindy Project, Awkward., Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, Chelsea Lately, and No Strings Attached, among others. Branum's memoir My Life as a Goddess was featured on NPR's 2018 Good Reads List.
Robin Gelfenbien is the host and creator of the critically acclaimed storytelling show and podcast Yum's the Word, which has been named a New York Times and Time Out New York critics' pick. A three-time Moth Story Slam winner, Gelfelbien has performed on shows and podcasts like RISK! and Mortified, among others. She is also the creator of the solo show My Salvation Has a First Name (A Wienermobile Journey).
Robin Gelfenbien is the host and creator of the critically acclaimed storytelling show and podcast Yum's the Word, which has been named a New York Times and Time Out New York critics' pick. A three-time Moth Story Slam winner, Gelfelbien has performed on shows and podcasts like RISK! and Mortified, among others. She is also the creator of the solo show My Salvation Has a First Name (A Wienermobile Journey).
Sam Kebede is a first-generation Ethiopian/Eritrean-American from Southern California. He's performed and had his works presented at venues including The Public, Ars Nova, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the Venice International Film Festival. His award-winning play ETHIOPIANAMERICA premiered at Victory Garden Theater in Chicago, and he is currently at work on several forthcoming stage projects. His recent screen credits include And Just Like That... and New Amsterdam. Kebede also loves to perform stand up, and is the creator of the sets "I'm Ostracized because I'm Ostrich-Sized" and "World's Largest Ethiopian." His solo show, Lack History, is available to stream through Ars Nova Supra.
Sam Kebede is a first-generation Ethiopian/Eritrean-American from Southern California. He's performed and had his works presented at venues including The Public, Ars Nova, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the Venice International Film Festival. His award-winning play ETHIOPIANAMERICA premiered at Victory Garden Theater in Chicago, and he is currently at work on several forthcoming stage projects. His recent screen credits include And Just Like That... and New Amsterdam. Kebede also loves to perform stand up, and is the creator of the sets "I'm Ostracized because I'm Ostrich-Sized" and "World's Largest Ethiopian." His solo show, Lack History, is available to stream through Ars Nova Supra.
Kenice Mobley made her late night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and was recently featured in Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival. As a writer, her credits include the BET Awards and the sketch comedy series By Us For Us. Mobley has hosted the podcasts Complexify for ViceNews, Love About Town, and Make Yourself Cry for Planet Scum. She regularly performs live on stage worldwide and on the air for SiriusXM, and her debut comedy album, Follow Up Question, was released in 2022.
Kenice Mobley made her late night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and was recently featured in Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival. As a writer, her credits include the BET Awards and the sketch comedy series By Us For Us. Mobley has hosted the podcasts Complexify for ViceNews, Love About Town, and Make Yourself Cry for Planet Scum. She regularly performs live on stage worldwide and on the air for SiriusXM, and her debut comedy album, Follow Up Question, was released in 2022.
Gabe Mollica is the creator of the one-man show Solo: A Show About Friendship, which enjoyed an extended run at Soho Playhouse in New York and will next be performed at Chicago's Den Theatre. Mollica has been profiled in Gothamist and Paste, and was featured in episodes of This American Life and All of It with Allison Stewart.
Gabe Mollica is the creator of the one-man show Solo: A Show About Friendship, which enjoyed an extended run at Soho Playhouse in New York and will next be performed at Chicago's Den Theatre. Mollica has been profiled in Gothamist and Paste, and was featured in episodes of This American Life and All of It with Allison Stewart.
Rojo Perez made his late night standup debut on Conan and has since appeared on Comedy Knockout, Decoded, Univision's FLAMA, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, HBO Latino's standup special Entre Nos: Spot On, Comedy Central's Tight Five, and Survival of the Thickest. He recently served as a writer on Netflix's Drink Masters. Perez has performed live at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, SXSW, New York Comedy Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival, and LA Riot Comedy Festival, among others, and his debut comedy album, Words, was released in 2021.
Rojo Perez made his late night standup debut on Conan and has since appeared on Comedy Knockout, Decoded, Univision's FLAMA, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, HBO Latino's standup special Entre Nos: Spot On, Comedy Central's Tight Five, and Survival of the Thickest. He recently served as a writer on Netflix's Drink Masters. Perez has performed live at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, SXSW, New York Comedy Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival, and LA Riot Comedy Festival, among others, and his debut comedy album, Words, was released in 2021.
Matthew Love is a performer and writer whose byline has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, LitHub, American Theatre, Village Voice, The Onion, AV Club, and Time Out New York, where he was formerly the Comedy and Books editor. He's currently a consulting producer for Selected Shorts and its spin-off podcast, Too Hot for Radio. He has interviewed or hosted shows featuring Chris Rock, David Byrne, Parker Posey, Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert, Tig Notaro, and many, many more. Love is putting finishing touches on his “grandma noir” novel, Tough Old Birds.
Matthew Love is a performer and writer whose byline has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, LitHub, American Theatre, Village Voice, The Onion, AV Club, and Time Out New York, where he was formerly the Comedy and Books editor. He's currently a consulting producer for Selected Shorts and its spin-off podcast, Too Hot for Radio. He has interviewed or hosted shows featuring Chris Rock, David Byrne, Parker Posey, Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert, Tig Notaro, and many, many more. Love is putting finishing touches on his “grandma noir” novel, Tough Old Birds.
Uptown Showdown is made possible thanks to the generous support of Susan Bay Nimoy, Estate of Douglas M. Matheson, Seedlings Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Charina Endowment Fund, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, PECO Foundation, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, Mustang Foundation, Michael Tuch Foundation, Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation, The Grodzins Fund, and The Isambard Kingdom Brunel Society of North America.
This program is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Symphony Space thanks our generous supporters, including our Board of Directors, Producers Circle, and members, who make our programs possible with their annual support.
Kathy Landau Executive Director
Peg Wreen Managing Director
Isaiah Sheffer*
Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director (1978-1988)
Artistic Director (1988-2010)
Founding Artistic Director (2010-2012)
Allan Miller
Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director (1978-1988)
Jennifer Brennan Director of Literary Programs
Drew Richardson Lead Producer of Literary Programs
Vivienne Woodward Producer of Literary Programs
Mary Shimkin Director of Broadcast & Literary Initiatives
Matthew Love Consultant for Literary Programs
Magdalene Wrobleski Literary Assistant
Sophia Raimondi Literary Intern
Lulu Chatterjee Literary Intern
*in memoriam