5 Things to Expect from the 2024 Boston AAPI Comedy Fest
This is a guest blog post by festival producer Steph Dalwin of New Normal Boston.
2023 AAPI Comedy Night
Boston’s first and only AAPI Comedy Festival is just around the corner at the end of May. The festival is a collaboration between Rozzie Square Theater and New Normal Boston, two organizations committed to promoting and uplifting historically underrepresented voices in Boston comedy. It promises a thoughtfully curated variety of AAPI performers from multiple comedic arts, including magic, improv, storytelling, and standup comedy. Some of the best and most exciting talent from Boston and beyond will be on display in a festival that offers a truly differentiated experience. So, what can audiences expect?
5 Things to Expect at the 2024 Boston AAPI Comedy Festival
Community: This festival is a celebration of all things AAPI. And between the diversity of our community to the immense talent in Boston, there’s a lot to celebrate! We want everyone at this festival, from audiences to performers to producers, to feel uplifted in an environment committed to understanding them. Our goal is an environment where all identities are seen and honored, and where no one is the butt of a joke.
A Safe Front Row: We often call the front row of a comedy show “the splash zone” – it’s not uncommon for patrons sitting at the front of the house to be roasted or prodded with an uncomfortable barrage of questions about their jobs, their partners, who they are, etc. This type of crowd work can make audiences feel uneasy and sucks the air out of the room. The AAPI Festival is different. Audiences can be assured that they won’t be on the receiving end of insensitive jokes, and that interactions will be kind and thoughtful.
Variety: Boston’s comedy scene is rich, spanning many disciplines and art forms. We’re excited to put many of them on display together for our audiences. From improv to standup to magic to storytelling, there is truly something for everyone. Each show will contain a healthy mix of all these mediums, and every lineup will be unique.
Thoughtfulness: We intentionally, specifically curated a lineup of comedians that are mindful of their audiences and thoughtful in their content. The performers in this festival are immensely talent, yet above all their material does not take aim at historically marginalized groups that they are not a part of. We don’t believe in punching down, and neither do our performers.
Inclusion: We wanted to create a festival that reflects the diversity of the AAPI community, and a space in which all identities feel validated and seen. The AAPI community is not a monolith and the shows at this year’s festival showcase the wide variety of identities in our community.
Boston boasts some of the best AAPI talent in the country, and it will be front and center at this fest. We hope you’ll be able to join us for this inaugural festival, taking place May 24 and 25 at Rozzie Square Theater. For lineups, schedule, and ticketing information, check out the website here: https://www.rozziesquaretheater.com/aapi-comedy-festival
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About Steph Dalwin
Steph Dalwin (she/her) is a Boston-based standup comedian. She draws inspiration from her upbringing in a Vietnamese and Jewish household and in everyday situations like shopping while plus size, trips to the grocery store, and her quest for the perfect chicken nugget. Steph recently performed at the Far From Here Comedy Festival in Toronto and opened for Jay Jurden. She is also a co-founder and producer of FODball Productions, a comedy collective dedicated to supporting comedians who are First, Only, or Different: women, people of color, queer folks, etc.
