New Normal Comedy is making different, normal.
The team at New Normal Comedy has bonded many times over feeling…well, not normal. It shows up in comedy a thousand different ways. Going onstage moments after the comedian before you made fun of your identity. Seeing folks tune out when they think they won’t “get” you. The backhanded “compliment” after a set that goes something like, “I don’t normally find [x] funny, but…”
What if shows didn’t have to feel that way?
New Normal shows aim to feel different. They aim to make the stage feel like home, to create a room where comics feel like they can succeed, and to bring people who haven’t been made to feel normal, together.
Our
Values
Celebration
We bring folks with identities that are historically the first, only, or different on a lineup, to the center. We want to celebrate folks who bring their unique perspectives to the stage, and to help them share their voices with audiences committed to understanding them.
Community
One of our founders speaks often about creating spaces that “care about comics getting better.” We work hard to support one another - whether that’s congratulating comics on milestones, collaborating with other showrunners around the area, or creating opportunities for comics to learn new skills. We want everyone to win, and we walk a walk that proves it.
Fair Compensation
People famously don’t want to pay comedians to do comedy! We don’t believe in that. Particularly for historically marginalized folks, for whom there are already so many economic barriers, we want to step the game up when it comes to getting folks paid. Our shows value comedians, and their Venmo balances reflect that.
Respect
Not much else to say here, tbh. We believe comedy can be hilarious, groundbreaking and thoughtful…and respectful. The front row of our shows isn’t a splash zone, it’s a place to get a close look at rising talent from Boston and around the country. We cultivate audiences that appreciate that, and we present comics that appreciate that.
THE NEW NORMIES
These are the folks who make it all happen.
Roya Hamadani (she/her)
Roya Hamadani has performed at the Philly Punchline, the Bechdel Test Fest, and venues all over the Northeast. She has opened for Todd Barry, Michael Ian Black, and Judy Gold. Her other comedy love is sketch, which she writes, directs, and produces with her group Pigeon City Sketch Comedy (check out their YouTube channel, it is insane). Her video sketch Skweezy Moosh, a scathing view of women's shapewear, was accepted at the Vermont Comedy Festival.
Amma Marfo (she/her)
After years of writing about comedy, Amma decided to take to the stage – on the nudge of a dare set for her by her podcast co-hosts. In the years since, she’s shared the stage with comics like Eric Andre (Adult Swim, ABC), Jay Jurden (The Problem with Jon Stewart), Alingon Mitra (The Daily Show), Mia Jackson (Comedy Central), and Leighann Lord (Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn), performs regularly around New England and the Mid-Atlantic, and appears as a recurring panelist on The Great Pop Culture Debate podcast.
Steph Dalwin (she/her)
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 has performed at the Far From Here Comedy Festival in Toronto and opened for Jay Jurden. She will also be featured on PBS Stories from the Stage.
Ira Claybourne (she/they)
Ira Claybourne is a queer southern born female(ish) comedian now living in Boston. Over the past few years, they made folx laugh throughout California, Massachusetts, Maine, Georgia, South Carolina, and Toronto, Canada, where they hosted and produced the 'BLESS OUR HEARTS' comedy show in the Far From Here Comedy Festival! Ira recently joined the New Normal team and is so excited to be funny!
SHOULD WE BOOK YOU?