Diverse Perspectives

One of the good things that came out of the pandemic was a reckoning around diversity and inclusion, and Cloud Nine is no different. We strive to book a range of comedians that feature diversity in both things they don’t have control over (their race, gender, etc), and things they do have control over (their specific comedic approach, overall “vibe”).

We do this, both because it’s the right thing to do, and also because it makes for a better show. Seeing a range of perspectives onstage is what makes comedy engaging, and we want this show to be engaging, so it’s effortless for you to take a rest.

No fucking crowdwork.

Crowdwork can be fun (comedians calling on individuals in the audience for laughs), and we’ve also heard feedback that it’s very stressful, so we don’t book comics that rely on crowdwork for their act to work. Stand-up comedy shows do benefit from some form of “improv” element, so instead, we have everyone sit onstage, which creates a connective, creative atmosphere.

If crowdwork is something you love, great, you’re probably a comedy lover and we’re not here to yuck your yum. All we can say is, with near-absolute certainty,there is probably someone in your life who would be excited to go to a comedy show with no crowdwork, and Cloud Nine can deliver.

Turning off your phone, both literally and metaphorically

At the beginning of the performance, we will ask you to turn off your phone. Not on vibrate, not in airplane mode, off. In addition to reducing surprise phone calls during the performance, it can feel hard to feel comfortable laughing in public with strangers, and having something buzzing in your pocket can make that more difficult.

We also ask the comedians to do a metaphorical “turning off their phones” as well. Because of the algorithm, the comedic material we are most exposed to online is content that is going to get engagement, typically content that will spark an emotional response of some kind (i.e. trauma-dumping, shock comedy, etc). Many comedians now specialize in this humor offline, for a number of reasons, including trying to gain traction on the internet.

Instead, we ask our comedians to do sillier humor, that focuses on topics that represent their passions, interests, or strongly held apolitical opinions. We’ve found this creates the unique atmosphere one would need for taking a forking break.

If you need a night of laughter in your life (or, minimally, find the show intriguing),  grab tickets on Eventbrite. If the ticket price is an issue for you (we’re priced in a way so that everyone can be paid), shoot us an email (jacksimoncomedy@gmail.com), we’re happy to do what we can to have you come.

Logistics?

Feel free to copy/paste:

Wednesday February 28th,Doors at 6:30, show starts at 7 PM sharp. Tickets $15. Venue: The Rockwell Theater in Davis Square, 255 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144