The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi - #159 The Downside of Renaissance Faires with Leah Orleans

Episode Date: September 19, 2023

Unicycle-riding comedy contortionist Leah Orleans (with guest co-host Ariel Elias) joins us to share the downsides of having whips and fire in your show, why magic is misogynistic, the problem with elitist clown schools, being chained by audience members, and dealing with injuries with doctors that don’t understand the physicality of acrobatics. You can watch full video of this episode HERE! Join the Patreon for ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and MORE. Follow Leah Orleans on Instagram & TikTok See Leah perform at the New York Renaissance Faire through October 2 For all other things Leah, visit: https://tinygirlbigshow.com/ Follow Ariel Elias on Twitter, Instagram, & TikTok See Ariel in a city near you: https://linktr.ee/ariel_comedy Follow The Downside on Instagram Get tickets to our live podcast recording in NYC with Nurse Blake on October 2 here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/694744879637 Follow Gianmarco Soresi on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, & YouTube Subscribe to Gianmarco Soresi's email & texting lists Check out Gianmarco Soresi's bi-monthly show in NYC Get tickets to see Gianmarco Soresi in a city near you Watch Gianmarco Soresi's special "Shelf Life" on Amazon Follow Russell Daniels on Twitter & Instagram E-mail the show at [e-mail] Produced by Paige Asachika & Gianmarco Soresi Video edited by Dave Columbo Special Thanks Tovah Silbermann Original music by Douglas Goodhart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Welcome to the downside. I'm in a punchy mood. If you're watching the video, check out the video today because I got a bad sty. I was going to ask what's going on with your eye bud. I got a gnarly sty and I went to the CityMD this morning and they sent the prescription over to Dwayne Reed and then I went to my SoulCycle. I tried to make it all work.

Wait, you do SoulCycle? Oh yeah. SoulCycle? I mean, yes, but not in a long time. Do they have like a unicycle SoulCycle? Oh, yeah. SoulCycle? I mean, yes, but not in a long time. Do they have like a Unicycle SoulCycle? That would be horrible. Wouldn't that be cool? It would be exhausting. Riding Unicycle is like doing a one-legged squat.

So like, anything more than 10 minutes, I'm like, I need to get off. You should make that. If you had a 10-minute workout class, it's a Unicycle. I actually have a 10-minute workout class. a unicycle i actually have a 10 minute workout class i do really it's a downloadable program that i created during the pandemic but there is no unicycle involved it's actually just accessible for people do you do you ride to like clown music like soul cycle is always to like beyonce or whatever that's offensive what you just said

just you know is it like calling a police officer a cop is that what i just did wait is that you're not supposed to call a police officer a cop my mom always told me that was what you just said, just so you know. Is it like calling a police officer a cop? Is that what I just did? Wait, is that? You're not supposed to call a police officer a cop? My mom always told me that was inappropriate. You just called him what, a pig? Yeah, you just called him a murderer. Welcome to the downside. Hey, we're getting into it. You're listening to The Downside.

The Downside. With Gianmarco Cerezi. you're listening to the downside with john marco cerezi a cop that's that's that's the nicest you're getting out of me what do you say officer i don't say anything but you're not supposed to call them cops i wouldn't call in like grills for being too loud like people having a pool party next door and you call the police, what do you say? What are you thinking? I have a pool. I'm here. Listen, last week we had an episode with my regular co-host, Russell Daniels.

He's currently understudying Josh Gad on Broadway, Gutenberg the musical. And I hope he goes up in a safe way where Josh Gad is safe. Maybe Josh says, you know what? One show off. What is it going to do you, Josh? Go record Ice Age 25.

Make a million dollars. Let Russell go up once. I don't think he's going to like me talking about any of this. He gets very nervous. I'm here with my guest co-host. She's been on the podcast before. Once was my opener. I still am sometimes.

Sometimes when the money's good enough. If you get a gig good enough. When the money's good enough, I say, all right, this is Arielle Money. I do it. Arielle Elias, welcome to the downside. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Thank you for letting me be Russell's understudy.

Yes. You know. Yes. That's how the economy of entertainment works. If Josh Gad and Russell get sick, you will be in Gutenberg the musical. I'm on Broadway. We're here with our guests. Now, how do you like to say the number of,

is it contortionist first? Is it comedian first? What is it? That's a very respectful question. I appreciate it. Of course. I like to refer to myself as an entertainer in general. I do a one-woman circus show that involves essentially stand-up comedy with high-level circus tricks.

It's kind of how I'll explain it to people who have no idea what I do. Because I say circus, and they're like, oh, Cirque du Soleil. You put on a bunch of makeup and dance around to music for three minutes. And it's like, no, it's actually a long-form show that's theatrical. I also, I'll host, I'll do MC work, depending on what I'm hired for. Is that a better assumption, though, of pre-Cirque du Soleil? I feel like it was, oh, you're in the circus,

like Elephants and, yeah. Sure. And a lot of what I do stems from that lineage of traditional circus. There's trad circus and there's modern circus, which are kind of these two. Okay. Yeah. lineage of cert traditional circus. There's trad circus and there's modern circus, which are kind of these two. Okay.

Yeah. Tell us we're, we're short for traditional. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. So like we're getting in the lingo. Yeah.

Yeah. There's the vernacular of the circus industry, right? So you have the traditional circus, which is your ring three ring do, do, do, do,

do, do clowns, elephants, Barnum and Bailey, Clyde Bailey Cole, that kind of circus. And then you have the modern circus, which kind of started through Cirque du Soleil and then kept going through a lot of high-end dance companies that started doing more acrobatic style work. And that developed into companies like the seven fingers or circle was which you may or may not have heard of well let's let's see let's see our background yeah first uh

yeah what is your because i remember seeing cirque de soleil that was my like intro into i guess what did what do we call it mod modern modern circus have you seen some circus away i saw i think a traveling group of circus circus delay in New Jersey when I first moved to New York. And that's about it. I did like the circus when I was a kid. And then you find out, like, they're all con men. They're all con men. Am I wrong?

Am I just fully, like... You find out they're all filthy. Am I just... No, wait. Well, that's okay. It that's okay debunk the circus yeah i just say for people just doing myths and ready to offend everybody i'm so ready this is great uh let me just say for those those uh who are new this is the downside this is a place where we can get negative we can complain we can talk about things in an honest way we don't have to put a bow

over it we don't have to pretend that city md isn't one of the worst institutions ever in america to occur or that they shouldn't give me my $25 back because I went there so they would send it to Duane Reade and Duane Reade said they didn't have the prescription. And then I went back to the CityMD. We can complain is the point. And that's why I'm

excited. I'm so happy to have you. Before we get into where I saw you recently, because I went to the Renaissance fair, we're going to plug it all. I do want to say, I feel like we have a good downside from your end. We did a show two days ago, right?

At Gotham, Gotham, Seinfeld. Stop by. Gaffigan. Stop by. I got paid. I didn't have to go.

You didn't go. I wish I'm at the age that that is great. There was a time and older comics would always be like, Oh, one day you'll be happy when the show's canceled. You didn't go. Which I'm at the age. It sounds like a great night. Which I'm at the age that that is great. There was a time, and older comics would always be like, oh, one day you'll be happy when the show's canceled. And they were right. They were right. There are days 75 bucks and I'm out. Yeah, it's the closest you'll ever get to feeling like a farmer. You're just getting paid

not to work. Exactly. Offended. Offended. But you took the bullet and you took a bullet. You took a couple bullets. Oh my God. I went up first at this show and as soon as I got on stage this was also labor day like the day of labor day

and audiences I don't know if it's the same for your shows but they tend to be holiday day audiences are day drunk and then they come to a show and they're hammered and they're passing out and it's early so it's bad i get that yeah and they're dumb yeah and i went up and as

soon as i got on stage there was a guy in the front row who said she better be funny as soon as i got on stage and then then I did my set and I think, did you say anything? I didn't. And here's why I didn't say anything is because I was just there on Saturday and at the early show, again, Labor Day weekend audience,

early day drunk. I got a little heated with somebody in the audience. These two guys, it was the same thing. As soon as I got on stage, they both started interrupting every single joke. They were lying to me when I tried to do crowd work with them.

So they're not even playing along. A phone went off during my set. Oh, the worst. And it was a three doors down ringtone. Oh my God, wait. Okay, that's okay though. That's a little more okay. Kryptonite?

Yes, Kryptonite. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then as I was trying to get off stage, I have this joke about having an IUD and the doctor telling me that I have a very narrow canal. And as soon as I said that, the guy in the front row goes, that's surprising.

Wow, that's the same guy. No, different guy. Okay, at the same multiple assholes and I was trying to get off stage I even said this is my last joke

I said it he interrupted it and then I got off stage by going I go fuck you fuck you thank you everybody else nice

so I was trying to be calmer on Monday and just let that go that is tough that's a tough back to back

it was a bad weekend that's why I tell our listeners, when a female comic goes on stage, you say, whether you're good or not, I don't mind. And let them know you say women can be funny. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

I get a lot of surprised older men after my shows who are like, you were funny. You were funny. It's like this big groundbreaking thing. And I'm like,

thanks, I've been doing this for 10 years. I better be. We're at a giant renaissance festival. I wonder how long it goes when they go to bed

that night and they go, she was funny. She was funny. And then hopefully they die because it's time their time has come do you get a lot of creeps? you must

so okay it's really it's it's interesting because surprisingly enough so I did a show, I did a duo show with a man. It was a female-male duo, me and my ex-partner.

And we worked together for eight years. And it was a very fast-paced, two-person comedy, romantic, subject matter show. Acrobatic show. So he threw me around a bunch and did flips. And it was very fun um and i never got hit on when i was working with him because there i was performing with a man so i do this entire first phase of my career being like protected and then i split off and i go solo and suddenly like the floodgates open but interestingly enough the men who are obviously like interested enamored or like caught up in my stage persona and my character

are actually awfully extremely polite they're like very they're like they'll come into my DMs like excuse me miss you are beautiful. Do you think that's because they saw you most likely at a Ren Faire and so they're into the chivalry idea? They don't. Really? They're often significantly older.

At least 10 years older than me or 20 years older than me of like, and I think, I think there actually might be some sort of interesting change of people not wanting to completely come off rude.

Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Possibly. To be fair, because I saw her act on Saturday, there's whips

and there's fire. Yes. Yes. Cool. And like, I don't. And I definitely have a more like dominatrix-y persona her act on Saturday, there's whips and there's fire. Yes. Oh, cool. Weapons. And I definitely have a more like dominatrix-y persona

in the show. So I think the guys that I'm getting are also a little sobby. So like that can be a thing where they're like, hello, hi, how can I serve you? You're beautiful. Which honestly I much often, I prefer that coming into my DMs than like some rude disgusting

dick pic right yeah yeah yeah that's better I gotta start going on stage just with a whip and never address it if you went on Gotham

with a whip and you didn't do anything with it nothing just held it the entire time oh that's not a bad idea just the whip

only on holiday weekends and just speak slowly I don't need it normally so I saw you. You're currently in the Renaissance. It's called the Renaissance Fair. The New York Renaissance Fair. The New York Renaissance Fair in Tuxedo Park.

Yes. I've always wanted to go to one of these things. I didn't like do it, do it. Did you dress up? I'm not a dress up guy. So many things about me. Very theatrical, very feminine in nature. Dressing up, not at all.

That's okay. It's just like it's stuff. It's uncomfortable. I think my skin is sensitive. In theory, if I were to do a renaissance dress up, the one I'd want to do would be a former shirtless, and I'd get ready. And I'd wear like a leather,

went around like the neck. What do you mean by get ready? Like you would shred? You know, I'm going shirtless for the whole Renaissance. Sunscreen. I'm doing a couple extra

soul cycles. Just like two coats of SPF. Sunscreen and a wax. Yeah. Yeah, you wear like a little leather harness-y situation. Well,

like where it's one shoulder. Yes. It's some kind, I don't know what in battle that used to be. Of course you're going to do an off the shoulder. An off the shoulder. There's a shoulder. Yes. It's some kind. I don't know what in battle that used to be. Of course you're going to do an off the shoulder. There's a name for it. There's a name for those that I don't remember. A formal name.

And a sword. I feel like a sword is cool. But there were people there doing like, they were like the priest. The olden time priest. The olden time chest. Turns out it was hot. So I went to this renaissance fair. It was very cool. I recommend it if you're there. Whether this one or the next one. And it's a fascinating place

because it's a lot of like nerd culture and there's a lot of like families and kids. These kids dress like Zelda and Link. It's very cute. And it's just a different world. It's just a different world and you get to see some people really get to like do,

live the life they want to live. Yeah. I often describe it as a mixture between a music festival, a farmer's market, and a costume party. Yeah. I will say, the food was better than you'd think. The turkey leg? I think there's probably a bad version of a Renaissance chair where it's like bad shit food. Yes.

This had a turkey leg, which is, in my opinion, good for three bites. But this is turkey legs, period. There's a reason you don't go to Le Pain au Quotidien and they serve a turkey. Is that right? Is that how you say it? Le Pain au Quotidien? Excuse you. I say they don't have turkey legs.

You can't go on DoorDash and get a turkey leg, and for good reason. It's not a great bone to eat off if it's fun. And then you're like, what is the rest of this? Where does it rank the Renaissance fair? Where does it rank food-wise with medieval times? Oh my god,

significantly better. Especially the New York Renaissance Festival has some of the best food out of any Renaissance Festivalissance festival i work there are about 35 renaissance festivals across the country ranging in size some of them have like a thousand people per day some of them have 40,000 people per day what was this one about 20 15 to 20 i believe 20,000 people per day i'm not exactly sure i cannot be like legally quoted on those numbers but it's between 15 and 20 per day. The day you came was not that many. It was a lighter day,

but it does get up to that, that capacity, but it's New York. So if the food was shitty, these people would revolt and just not show up. So this is definitely one of the best food, like option situation menus. They have more vegan options and dairy-free options

than most other fairs. They have more actual food and not just processed fried shit, too. And right on the cusp of, it's not cheap. No. But it's not so... When I was in Vegas, for me, Vegas hit a point of it's so expensive

and it's so bad that I felt the whole time like I was in a world of being ripped off. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This was right. Now, did I wish the glass of mead wasn't the smallest plastic cup I've ever seen in my life? Yes. Was it $15? Oh, yeah.

Dude, I tip every time because when you tip, they go, huzzah! Huzzah for the tipper and they ring the bell. That's very exciting. And why aren't they doing that everywhere? And it's funny because I... I would start tipping my waiters if they did that. I work at Renaissance festivals most of the year. And when I go to places that don't do that and I tip

and I internally expect somebody to scream, I get a little sad. If you leave a tip at Starbucks, you're like, anything? Anybody? Huzzah. No? Huzzah? Was tipping culture a thing back in Renaissance times? I don't know how accurate. Is it historically accurate?

It's a fantasy fair. We were talking about this at the fair. I said, where is this European? It's supposed to be like England. It's for sure white. 1500, very white. It's supposed to be like England. It's for sure white. Like 1500, very white. It's the whitest. It's very white.

And I think the thought that I kept having was I was like, I could see some of these neo-Nazi type people that if they just at the right age, they had just gotten into Lord of the Rings, they would not be a problem. They would get out whatever it is of wanting to dress up.

We're both Jewish. You're Jewish too? Instead of putting on the armband, they put on a shoulder strap. They'd be much less of a problem. There's some reenactment crossover that can happen.

Yes, sure. I think... Anyone ever come in a costume where it's like, why is there a Confederate soldier at the... I don't think they'd make it past security, but... Ooh. Oh, so does security have to be pretty knowledgeable about historical costume?

No, but if you have a weapon, they piece tie it. Oh, okay. Like if you're carrying a weapon through the front gate, like if you have a sword or if you have some sort of like he's tied uh they they tie it they zip tie it to you so you can't pull it out oh you gotta run into somebody to hurt them conceptually cut a zip tie with some scissors but but it is it is a like a method of being like, we are aware that you have a large sword. And this is a public festival with children. So we're like zip, zip, zip.

That's always been my thought of the solution to the gun problem in America. It just does? No, it's more get guys back into swords. Yeah. Because guys want something. And women too. But a lot of guys. They want something. They want to feel like they have something. And women, too. But a lot of guys. They want something.

They want to feel like they have something. And they want to feel cool and swords. My partner keeps a giant katana next to our bed. So I feel great about that. Does that make you feel safe? It does. What about you? Is your whip there, too?

Or are you just letting the... We actually have a rack of other whips as well. But those will be significantly less effective. If you had that whip and someone was attacking you, would you be able to use it or would you just be able to do tricks? Would you be able to attack him or just impress him? Be like, look at this, under the leg, woo!

I don't. I think it would be more startling and extremely loud. I mean, I guess I could hit somebody with it, but I'm not. That's probably not super effective. It is. It is. I thought whips were more for horses to go there. So historically, whips are used for many things, but mostly for animal moving.

So you make the large sound here, and the animal moves away from it, right? So it's herding large animals into spaces where you want them to be as a farmer. And then, of course, there's the historical stereotype of it being used during slavery, which is unfortunate and frustrating, especially for the sport and circus whip community,

who obviously have no intention of that being a subtext at all. And a lot of horrible things were used for that absolutely horrible time period in our country's history. Unicycles too. But that sticks with it sometimes as well. And then there's the dominatrix element of it of play.

That's a full gamut of things. There's a lot. It's a very... And then there's the western art of it. The whip a lot. There's a lot. It's a very, it's a, and then there's like the Western art of it. And the whip industry and the whip community is actually really cool because you have

so many different people who use it for so many different things. So many people just love it because of Indiana Jones. Oh, sure. And Catwoman and all of these other

like comic book figures. Catwoman used a whip? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I thought she just used her night, her, all of her senses. Oh, there's a super, Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I thought she just used all of her senses. Oh, there's a super sexy whip scene. She's great.

Okay, cool. Very good. No, it sounds like it. We had a taxidermist on, and she's queer, and she's cool and hip. And I talked to her about the taxidermy community is a mix of her community and then older and then like older guys same way i feel like with whips i feel like whips has to be a diverse so diverse there's the los angeles whip convention uh which is a really super cool gathering that happens in january and it's hosted by this guy adam winrich who has the most whip world records in the world. He's up to like 35 or something. What does that mean?

How do you have a whip world record? I don't want to misquote his actual records, but like the heaviest whip ever cracked. He has like a chain whip that weighs like 40 pounds or the longest whip ever cracked or the most cracks in this amount of time. He cracks bottle caps off the top of his head. He does, it's wild.

He's extremely, extremely skilled. I just wonder how you like, when you come up with a new record, you know, there's existing records, but then like, does he say a longest one? You apply. The littlest one. One made out of feathers. Like it's. You pitch it to Guinness.

You pitch, yeah. You pitch it and you submit an application and they review it seeing is this worthy of a record. Do you have any? I did not, but I have pitched one which was the most targets cracked

with a whip on a unicycle in a minute. Wow, that is so specific. And actually it got rejected because it was too specific. They were like, that is so specific. And actually it got rejected because it was too specific. They were like, this is too specific. There aren't enough people that would also try

to break this as well. So now you need to find nine other whippists. Is that what you're called? And have them also submit the same thing. Wait, are they called whip crackers? I would say whip crackers

or whip artists. No, we cannot be called whip crackers. Crackers? What about whip creamers? Whip creamers? That sounds a little bit... Whippists. I like whippists. Whippists.

I think whip artists. Bull whip crackers. Bull whip artists. You can't say crackers in here. We just talked about the horrible history of it. We can't bring crackers back into it. That's fair. I think you submit podcast whips, whips in a podcast.

Guinness World Record of number of, how many whip craps? Whip cracks in one podcast? Yeah. No. There's a lot of podcasts. No. A lot of people can do it. I'll have more people on just to get one.

I'll just get in this tiny little apartment and crack this whip. Space is not big enough. Really, really, really, really loudly. Could you safely or would you break something? I could safely with my smaller whips. She could because she's very talented. But if you get a bunch of other people trying to do this. If I got the guy with the longest whip, that's an issue.

Absolutely. That whip is longer than this entire apartment. Can I tell you a fun Renaissance Fair connection that we realized outside? Please. My husband grew up in the town where the Renaissance Fair is and used to work there every summer picking up trash. So look at that.

I love my trash boys so much. Shout out to the trash boys. That's very fun. My go-to opener, Liam Nelson, he came with us. He's been on the podcast before. He's seven feet tall. Have you ever met Liam? And he used to work.

He has the same disease that Abraham Lincoln had. Mar fans. Mar fans, yeah. He's worked at the Renaissance Faire. The whole thing. The whole body and the face. Well, there was a thing outside of yours, because yours is called Tiny Girl Big Show.

Yes. And there was like a height thing. Yes. And seven feet tall was the tallest, and he was there. I don't think I've ever seen with my own eyes somebody that tall stand next to that sign. So I have a sign by my stage, which is a life-size drawing of me holding a scroll that goes up really, really, really tall, because I'm five feet. Is it a Torah? You know, it kind of looks like a Torah scroll.

And it has little height markers on it so you can see if you're taller than the tiny girl. And each one is like tiny, still tiny. Average tiny. And then the seven foot is like out of this world. And how tall are you? Five feet. Okay.

Five feet. Tiny. Five feet, three inches with these shoes. So I want to go to the beginning of how you got into this because i think was fascinating with with all these art forms it feels uh stand up we were all part of the same go back to vaudeville days back to like freak show days or if you go to any of these things like the the and we had a wrestler on recently an independent wrestler and it feels like all these things,

like they were touring people, and the tall man became the giant in the wrestler, or became the Renaissance Faire, and it's just like, they all evolved from this same point. I mean, stand-up too. I mean, stand-up, if you go back,

went back, it was in the, like a mafia thing. Oh, yeah. And they were like, hey, just so you know, this is underground, you can't post clips.

And you had to be careful where it's like, you had to be a good roaster if you were going to roast the boss. Yeah. You had to do it in a fun way or they would kill you. And you have to know what his fun way is. Yeah. They heckle with guns. Yeah.

Yeah. Pop, pop. They're like, she better be funny. Pop, pop. There you go. There you go. So unlucky. They're like, she better be funny. Pop, pop. There you go. There you go. So unlucky. They wouldn't let you in the room.

I imagine it was just like all dudes. Oh, yeah. All dudes. Oh, yeah. Oh, absolutely. So how did you get started? Were you a theater kid? I imagine.

Oh, yeah. But your parents, were they part of the circus? My parents are magicians. So I grew up in, yeah. But your parents, were they part of the circus? My parents are magicians. So I grew up in that world. But they were very corporate magicians. They work mostly for larger companies, for trade shows and things. So it's less like sawing a woman in half and a little more business side. They make your debt disappear.

And so when you were growing up, having parents as magicians, did that demystify magic for you? Like, if you saw magic at a party, were you just like, okay. I mean, maybe. Probably. I was kind of like a little know-it-all, like snobby six-year-old. Did they, like, show you tricks? There's nothing more fun than quarter behind the ear to a little kid. Absolutely.

And I think that was a big part of it. a little kid. Absolutely. And I think that was a big part of it. Yeah, I did grow up surrounded by tricks, but I also grew up surrounded by listening to my dad on the phone, pitching himself actively, you know, and running. He works a lot for corporate companies at trade shows so he will take their corporate message turn it into a routine with magic give me an example how does this work um so he works for he works for exxon mobile and hp like those are two of his clients so he'll be like on the trade show floor dressed in their polos he looks like an employee he doesn't't, no sparklies, nothing like magic he gives away. And he's at the front of their booth bringing traffic into the booth with

small close-up magic things. And then he'll use the company message. So he'll say like, with ExxonMobil we can multiply your profits as he makes coins appear. With the use of this new oil technology and V8 blah blah blah. And the next... What he said, with my mind I'll make the climate a little bit hotter gradually until we're all dead.

I was going to say, I'll take your water and turn it into oil. So it's a lot of generating leads for companies. So I grew up with them in the house. Did they start, like when they started, I mean, God, it goes, now it's so different. You could go to, you'll be able to major in magic i'm sure in some colleges now but when they started were they like what did their were their parents in the performance arts how did both of them get into magic my dad was a early childhood education major and he taught kids in school for a long time that's what he went to

school for magic was always a hobby that he did growing up as a kid and then at some point he realized he could make more money doing children's birthday parties than he could teaching so he switched and used a lot of his early childhood education skills in his childhood magic show for kids did that for a decade or so and then developed a touring show. He needed an assistant and he casted my mom. She was a dancer in a musical theater,

professional. In New York? No, this is all in Chicago. And so he, did she audition? Yeah. Oh my God. Yeah, it's like a really cute story.

And he's like, also, you're going to be my wife eventually. Pretty much. I think, I mean, I mean, you literally are auditioning your wife. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was really cute.

It's a really cute story to look back on. And the pictures are adorable, especially when they're, like, first touring together before they, like, really got together. But, you know, something was going on. I want to know what the casting, like, what his, like, here's what I'm looking for. Between 5'2", 5'8".

I mean, she's, like, 5'2". She's, like, my size. So it was definitely a little, yeah, smaller. But she had a great theater background. and that's really what he was looking for because it was more of a show than just like her being just a pretty girl there was like a full storyline so they toured this

children's magic show for a while they got married, they had me and I never really wanted to go into magic growing up even though I was very exposed to it. And, uh, it's for many reasons. That's a whole other podcast.

What is it? Tell me. It's a misogynistic art form. It is very troubled in terms of women being able to be magician center stage. And I found circus. Can you imagine something like that? Having that be your profession? Yeah. Having magic be your profession? No, to have, to have to like work in a misogynistic art form

right i know like comedy isn't that much better stretch but it i found circus as this like other world where it's not about who you are it's about what you can do and did you find out about circus through them or you went to a camp? Yeah, there's essentially like a youth program. I did gymnastics a little bit, but I hated competing. Okay. I hated being judged. I hated being told that I lost because some other girl had longer legs than me. Like, that's dumb.

Were you talented at gymnastics at a young age? Yeah. I wasn't. You must have been. Sure. I wasn't like particularly the best. I had more showmanship than I had technical skill. Sure.

And I kind of have always been that way, too. You're doing the floor routine, and they're like, put the fire out. Why do you have fire here? That's not part of this. You get to ribbon dancing, and you're like, I actually brought a whip. Right. You're like, hi. Did you do gymnastics?

No. I never did. It's my biggest regret. Just to be able to like touch. That's your biggest regret? Many regrets, but I, I'm so mad and I was not an athletic kid.

I would have fought my parents tooth and nail, but I wish they had maybe do gymnastics because my friends who could do a backflip, who could do a handstand easily and they could just do it forever because they learned when they were eight. That's so cool. I still can't do a cartwheel. I did maybe like six weeks of ballet if I even made it that long when I was five.

And I was just like, I think I'm out. I can't do any of this. I'm really clumsy. My parents put me in swimming because if you fall, there's just like not really gravity. It's fine. My dad let me quit the swimming team because I said the pool was too cold. That's bad. Sweet.

That was bad. Bad dad. Bad dad. I just didn't like anything where i had to compete yeah i wanted approval and i still do i just i was always looking for like just people to tell me i was great yeah after i practiced for like three years for on something you know um so you what was the first circus thing was it a camp was it a summer yeah it was the first circus thing? Was it a camp? Was it a summer? Yeah. It was the Actorship Museum in Evanston, Illinois. Wow.

Where Northwestern is? Yes. Okay. I was a cherub. There was a musical theater camp at Northwestern. You were a cherub? They were called cherubs. Yeah.

There were 150 people at the camp, and we were all pretty close. I feel like I remember that as being a cherub. Yeah, yeah. A lot of theater kids went through that. Did you grow up in Chicago? No, I just went to that camp for seven that as being. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of theater kids. Did you grow up in Chicago? No, I just, I just went to that camp for seven weeks or whatever. Amazing. Well, yeah, they had a great program.

I definitely wanted to go to Northwestern for theater if I went to college, but I didn't. I went to circus school instead. So I did. Circus school. I did actor's gym and then I auditioned for circus schools and I went to circus school. How is circus school? Is it a four year program? I did a few different programs. I auditioned for circus schools and I went to circus school. How is circus school? Is it a four year program? Um,

I did a few different programs. There are many different types of programs all over the country and world. Um, so it's not like a, it's not like a four year degree that's kind of consistent throughout. Um, I did a year at the clown conservatory in San Francisco at the San Francisco circus center.

Sadly, that program doesn't exist anymore but it was exquisite why did it what happened i think the school just lost funding and i i think there's just they made a movie about circus school yet they have there's a few i remember there was a a reality show maybe on disney channel when i was a kid about a youth circus do you know what I'm talking about? Like kids would audition. Yeah.

I mean, that's essentially what, Oh, Oh, it was about smirk. It was about circus smirk. Maybe. Yeah.

Circus smirk is an incredible program as well. And that's, it's right. So it's a touring youth circus program and it's coached and overseen by professional circus artists. It's really, really great. It's really, really great. It's called Circus Smirkus.

Circus Smirkus. You can look it up. Does Smirkus stand for anything or is it just fun? I think it's just fun. It's so fun. I thought you were going to university. I go to university, shootiversity. I know.

I love the really silly names and then being like, it's a really prestigious program. It is. Circus Smirkus. So then I spent some time at École Nationale de Cirque, which is the national circus school in Montreal as well. And I did five summers there. And I wanted to go to their pro program,

their like four-year or three-year training program. And I auditioned twice. And I didn't get in both times. And that was a very motivating thing for me because it's the Harvard of circus schools where their acceptance rate is like 9%. And is legacy a big problem? Yeah.

Especially, specifically the fact that I wanted to go in for clowning. And, like, I'm a funny, right? Like, I'm a funny person. I'm not classically trained ballet. Like, I'm not going to be able to pass the dance audition next to somebody who is. Like, you can look at me and be like, that knee is not straight you know um and that's that's what like cut me but so you're auditioning like is the audition just clowning and it's whatever that means or are you like acrobatic clowning like are there different distinctions there are different

distinctions the audition process is not suited for clowning at all, which is part of the problem. What are the clown schools like? Le Coq? Yeah, Le Coq is an incredible school. My ex-partner went to Le Coq, did the full three-year program. Now, when it's in French, it sounds like it's fancy,

but for all we know, in French, it's Circus Marcus. Yeah. Jacques Le Coq is the name of the man. Jacques Lecoq. That was his name or that was his stage name? His first name was Jacques and his last name was Lecoq. L-A-C-O-Q. Come on.

Come on. It's not. Okay. It's just another language, guys. So, okay, so you didn't get in two years. So what did you do in your, did you do clowning in the audition? And they said, no, like, are you, are you competing against a tightrope walker and a juggler? So it's, it's, I don't know if you've ever seen videos of like large dance call auditions where everyone has a number and everyone has to do exactly the same thing.

And then they cut rounds. It's like that, but it's a three day long process oh wow and so do you kind of have to know a little bit about each so there's a dance day there's an acrobatic day there's a physical strength test day where literally i'm just like standing next to a dude who's eight times my size trying to do as many pull-ups as he can right so it's they're just testing you on all these individual skills to see if you could even handle the intensity that the school is so i'm physically competing with an aerialist even though i have zero intentions of ever being an aerialist yeah i often find myself competing against leah

but i guess I'm curious. I saw Little Shop of Horrors last night. I've been seeing more musical theater recently. And I think about how musical theater college has become so many different musical theater degrees. And the way that it makes... Everyone's good. Yeah.

But they're all good at everything. They're dancers, singers, and actors. So suddenly the actor suddenly also moves perfectly in a way that I think takes away some of the fringe and the individuality and the singing is all perfect. And with circus school, do these things end up creating kind of like a cookie cutter thing of you've got to be good at everything in order to get in? No, I think that there's definitely a certain level of that for the audition because they want kids who can physically handle the intensity of the school.

You just need to be a certain level of fit because if you're not, you're going to get injured really fast. But once you're in there, they're producing very individualized people. Got it. Yeah. Does that make sense? It's like you have to be well-rounded to get in. Right. It's like med school. Like you have to do everything and then you pick your specialty.

Exactly. Exactly. And sometimes they pick the specialty for you as well. They're like, oh, no, we look at your body type. We think you should be doing this instead. And you can either say, yes, okay, I'll do that or no, I'm not going to go. So when you didn't get in,

how devastated are you? Oh my god, I was a mess. Is it normal to... Okay, so you didn't get in. I was a mess both times. And what was your thought process? I am very spite motivated. Me too.

Me too. Yeah, you tell me no, and I'm like, watch me. Let's go. So that really rocketed me into being like, all right, well, I'm going to do this anyway. Like, fine. If I'm not going to go to your high-level, prestigious circus school, I'm going to build my own show.

Like, I'm still going to be a circus artist. I'm just going to do it my way then. Like, so that's essentially what happened. In terms of employment, like, if you want to be in Cirque du Soleil, do you have to go to one of those schools? You are way more likely to get in Cirque du Soleil if you have that. I mean, literally that school is across the street from Cirque du Soleil Headquarters. Okay.

Just for proximity. Like, you look out the windows and that's what you see. It's like how you have to go to Harvard. Yeah. To, like, get on SNL or The Simpsons. It's very funneled. And it's also, I know Circus throwing money at that school. Of course.

So they can get a cycle. But to be honest, I'm not built to do a super high level three minute act ten times a week. do a super high level three minute act 10 times a week like that's not where i have no creative control and i have zero ability to interact with the audience after a show but what i'm doing now is completely on the other side of it and i have friends that went to the school that now work in full time and have for a very long time, very close friends. And we've watched each other grow and create our careers through this. And it's so great because they they're super supportive of me and I'm super supportive of them. But I still look at what they do and I'm like, hell no, that is not I don't want that for my own creative abilities. I would feel stifled.

When did the stand up element come into it for you? I've always loved talking on stage. My ex-partner is a very good joke writer. And he did stand-up and he did a lot of improv comedy. In Chicago? No, in Boston and a lot of other places where he was traveling previously. He did improv Olympics and comedy sports and things like that.

And when I met him, he taught me structure. He taught me formula. He taught me beats and rhythms in a way that I didn't really know before. I did theater, so I knew how to deliver a line. Sure. But I didn't understand the science of joke writing. And he's one of... We still talk. We're still good.

He's one of the best people I know who can take any concept and turn it into a joke very quickly. Do you have any jokes from your double act? I know it never works offstage, but we're not going to go like, okay. Do you remember what kind of jokes

would they be? We had one joke. So he was Thunder and I was Star. His name is Etienne McKinley to give you, to give credit where credit's due if he's listening. Hi, how are you? But we would have, like we had a joke where we were standing next to each other

and I would like curl into him and he'd go, Star, when you're close like this, I always feel a piercing in my heart. And I went, is it love? And he went, no, it's my pocket knife. And he'd like pull out, he had like a little knife that he pulled out of his chest.

I love it. So it was a lot of that. Like he wrote a lot of like radio, old radio show kind of back and forth humor. But this is also what I mean. I always talk about, I think it's sad, in the stand-up world, we used to have duo acts. Nichols and May and George Carlin, I think, was the one once.

But I would love it. I love it. Now you have to be in a comedy club. We had so much fun. And it was so much fun. That's true. Only in stand-up, it's like, it. Now you have to be in a comedy club. We had so much fun. Yeah. And it was so much fun. That's true. Only in stand-up, it's like, well, if you're twins, I guess it's cool. Yeah, identical twins.

Men, usually. Whoa. Male identical. I can think of like three identical twins. What? I feel like I haven't seen that. Stand-up would be so much more. I would watch the show.

Imagine if there was just more variety. And the audience, I i think is not as used to variety like i think it's it's tough to be a comedian on a sketch show or a sketch person on like a a stand-up show but there was a time when all these things were so much more blended including props props kind of carrot top got like mocked out of state but like prop comedy is funny it's great it's funny that's how i write a lot of my stuff too it's like stuff i like visual stuff which gets me in trouble because i have too much stuff yeah um oh gosh what's what's the show the um keep talking i i gotta i'm gonna do i should do

prop comedy but the whole premise is i left my props at home so i just need you to imagine what it is that's essentially what i do when i do a stand-up set i like describe a unicycle and i describe clubs and i'm like so here's this and i it's funny i i make that in its own its own joke so you started uh okay so you you don't get into the school you're upset yeah and you go i'm gonna make my own thing yeah so i met i met my partner around that time as well. Did he not get into schools too? Like, were you a similar trajectory?

No. No, he wasn't auditioning. He was at the Cirque. We were both at training in San Francisco when we met. I was in the clown program. He was just training at the school, like free training. You could just like kind of like going to a gym, right? You use the space and you go every day.

So then we were like, let's write a show together. And let's take what we can do individually and combine them. You start dating first or writing the show first? That kind of happened at the same time. It was all kind of a... Was there a part of you that was like, I'm just like my mom? Like we're just repeat, like me and my parents. Yeah, for sure.

Yeah, I think that was a big element of it. I think I have, I have a, I feel super lucky and super privileged, recognizing the privilege that I have extremely supportive parents in the arts. I have parents who I'm like, hey, I want to go to circus school. And they're like, cool, good, do that. Like here, how can we help you and also i have a very large tendency to develop crushes on people that i work with uh-huh like working is a total love language for me sure and i know that's definitely like modeled by my parents and

watching them work together too and seeing their like very healthy relationship while also having a business together and i'm'm like, that's great. I love that. So yes, I have developed over and over and over again. Have your parents' career been pretty steady? Have there been any low points? I mean, the 2008 financial crisis

was absolutely a problem. Oh, sure. A lot of companies weren't going to spend money on a magician when they were laying off. Was there ever a magic bubble? Because when they were laying off, you know. Was there ever a magic bubble? Because when I was a kid, the magician, do you remember the magician who told all the secrets? The masked magician?

The masked magician. Oh, it was so cool. It was like, he made these videos where he, like, revealed how all the tricks were done. Yeah. And I'm still, like, learning from magicians gradually, like, how big, like gradually what that was in their community. Yeah. Yeah. But I feel like stand-up has booms and busts. And people talk about the 80s.

I think it was the 80s. They talk about this stand-up thing where you could be on the road every night. And everyone loved stand-up. And you were making money. Hand over fist. But then they say we're in a bubble now. I don't know. I think we're in a bubble now just without the money.

I think we're in a bubble of need for entertainment and need for entertainment that feels connected compared to screen-based entertainment. That's why I'm so excited. I think there's passive and active. Artificial intelligence debate. The whole artificial intelligence debate, I feel weirdly optimistic about live entertainment.

Because I'm like, I don't know what's going to happen with TV and movie. I don't know if the computer can make a new episode of The Office and it looks indistinguishable. But people see live entertainment because it might go wrong. And that's what's fun about it. What would you rather see? A robot that can shoot a free throw 100% of the time

or a seal try? Right. We're the seals. Yes, we're the seals yes we are the same uh yes you can't even do the sounds love it um although i did see a stand-up comedian who decided to go up against chat gpt in trying to roast somebody they would do like a chat gpt or like an ai version of like sarah silver. They would like program that and try to do a roast battle with that. Well, I mean, I think chat GPT won, but I also think that might, I don't know this person, but I do, I read some of the jokes. I think it might be a little different for other comedians. Oh, sure. Sure. We didn't send our finest to the chat GPT battle.

That's very funny.'s talk to me about the industry a little uh uh is it like where did the money where did the money start coming because i came from a similar background my parents helping me out uh and that certainly helped yeah in those early years but like where you you you develop the show and then what you pitched it to people? You put it a run somewhere? Yeah. So he previously did Renaissance Fairs. Your partner?

Renaissance Fairs. Yeah. Solo. Prior to us being together. So he had a lot of connections through the Renaissance Fairs industry. So he repitched our duo show. We were quickly working Renaissance fares and then got signed with a cruise ship agent and worked on cruises as well. So within our second year, we were full time working.

What pays better in general, cruise ships or Renaissance fares? That's so, it very surprisingly difficult to answer some renaissance fairs are fantastic and some of them are smaller so what's the big is there what's the is the big money like oh ibm made a commercial with a unicycle sure i mean if if i've done like single off gigs like that or like a crazy corporate event where I like got paid a stupid amount of money to do 30 seconds of contortion on their like their big, you know, banquet hall, 2000 people like arena stage. And are those. That's not my primary. I don't like doing that. Of course. it's extremely high pressure it's super vanilla and weird i am poorly communicated with

the entire time and i have zero creative freedom are people like at the corporate events who watch you are they paying attention do they they come afterwards? Are they like, that was amazing? Absolutely. Because for us, when we do corporate gigs, it's almost always terrible. Yeah. Money is great, but afterward,

I mean, nobody's listening to you. You're going after some guy who just did some motivational speech about getting over cancer. They want it to be dirty, but you're not allowed to be dirty. Yes.

That's its whole topic. But as an actor, I did when I was the general electric spokesman, just like right before standup. And I got to do some corporate gigs as the guy. And that's the one, like they flew me to Vegas and I just had to go on stage.

There was a hammer in the commercial and I pick up the hammer. I'm like, I can pick up the hammer. And then I leave and they gave me fifteen thousand dollars right right fifteen thousand and you're like i didn't say i did fucking nothing and they just they're just they just have the money and the thing that i feel like is always weird is like a lot of these corporate events are their budgets are if not a million dollars close to it

and they're oftentimes like charitable organizations or some sort of like center city situation and i'm like what if you gave all that money to like people who needed instead of this like dinner of course right like i don't know i just like every time someone has me a check i say isn't there someone needy give it to the needy. I mean, I'll take it. But like in general, do we need to be doing a three-course meal? I don't know. This is just my like personal event organizer. I have a friend. Congratulations.

Thank you. It's new for me. I don't know if I can say who it is, but he did a State Farm musical. And like they went to Vegas and got insane money and a musical promoting state from the same way you're down exxon and i i did a gig where exxon mobile was the sponsor so have you ever seen bathtubs over broadway i have oh you gotta see it it's corporate musicals two for one week i prefer broadway i'll go see something it's uh no it's a movie oh okay it's a documentary this It's a documentary. This guy, he collects the records from corporate musicals.

It used to be a bigger thing. They would put on musicals written by the top composers of the day, and they'd get their big paycheck writing about baths or about... This guy, he worked on... Was it David Letterman? He was David Letterman's head writer or whatever, and he's really into

these things. He collects all records, and it just shows. There's just these massive productions made that were only performed once. They would train a cast of 30 dancers and singers to perform this one musical with all of these inside references of a company, and they would perform it once for the employees of that company. Wow. It was so, it's such a beautiful, weird piece of theatrical, like, happenings. That doesn't happen anymore. What a great way, too, for all those people to make money. Right.

I do really wish there was more of that. Like, because I think now we're at a point, there used to be so much shame around selling out as an artist and now it's i think it's changed i think all these influencers have changed the game where it's like make money however you can and if that's what subsidizes the things that you actually want to do we all understand we all get it get that bag that's what they say the bag tiktok if you do some weird corporate branded thing they're like get that bag in the comments. Red One. We're coming at you.

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today. Limitations apply. Must be a beauty insider. See terms at sephora.com for complete details. Was it, so you're doing this acrobatic show with your, with your partner at the time, like four shows a day, like what I saw? Yep. Four shows a day? Yeah. 45 minute shows, four shows a day, two days a week. So you haul ass for 48 hours and then you get to chill for five days still i mean it's a nuts schedule i love it it's weird i love it but it's like running a marathon and then like resting which is i'd much rather do than every night what's the best show because that like for stand-up out of if you do a weekend if you do it's usually one show thursday two friday two saturday i usually find that the first show sat Saturday is the best show.

Is there... The Friday late night is notoriously known as the one that could be the disastrous one. Because people went to happy... They went to work, then they went to happy hour, then they went to a bar, and then they came to the comedy club. Yeah. Is there that for the four shows in two days? I often find that my second show of the day is usually my best. Okay. What time is that one?

It's usually, at my current contract, it's 1.30. But it's usually somewhere between noon and 2. Yeah. And it's when, like, the first show of the day is usually a little lighter. People are just arriving. They just sat in their car to park. They just got through the gate. like the first show of the day is usually a little lighter. People are just arriving. They just sat in their car to park. They just got through the gate.

But by the second show of the day, most people have either gotten some sort of food or drink. So their blood sugar is like right. They have walked around a little bit. Maybe they saw one show, but they definitely haven't seen two shows before they saw me. They still have money in their wallet to give me. They haven't like spent it all on food yet and other stuff.

And they're like, they're still fresh. They're not like tired. Yeah. And usually that's when I, second or third shows is the best energy. Do you pass around like a bucket afterwards? So at Renaissance fairs or most of them,

it's, it's a tip based situation. What's, what's, what's a tip-based situation. What's better, what the Renaissance is giving you or what you get from the tips? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. So, yeah.

I get it. Short answer is it depends on the fair. Sure. I love the New York Renaissance Fair. Sure. I'm just curious if it's like a tip-based job. It is. Oh, it's like a tip-based job. It is. Oh, it's absolutely a tip-based job. Because stand-up, in a way,

I remember Lucas Connelly and I did a shit gig once, and at the end he said, I'll have my hat out, you can just give me money. And now we do this thing with merch, where sometimes I sell my merch, and I'm like, guys, what if we got rid of this weird fucking game

where you bought something you didn't want, and you just gave me money directly? People want a cum towel. What are you talking about? Do you sell cum towels just gave me money directly. People want a cum towel. What are you talking about? Do you sell cum towels? I sell cum towels. I want one. Sure, I'll give you one.

I absolutely want one. 20 bucks. Done. But it gets to a point. Do you still sell them for 20? Yeah. Okay. I don't want to.

You sell towels for $20? I love it. Yeah, you can sell them for, I used to be 10 and then in Vegas, she was like, kid, kid, sell them for 20. I sell koozies for 10. Yeah.

I sell my hair flowers for 15, but people give me 20 and say keep the 5. Yes, I sell my stickers, pay whatever you want, and then sometimes they'll just hand me a 20 for a second. But I'm about to go to shirts, and there is just a degree of like, just give me money. You want to do something, just give me money. Yeah, and the Renaissance fairs, there's the culture of that, most of them. There are a few fairs that are referred to as non-hat fairs, so there's no tipping at all. Where we're just paid by the festival, and there's... That must be annoying.

No, I mean, they pay us more. Yeah, you're just guaranteed. Yeah, they pay me what I want to be paid, and I do not ask for tips. Sure. And that's it. And that's nice, because if it rains and nobody shows up, I still get paid a lot. Yeah, baby. Where if it rains, like this weekend's calling for rain and i'm like

because if it rains a lot you know i still get my day rate there is a day rate that that is you know what the festival takes care of me about but uh yeah it is a tip based job for sure um any any chaotic show stories whether it was with you with your partner or so yeah oh man i mean oh buddy when you're working around for everything happens anything everything happens people are throwing up kids are screaming um my partner ripped his pants on stage once in the middle of a trick like straight down the middle it's great so funny let cock out uh underwear was oh i really hope he's listening he'd appreciate that joke um no he was wearing underwear but it

was hilarious uh do a bit there's two bits on stage that i saw there were big crowd work interactions first you brought a little girl on stage That I saw There were big Crowd work Interactions First you brought A little girl on stage Yeah it's a new bit And it was this Beautiful bit Thank you

But I imagine Sometimes the kid is She was nervous And she was adorable She was But like she was She was nervous She was nervous

How old was she? 8-10? 10-ish Okay But she also seemed And this happens sometimes Where a kid gets really excited. They shoot their hand up. They want to be on stage.

They get up on stage. Then they look out into the crowd and they see 400 people. And they go... Because they were sitting in the front row where you don't see anybody behind you. Yeah. And they like, shut down. And then it's my job to open them up over the next three minutes. And I was trying with her

but she was scared. She was scared. And she seemed a little like closed. Yeah. Did they ever cry? Have you ever seen a kid cry while they were on stage

and you said uh oh? No child has cried on stage with me. They peed? I have not personally experienced this but my dad has some great stories of kids peeing on stage um they get nervous and then they pee i try not to pick kids who are young enough

where that would happen my ideal age range for that bit specifically is between 9 and 15 i ideally want a kid who's like 13 and taller than me uh-huh because then it's funny when i ask their age and i do like i just like do this and it gets a laugh so that's like perfect and then i do this whole thing about becoming a teenager and how it's terrifying and what you should do with your emotions um drugs your show did have a, it did, and I feel like you must have learned over the years like how to walk this line, but it had some dirty jokes.

Yeah. It was like kids could enjoy, but there were some dirty jokes. There was a lot of polyamory jokes in there. And it's just fascinating because you're playing to this wide range of people. It's a hard thing. Renaissance fairs are

so challenging and fun as a comedian because you have your family of four. You have your emo goth queer poly couple. You have grandma and grandpa Jewish, like Orthodox Jewish,

especially in this area. Yeah. You have like bachelorette party and they're all at your show and you have to make them all laugh for 45 minutes. And it is shooting a very wide net.

And so the Ren Faire gives you a little bit of like there's a bodiness to it where you're allowed to like play on that line double entendre is great. They love it when you can like

make a sex joke that also doesn't, you're not referencing penetration. Right. You're making some sort of undertone thing. And for me, it comes back to being character based. What was the dirtiest one you told? There was something about shaving or with a whip or the fire, something. I make, I juggle knives.

I throw one under my leg. And I say, shaving something else. Uh-huh. Oh, that's perfect. Right. And then I catch it. And people laugh. And I go, my legs.

But I wasn't referring to my legs. No, this was like 90s Nickelodeon. Yes. So when I wrote the show, a lot of what I modeled a lot of character work based on was cartoon villains. Female Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network cartoon villains. Because they're

cute, they're not sexy, but they're almost sexy, kind of? You know what I mean? Like, there's this line where they get to play within that. So, like, I make a joke about, like,

my fire torches, and I built my own fire torches myself out of barbecue sticks and my sister's hamsters. Which is, like, referring to, like, burning pets. Yeah. Which is, like, horrific, but that's, like, Nickelodeon level funny. Yeah. But they keep going. It's like Nickelodeon level funny. Yeah.

But they keep going. It goes more. Then you go like I say oh no I would never do that. They were guinea pigs. Very good. A little misdirection. More fat for the fuel or something. They burn a little longer. Yeah but that's like This little girl started crying. She said I just lost my hamster to a fire. Oh right.

Were you at that show? I was at that show. Did that really happen? Oh no this was in Chicago? I was at that show. Did that really happen? She said, I... Oh, no, this was in Chicago. No, I was just lying. This was a real story? I was lying. What's the real story? What happened?

Oh, God. I was doing this joke about the guinea pig and the hamster. This was in Chicago. And there's this little girl in the front row who goes... She just starts talking right she just like has like she's like seven or something she just has like free verbiage and she's like my best friend put my like I think it was like put my hamster in the toilet and then it didn't come out like she just gave me this very graphic, loud story about her friend who drowned her pet.

And it was the entire, like it was loud enough for everyone to hear. And this kid was like adamant. Like she was telling the truth. What did you do with that? I think I. Or what would you do with that I I think I um or what would you do with that now I I I was like shocked and amused because it was funny but horrible but I was so shocked and amused that I obviously stopped what I was doing to the point where I had to notify the audience about what was

happening because it was still a big crowd. So even though the people around her could hear, everybody couldn't hear. So you do that thing where you repeat what the audience member says so everyone can hear. Which also buys you a little time. Right. So I was like, I repeated it back to her with a question. I was like, your best friend flushed her hamster down the toilet? And that kind of laugh.

So I just leaned into it. And that kind of laugh, you know? So like, I just like leaned into it. And that's, I think, part of what I love, what I do so much is that I have creative control. Sure. And I can take the show and go, and like derail it to this other place. What would you have done?

What would you have done? You're at Gotham. It's a Memorial Day show. And some adult is like like I just killed my pet If they had said it in that way If my friend flushed my hamster down the toilet I probably would have said something along the lines of I've also taken some pretty crazy poops

That's good If I'm being honest What I would have done I don't think this is good Like in the moment But I would have been like If you interrupt my joke again I'll flush you down the toilet That's just immediately where my mind goes this is good like in the moment but i would have been like if you interrupt my joke again i'll

flush you down the toilet that's just immediately where my mind goes i did uh i used to have an episode i was like i used to be on episode i was on episode law and order svu and a little kid went what episode and i said the one where the comedian murdered the little boy for interrupting his joke and that was that was one of the that was one of the best I had. That's good. I love it. Oh, if I'd only filmed my sets back then. And then you have another bit,

which I feel like there must have been. You bring a grown man onto the stage. Sometimes a woman, too. Oh, this one was a big man, and you gave him links, metal chains, and said, tie them around my wrist. Yeah, I get chained with my wrist behind my back, and then I do a fire.

What if they do it too hard? Because you tell them, you say, do it tight. Has any guy ever been like, hey, chill the fuck out? Yeah, I've had a few people who get too excited. Part of my job, though though is picking somebody who I feel like is competent enough to listen to my directions and to not be stupid.

And doesn't actively have a boner when you ask. Right. I mean I'm watching people throughout my show and I am thinking about who I'm going to pick throughout my whole show. And I can tell if somebody, I can tell by their body language, by how they laugh at my jokes.

Sure. If they're like fucked up, I'm not going to pick them. Right. And most of the time I bring them up there. We have an interaction. I am taking temperature the entire time of their energy. And the way I do the rap too too i chain myself first to one wrist so i link myself up first i have them hold the other side i put my hands behind my back

and then i tell them to wrap the chain around both of my wrists so my wrists are already together and they're just they're burritoing it. I see, I see. So they can't really hurt me. I mean, once I'm, once I, I did have a guy once, I got completely chained up and he picked me up. He was a very large dude and he scooped me up like a baby right after he did it. And I felt, the audience loved it. They thought it was hilarious.

The dude was sober, but he was just excited. But that was the first time that I felt completely out of control on stage. And I did not like it. Did you try to, like, was there a moment in character, like, put me down? Or were you like, put me down right now? It was somewhere in between. I think it was fun. I heard that the audience thought it was funny.

Uh-huh. I felt safe in his arms physically. Like he was large and had me. He wasn't going to drop me on my head. Yeah. But I didn't have my arms available to me. Or your feet. Right.

So I didn't like it. So he picked me up and I was like, oh, ha, ha, ha. Okay, put me down now. Which he did promptly. And then I was like, and big round of applause for this guy. Get off stage. I was like, and we're done, you know. I just can't imagine.

I mean, it had to be someone who's socially just unaware. I think he's just excited. I mean, I killed. I've been excited in my life before. He was also huge. He looked like a pro wrestler. Like, he's just excited. I mean, I killed. I get excited in my life before. He was also huge. He looked like a pro wrestler. He was so big. He was probably so excited to pick you up. You're tiny, and

he's huge, and he's on stage. And that's something that does happen a lot. I do get lifted, or I get asked. Your Honor, she was tiny. What, do you want me to not pick her up? I hate it. Injuries. Any big onstage mishaps?

Onstage? Or just general body wear and tear? General body wear and tear. Oh, yes. It's a laundry list. Onstage. Do all contortionists hit an age where they go like, It's like my least favorite question in the entire world.

Sure. Well, this is the depth. But I mean, I mean, but, but is it like, what's, do some contortionists, they, they're 80 and they're still doing it? Or is this a, is this something with a shelf life? Since I was nine years old, I have been asked this question. Why? Because people are like.

Because people look at what they do at your body and they're like, how long can you do that for? Which is a really weird thing to be asked when you're prepubescent. Yeah, they're like, hey, what's your expiration date? Right. And you're like,

excuse me, this is something I love to do. Well, my sister, part of the reason I do think about it is my sister's a dancer. Yeah. My little sister's a dancer. And I only think about the expiration date of it

only with concern and not just the regular parent like, don't go into the arts, but I'm just like, this business is so... If there was a limit to me being able to just yell and complain on stage, it'd be concern for me too. What are you gonna do when at some point you'll

get arthritis probably and you can't do 90 degree angles anymore oh my god i love your 90 degree angle so much i'll have to hire someone to write better jokes that's for damn sure when i can't do all that moving around i was thinking of like doing a few when you were in the audience i was so close oh my god i was so close i didn't want to like i didn't know you that well so i didn't want to like i don't know i wasn't sure how well that would go you do like impressions of other people's mannerisms like can you sort of embody that um I have different physical modes that I can slip into I don't necessarily I wouldn't consider

them impressions per se like I'm not like oh it's this is this guy but I have different like physical uh flavors yeah can happen on stage absolutely as part of the the physicality of it but to answer your original question um yes there will be a time when I'm not going to be able to do everything that I can do uh I haven't gotten more flexible since I was like 16. I've gotten significantly stronger. I'm 28 for reference. I was so brave. And that'll go into my downside thing. I do contortion archery where I press up into a handstand with my butt over my head and I shoot a bow and arrow with my toes. And that's cool.

That's your closer. That's my closer. That's your closer. Hey, heckler, watch this. Imagine at the end of a fully regular set if you said it. I don't move at all on stage also for reference. Like, very little. And that guy in the front row goes like, damn, she is good.

I'd be so funny to just finish with that. You shot him right in the head. I'd be like, oh, by the way. I'd be so happy to just finish with that. You shot him right in the head. I'd be like, oh, by the way. By the by. And it's the hardest thing I do. And it's the thing that's taken me the longest to learn. And I'm currently injured. And I'm not doing it.

And this is the first time I've had an injury for more than a few weeks that's taken a large element out of my show for like it's been six weeks and i probably have at least three more weeks until i can get really back into it um and that sucks man yeah but i also imagine it's like yeah there will come a time where there are certain tricks things that you can't do but you will evolve and figure out what else you can do. So in this six weeks, I've written 20 more minutes of material. Right. It'll just change.

I brought that kid bit in. I have this new other rhyme thing that I do. Like, it's, I write more. And I love comedy. I love hosting. I love other physical tricks. The unicycle is significantly easier on my body. So there's other things that I can get better at.

You go to a special doctor? Because I imagine if you went to a regular doctor, and you went to CityMD, they'd go, oh, don't do that anymore. Don't shoot arrows with your hands. And you'd go, CityMD, you dumb motherfuckers.

How hard is it to send a prescription to Dwayne Reed two blocks away? But do you go to special sports therapists? I have a team of people. And because I travel, I have people all across the country. So I got a chiropractor here. I got a massage therapist in Chicago.

I have a chiropractor in Florida. I get x-rays regularly. It's a lot. And it's extremely lot. Do you ever do? And it's extremely expensive. What are the needles called? Acupuncture? I actually don't, I've never done acupuncture.

I was thinking Tempur-Pedic. That wasn't right. That's a kind of mattress. I knew it wasn't right, but that's, it doesn't look. Do you ever do memory foam? I will say, coming here today, this is the earliest I've left my apartment for not a flight in maybe two years. I was up at 4.30 this morning. Today, this is the earliest I've left my apartment for not a flight in maybe two years. I was up at 4.30 this morning.

I had to wake up at 9.15 to be here. So the words aren't coming. Yes. Proud of you. Thank you. Only for you, Leah. Good job. Chiropractor, aren't some people skeptical about whether that's good?

Yes, which is really frustrating because some of them are really good and things are really helpful and I really need my work done. And then sometimes I go into a chiropractor I've never been to before and they try to sell me weight loss pills. And I'm like, that's not why I'm here. I am a professional acrobat. And they're like, oh, that's cute.

I'm like, no. And I show pictures. I have an album of my phone that is only x-rays and photos of me doing skills that is specifically for doctor visits. So I can be like, here, this is what I do all the time. Take me seriously. It is so frustrating because then I walk out of that office and they're like, here's a bill for $300. And they've done nothing.

It's very frustrating. Yeah. Few bad apples. So mad. Few bad apples. Let's go on to our next segment. Oh. Yeah. Few bad apples. So mad. Few bad apples. Let's go on to our next segment. Oh. This has got to stop.

This has got to stop. It's got to stop. Leah, do you have something that's got to stop? I worry that I didn't, did I say your name at the beginning fully? Jesus Christ. Oh my God. A little bit of downside.

I'm here with Leah Orleans. Thanks for having me. Orleans or Orleans? Whatever. It's a cool last name. Thanks. It is. I wore my New Orleans shirt just for you.

Oh, my God. Thanks. What's your this got to stop? Feel free. If you have more, any. I have a few. Tell me, please. I got a few.

Number one is Google Maps needs an add tab option. Like if I'm like on the way somewhere and I want to look up directions for a whole different situation I need to be able to add a tab this is a very good point I know exactly what you mean and I can do another search for another set of directions

while still getting directions for where I'm currently going it pisses me off every time yeah you're like I'm not trying to add a stop no this is for a different time

I need I'm just curious. Or I need to be able to search, like, a restaurant for later and see options. We need to compare distances between two different places. Right. And instead you've got to take a fucking screenshot of this thing and you go to the screenshot. Where's the nearest strip? I 100% agree.

That's a very good one. That's brilliant. Every time. It makes me very angry. And then the other one was in general uh age shame i hate it i hate when people are like oh you look great for your age oh you're well you look great for 40 like aging will always happen there's it's the consistent, reliable thing that we have. We need to stop pretending like it's a bad thing. I think another thing that happens a lot is because people are comparing age to what

they've seen on TV and nobody ever plays their age on TV shows. It's always a 30 year old playing a 19 year old. Yeah. And you never, and then it's a, you know, it's a, it's a 40 year old playing a 60 year old. The amount of makeup and hair and lighting.

And it's very frustrating. So people have no concept of how old you are and how you look based on that age. And the combination of being in the performing industry and then also teaching fitness and coaching and helping people physically become their mental ideal of themselves. I just watch people battle with that all the time. And it's so frustrating. I'm struggling. I want it to stop. I'm not proud.

I turned 35 recently. And I still feel, if you could see my blood pressure when I have to say that I'm 35. Or like when the treadmill asks me, like, how old are you? You know some of the treadmills ask you that? Sure. I hate it. Really? I hate it.

Can we unpack that for a second? I mean, there's nothing to unpack. I'm going to die someday and I'm not happy about it. Okay, so it's more talented. Unpacked. Suitcase fully open. Don't want to die. But so it's not a vanity thing for you.

No, no, no. Which is shocking. What? I said, which is shocking. Tova, when I was doing the taping for a thing, she was like, she said bravely, Tova said, do you want to dye your beard? Do you want to dye your beard?

And I said, what the fuck did you just say to me? And she was like, you know, she said, it looks good. It looks good, but I'm just saying if you wanted to trick people into thinking you look good for your age, that's not what she said. But she brought that up, and I struggled with it. I'm not going to be, I'm not going to age gracefully, emotionally speaking. Well, your brand is already, like, complaining.

So when you put that onto somebody who gets older, you're going to become crotchety really fast, which could work for you. It could work. I love crotchety. But it's like, and that's what I tell myself. Whenever I'm like, ooh, these are widow's peaks, right?

Or is this a widow peak? This is widow's peak. What's these? We're receding hairline. Oh, God. Do we have a fun name? Do we have a fun name? These are your girlfriend.

I wish she was a widow peak. Oh, that like, yeah. Whenever I feel ugly, I go like, good, comedians feel ugly i go like good comedians aren't supposed to be good looking you're very good looking first of all i don't want to i mean like in a jewish way but like you're good looking but it's true it is a jewish way you know what i mean like it's and i don't mean that as a dick it's like a specific look you got it i think if i'd grown up in like a jew like if I grew up in like Tova's community,

I think I'd feel like a stud. Yeah. Yeah, man. I used to go to Jew conventions as a kid, like when I was a teenager. Did you go to those too? They're called concentration camps. Stop it.

Stop it. No. My goodness. No. I went to Jewish camps. But I would clean up at those Jewish conventions. For sure, I bet. I would clean up because I have blue eyes and that's a whole thing. There's like a lot of colorism in Judaism too that we don't really talk about or address. Really?

Most of them are pale. They're pale, but it's a lot of, I think Jews can idolize like blonde hair, blue eyes. And I do, I think there's a lot of like, you would have, like when I was a kid, I was blonde and blue eyed and I got told, they were like, you would have survived the Holocaust. Oh my God, are you serious? How old were you when that was said? You would have survived the Holocaust?

They would have been like, we could have hidden you pretty easily. No, that's so awkward. Wow. Mostly by like my extended family. That's so uncomfortable. Because everybody in my family is like darker. Yes, it's very, as a kid, I was just like, yeah, I guess I would have. And I was very is like darker. Yes. It's very, as a kid I was just like, yeah,

I guess I would have. And I was very proud of it. Absolutely. I've never heard that in my life. You have to talk about that on stage. That's so funny. I have to figure out how to talk about it. I'll figure it out.

It's, but it's hard because the second you say Holocaust, right? Well, maybe not you. I feel like you say it a lot. I say it a lot. I say it way too many times

um uh it's interesting but so yes the age thing is yeah yeah for sure 100 and i think like the last thing that just irks me and i don't know if you get this uh but it drives me fucking insane. When people in my DMs from very small, weird places in the world are like, come to my small town in northern Minnesota. DM me. Let me know when you're coming. Tell me when you're coming to my place. My tour list is in my bio.

My tour list is in my highlights. My tour list is on my website. All these links are easily available through the platform that you are messaging me on yeah no I'm not gonna

message you about it cost me thousands of dollars to go anywhere I'm not it's just a deep misunderstanding about like I'm like

if you think that I could respond to this or like arrange it around your schedule you don't understand like how the world functions. And I know this is like, they're a fan. I'm grateful for fans. I thank you for being a fan. Joy, joy, joy. That's what's nice about your business, at least with the Renaissance Fairs, is it's like, it's not close.

It wasn't easy for me to get to. But it's like, you go to a place and you have to make the journey. No one from New York City is coming to see me headline Tuxedo Park. Right. That's the difference. Yeah. Where, like, there is a fun thing of, like, it's just these cities. You've got to make the trek to go.

And it's a full day. Yeah. Yeah. It's a big ask for people to go, for sure. Always. Whenever I come into a city or come to a Ren Faire, the closest city nearby, whenever I have friends who are there,

they're like, oh, we're going to come see you. And I'm like, are you? Okay. But there is a model of like... I was wondering if that happened to you too. All the time. Steve Hofstetter will headline cities I've never even heard of existing.

Sure. I bet you he's headlined Tuxedo Park. He's made a business out of it. Yeah. So I guess you can go to those places. I mean, the small places do tend to have a better crowd because they're so grateful you're there. Yeah, they need the energy.

Nobody in New York or Chicago cares that I'm there. I still have the New York mentality. People say to me, thank you for coming here. And I say to them, thank you, thank you for coming to the show. And they're like, no, thank you. And I'm like, you're right. Thank me. You drove.

I flew. We did an incredible show in Montana, this tiny town in Montana. We had to take two different flights, rent a car, and drive six hours to go to this university in Montana, we had to take two different flights, rent a car, and drive six hours to go to this university in Montana. And these people have never seen live entertainment.

Yeah. Did they lose their fucking minds? They didn't really know how to experience a show. I want to see that. Afterwards. Yeah. Like, it was... They're hitting the wrong parts of their body.

They don't even know what to do. They don't really know how to clap. They didn't really... Yeah. And it was a university show, so we were paid to be there no matter what. We didn't have to sell tickets. But the university...

There's two majors, farming or nursing nursing either you're farming or you're fixing the farmers that hurt themselves farming right that was the entire small small place and i this is me and my ex-partner and like you saw me when i work i work a lot of makeup and i like look cute and i'm like in this whole thing and like i was wearing more makeup than that entire town has ever seen any woman wear they were like they just didn't know how to react to any of it it was people in that town look their age how many makeup wipes sorry one question how many makeup wipes do you have to use to take off your makeup? It's a very specific system of chemicals.

Especially my Renaissance Fair makeup routine has to survive an entire day of sweat, humidity, rain, snow, whatever. Just horrible conditions of everything. So the primers that I use and the setting sprays that I use are really intense. So yes, I use some serious makeup removers onto wet wipes and then an exfoliating.

It's all good. Thank God I'm a man. Let's go to our next segment. You better count your blessings. Once again, there's many ways that I do feel feminine, but like I could never do makeup.

I couldn't do it in, there was makeup class and I got out of it. Have you ever considered nail polish? I think nail polish was good on you. I went through a goth phase and I love black nail polish. I can't put it like, I can barely get it in the lines. Oh, yeah, me too. I'm terrible.

I love it. I just feel like I would have to address it on stage in a way. No, you don't. Really? Yeah. Especially these days. You should just do it. I've always liked the one nail.

I like a one nail. It's like the pendulet. Just don't do one nail black, because then it always just looks like it's bruised. Okay. Yes. Accurate. Glitter. Glitter nail.

Really? You think if I do it that I leave the comics table and Renan Hirschberg doesn't go, that fucking guy. No, no, no. Everybody's going to roast you for sure, in front of and behind your back. Absolutely.

But you know what? I like it what they're probably doing that anyway and at least this way it's for your nail polish i was going to buy a shirt the other day and it was two it was two wrestlers on like like a collegiate like real wrestling and and tova said i think that's too gay baiting and And I said, this shirt? This is the line? This is too gay baiting? I was surprised. I didn't buy it. Oh, not this one. It was two men. And she was like, it looks like he's eating the other one's ass. I was like, that's a backflip

move. Wrestling is so homoerotic. It is. I don't know. And maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's just me. No, it's not just you. I've always said that's why some of these football spaces, why they're so homophobic,

is because the locker room is so homoerotic that if someone who actually would fuck one of them walks in, he'd be like, wow, you guys are gay. You don't even realize. You're spanking each other's asses. You're standing around naked, cocks out, showering next to each other. Not just the locker room, though.

The game itself is homoerotic. They're putting their heads and their crotch in somebody else's butt in front of them. They're grabbing each other. It's hot. It is hot. I know. I agree.

I think football is gayer than gay sex. Even. It's close. It's foreplay. We're getting there. Arielle, do you have a blessing? I'm very, I'm very, my blessing right now

is cash, is being able to pay for things in cash because a lot of places they're moving away from it. They're going to card only. I'm talking to you, the Van Leeuwen

ice cream place. They don't take cash anymore but yesterday I went to an estate sale and I bought a rug and I'm very grateful I got to buy it in cash because I think this rug

might get me on some lists because it is a rug that was made in Afghanistan that might be a Taliban rug I'm not sure and I'm really grateful that there's no digital record of me buying that rug. I mean, I thought $5, by the way, $5 for that rug. Whoa. I texted my husband. I said, I got this rug. I didn't show him the picture. I just said, I got a rug that was made in Afghanistan. And he said, is it a Taliban rug?

And I said, you know. Do I need to show this to a camera? It might be. I'm looking up. This is pictures from when they raided where they found Osama bin Laden. That was his bed sheet. That's very good. So very grateful for cash.

I used to have all this cash. And now we're paying for Tova's getting her eggs frozen. We're paying the nurses who come and give the shots in cash. And now it's all gone. I'm sorry. Tova says, any more cash? We do have a box of cash with our passports and any

important documents and some jewelry. Tell us all on this podcast where. I live in Queens. Well, so I think, you know, we have, my husband and I are both Jewish. He's like the grandson of Holocaust survivors, the son of immigrants. And I think we have this thing in our head of like, if we ever need to bribe the guards. Yeah.

This is the, like some people are like, oh, for a fire, this is what you grab. And you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, fire, whatever. It's for when the Nazis take over. That's what the box is for. No, that's what your blue eyes are for, Ariel. That's what my blue eyes are for. A little bit of bleach. You're Barbie, baby.

Yeah. I will make, I guess I'll make my blessing. These two nurses that are helping Tova, we don't really interact. I just sit there. I'm very much, and I offer my hand for Tova when she gets the shots. And then you offer your hand for the cash. Give me the cash. And thank God for these nurses.

It is surreal because they come by and they're coming from like, like they're out, they were out shopping. So one came into like a tennis outfit. Like there's no, I'm a nurse. They just show up with their expertise. They just show up with their expertise.

Exactly. And they're wearing like, they, this one keeps like, like Barbie, like Barbie outfits, like eight different professions. Cute.

Comes in and, and, and except for the nurse Barbie, none of that. And they just, they do it so fast and man there's no way we could have done this on our own. No

fucking way. And they just pump her with estrogen and then they leave me with her. Does she feel effects? And I'm paying money for this. Are there effects? Or are there effects? Someone told her and like for this. Are there effects? Or are there effects? Someone told her, and like, you know, I don't know if this is true.

They said you're going through the trajectory of being pregnant, but like condensed. Whoa. That sounds awful. I'd love to water it down. Jesus. I'd love to spread this out. No, she's doing fantastically. I'm so proud of her

and I'm getting it done I can't even I don't even know what this process is it's it's just it's so crazy in that

I was never good at science I was never good at biology I don't have the memory for it and you get to this age where these it's a huge part of your life knowing these things and I barely

Tova tested me the other day. Fallopian tube. Good job. Oh, I thought you meant emotionally. She tested you. That's every day. Fallopian tube, yes. Eggs are in the, like.

Eggs are in the. And I just think the ovaries. Ovaries, good. Thank you, thank you. But it's just like, they taught me this in fifth grade, and then they said, remember this for when you're 35. Yeah. What the fuck, dude?

Yeah. What the fuck? Yeah, and to think that some people aren't even taught it at all. Uh-huh. So a lot of people, and that's a, I think that might be one of my, like, grateful moment bullet points is touring the country and seeing such a diverse... I grew up in my Chicago Jew bubble, and it wasn't until I really got on the road

where I was like, oh, shit. I had privileged education. People don't know the things that they need to know to be functioning adults. Is the circus more, like is there more of a financial barrier than it used to be? I feel like the joke was you ran away and joined the circus.

I feel like back in the day, circus was like you came from the streets. Now is it a mix? Are there any circus people? Yeah, I think there's all different kinds of people that could join it. Jews? Are there a lot of Jews doing the flips?

She's right here. Well, I know, but like... I know, that's a good question. I don't know... I don't think a lot of Jews. I don't think there's a ton of Jews in circus now that I think about it.

But there are a few. Like, I've got a few of them. But not like very practicing religious-y. Definitely not. We're always working on Fridays and Saturdays, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I don't know if it's like a thing but and it's a touring lifestyle so it's difficult to maintain like a synagogue that you go to or any sort of community outside of the community that you're traveling with most of the time i think that Cirque du Soleil and other larger circus companies that offer things like health care and you can bring your husband and your kids with you on tour and things like that create a actually financially stable lifestyle for people um i think there is the problem of spending all of your money on tour if you don't know how to save it sure sure a lot of people do that i watch that happen a lot is it expensive to go to the

renaissance fair like do you are like as a Are your audiences, like, is it a wide range of? This Renaissance Fair is $40 to get in per ticket. Okay. And that's just walking through the gate. That's pretty cost prohibitive. Absolutely. This festival definitely targets an upper class family. Got it. It, I always say you're going to spend at least $100 per person on stuff outside of your gate fee. Right. People spend thousands of dollars going there and buying really, really fancy. There was good art.

Yeah. Good art. Yeah. Yeah. There's like beautiful high end handmade and everything that's there is made by the people that are there too. Sure. Like you're not getting stuff from China. Like it's all handcrafted leather

like hand dyed silks like things that are. Are there any rugs from Afghanistan? Because I think I'm going to start a collection. I can't comment on that. I don't know. You do have $40 flower crowns which feels like a trap if you have You do have $40 flower crowns,

which feels like a trap if you have a girlfriend. $40 flower? Flower crowns. Crowns? Oh, crowns. Got it. Got it. You're not getting away without buying one of those.

I think my other thing would be probably creative control. I really love that I'm working in a job where I can write my own material. I think that's really, really cool. Would you ever do an act, like a renaissance fair after dark kind of thing, where it's dirty? You know, it's funny. I actually just got booked for one. Really?

The New Jersey, and I can plug this, too. The New Jersey. Is this one now with the knives? You're like, this is to shave my pussy. Yeah. New Jersey, and I can plug this too, the New Jersey. This one, like, now with the knives, you're like, this is to shave my pussy. I really hope anyone hiring me is listening to this with a grain of salt. I'm a family-friendly act. I'm a family-friendly act.

You are. You are. I'm saying, like, you just got booked for an after. So the New Jersey Renaissance Festival, I'm going to be doing one week there in June. And it's just a Saturday, Sunday. And on Saturday night, after they close the fair, they're doing an After Dark show that I'm headlining.

So I get to do, I think, an hour or 45 minutes of really, truly whatever I want want not even just making it family friendly and it's an additional ticket to get in for that and that'll be i think around 7 or 7 30 and what days is this it's a saturday but what day it's for the listeners so they can find it is uh saturday the first saturday in in June of 2024. You're fucking far out. Yeah, right?

Is Halloween a big time for you? It'll be June 1st, most likely. Halloween often can be. Yeah, this year I'm going to be working at the North Carolina Renaissance Festival on Halloween weekend. This year I'm going to be working at the North Carolina Renaissance Festival on Halloween weekend. Last year I worked the Freaky Deaky Fest, which is the largest EDM festival in the country. It was in Texas. And it was like a Steve Aoki sort of situation.

Okay. And I did contortion and emceeing in this little freak show tent. And it was nuts. I honestly hate night work. I am bad at night. I don't like working into the night. I am happy to wake up at 8 a.m. and be in bed by 9. Like, that's my happy place,

which is also why I love Ren Faires. But this was, like, a start at 9 p.m. end at 3 a.m. sort of situation. So, like, drugs helped, but... I fantasize about being in more power where I can have earlier days. Like this is not a great person to use as an example. But Bill Cosby would do like 530 p.m. shows. Love it.

And then afterwards he could go out to dinner. And do what a dinner. What would he do at dinner? Some drinks. And there's times where I'm like. And then you're like usually i don't get this tired this early but there's times i i'm like i look at my life of like no nights and i'm like what have you done what have you done to your life your life of no nights of

just like not having nights free oh sure i'm like you've you've cut yourself off from like the coolest part of life how often are are you on stage at night? Is it like a seven night a week thing? Like as much as you can? I'd say the average is six. Minus five to six. Yeah. Whether that's like an open mic or an actual gig.

It's never an open mic. Okay. God. I don't know your life. What? I see my headlining shows just an hour and a half. Okay. I see my old man hustle shows

cut that anything you want to plug yeah you can I'm on tour a lot this fall so you can go to my website arieleliascomedy.com for all the dates it's the same social media handle on everything

ariel underscore comedy I'll be in Toronto for Just for Laughs, September 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. Great. So this is coming out the 19th, so that's perfect. Perfect. We have a lot of people in Toronto. Go see that, Toronto.

I love Toronto so much. Toronto, I know we've got listeners there. The last time I was in Toronto, I was there, but I had a horrible stomach virus, and so I was sitting on stage. Very different vibe. It'll be a bit more energetic. This is our last time. Give her one more chance.

Give her one more chance. It was great. I love Toronto so much. And then September 28th through the 30th, I'll be in Winnipeg. So if you are there, please come to that. I saw you. You got a real Canada lineup coming up. I'm doing a Canada run. I love that. October, I'm coming back to Louisville

October 20th and 21st at Planet of the Tapes. Buy tickets for that so we can add a second show on Saturday. Based on my experience there, we do not have a lot of listeners there.

I might be, maybe I'm giving you the Kentucky bump. Based on my shows that I did there, not a ton of listeners. And then there's other dates just go,

you know, I'm coming back to Texas, Austin, Fort Worth, it'll be great. And then for me, it. Just go, you know, I'm coming back to Texas, Austin, Fort Worth. It'll be great. And then for me, it's coming out the 19th. I will be headlining Rose, a Bianca Vineyards, Connecticut, September 21st.

Ryan Brouth gig. Hey, Ryan. September 22nd and 23rd, Poughkeepsie, New York. And then, guys, October 1st, I'm coming to, it's close to Cincinnati. It's in Liberty. It to Cincinnati. It's in Liberty. It is Cincinnati. It's Cincinnati. October 1st, it's my first time doing a Funny Bone.

They're big. They're big. And they will cancel. Don't get it twisted. They will cancel my show if I don't get enough people there. October 1st, Funny Bone, Liberty. It's in Cincinnati. It's in Ohio.

Just go. which also means if you're in Northern Kentucky if you're listening to this because I'm from Kentucky and you clicked

on this go see John Marco right outside Cincinnati it's a quick drive quick drive go to the Newport Aquarium join the Patreon

patreon.com slash downside we're now doing a bonus episode every month with my co-host Russell Daniels patreon.com

slash downside you get all our live episodes, bonus episodes, and it's a good time. Leo, tell the people where to find you, what to do.

I am here at the New York Renaissance Festival until October 8th. And then I'll be at the Carolina Renaissance Festival, the 28th, 29th, and then November 4th and 5th, which is very exciting. That'll be my first time there. And it's been a big anticipated thing.

I've had a lot of people ask me when I'm coming there. I'm coming back home to Chicago for a double feature. I'm doing a family show at 3.30 p.m. on December 9th. Then we switch it up and we're doing the Holiday Naughty show in the evening.

Holiday Naughty! It's my first time doing a show that I can actually just mark it as dirty. So I feel it's an opportunity to pull out the jokes that I usually can't say. And then, yeah, I'm hoping to return to the California Renaissance Festival and then back to Chicago for the Bristol Renaissance Festival and then back to Chicago for the Bristol Renaissance Festival

coming 2024. Don't ask me in my DMs where I'm going. Go to my website at tinygirlbigshow.com. Are you going to have a dirty title for that show? tinygirldirtyshow.com

Really? I mean, I'm not going to make a whole website for it, but probably. It might be the Tiny Girl Dirty Show. Clean Girl Dirty Show. It's called Tiny Girl Big Show.

Yeah. I had a joke title in my head. What was your joke title? I think it's pretty on the nose. Tiny Girl Big Le Cock. This is the downside. Tiny Girl Big Strap On. Let's go.

One, two, three. Downside. big strap on let's go you're listening to the downside with john marco cerezi