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Event Program
TUE, OCT 21
FEATURING
Ariel Dumas, Dave Hill, Sam Kebede,
Alison Leiby, Kate Siahaan-Rigg, & Josh Sharp
Hosted by Negin Farsad
Tag us on Instagram @symphonyspace to be featured!

Ariel Dumas most recently served as head writer and supervising producer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her work for The Late Show has been recognized with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Series and a dozen Emmy nominations, and she was honored with the WGA Award in 2021 for her contributions to Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020 special. Dumas wrote the screenplay for the forthcoming Looney Tunes musical Bye Bye Bunny.
Ariel Dumas most recently served as head writer and supervising producer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her work for The Late Show has been recognized with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Series and a dozen Emmy nominations, and she was honored with the WGA Award in 2021 for her contributions to Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020 special. Dumas wrote the screenplay for the forthcoming Looney Tunes musical Bye Bye Bunny.

Dave Hill is a comedian, writer, musician, actor, radio host, and man-about-town. He has appeared on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Joe Pera Talks with You, The Tick, @midnight, Inside Amy Schumer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Comedy Knockout, among others. He previously hosted the radio show The Goddamn Dave Hill Show and several podcasts, including The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour. Hill is the author of the books Parking the Moose, Tasteful Nudes, Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and most recently The Awesome Game: One Man’s Incredible, Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey.
Dave Hill is a comedian, writer, musician, actor, radio host, and man-about-town. He has appeared on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Joe Pera Talks with You, The Tick, @midnight, Inside Amy Schumer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Comedy Knockout, among others. He previously hosted the radio show The Goddamn Dave Hill Show and several podcasts, including The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour. Hill is the author of the books Parking the Moose, Tasteful Nudes, Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and most recently The Awesome Game: One Man’s Incredible, Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey.

Sam Kebede is a first-generation Ethiopian/Eritrean-American writer/performer. He has had his works presented at venues including The Public, Ars Nova, New Victory Theater, and Victory Gardens Theater. Sam is also the creator and lead artist behind Lack History, a comedy variety game show about BIPOC history where all the proceeds are donated to grassroots social justice causes. Sam wrote for the Taiwanese TV show Tough Bobas, and has had his plays presented across the country. He regularly performs stand up across the globe and will be performing in Ireland all of next week.
Sam Kebede is a first-generation Ethiopian/Eritrean-American writer/performer. He has had his works presented at venues including The Public, Ars Nova, New Victory Theater, and Victory Gardens Theater. Sam is also the creator and lead artist behind Lack History, a comedy variety game show about BIPOC history where all the proceeds are donated to grassroots social justice causes. Sam wrote for the Taiwanese TV show Tough Bobas, and has had his plays presented across the country. He regularly performs stand up across the globe and will be performing in Ireland all of next week.

Alison Leiby’s television writing credits include Life & Beth, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The President Show, and The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, and her humor writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Vice, among other publications. Leiby currently co-hosts the Ruined podcast and the monthly comedy-storytelling series It’s a Long Story. Her one-woman show Oh God, A Show About Abortion was named the Best Political Comedy of 2021 by The New York Times.
Alison Leiby’s television writing credits include Life & Beth, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The President Show, and The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, and her humor writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Vice, among other publications. Leiby currently co-hosts the Ruined podcast and the monthly comedy-storytelling series It’s a Long Story. Her one-woman show Oh God, A Show About Abortion was named the Best Political Comedy of 2021 by The New York Times.

Kate Siahaan-Rigg is a Canadian/Australian/Indonesian/American actor, comedian, and activist. She writes, performs, and produces work for television, film, stage and dive bars around the world, and has been honored with numerous awards and grants in the US and Canada. Her screen credits include Elsbeth, I See You and You See Me, Tales of the City, New Amsterdam, These Thems, The Punisher, Mile 22, The Path, Law & Order, Happy Lucky Golden Tofu Panda Dragon Good Time Fun Fun Show, and Family Guy. Siahaan-Rigg is also the MC and lead singer for the rock n roll / spoken word duo Slanty Eyed Mama.
Kate Siahaan-Rigg is a Canadian/Australian/Indonesian/American actor, comedian, and activist. She writes, performs, and produces work for television, film, stage and dive bars around the world, and has been honored with numerous awards and grants in the US and Canada. Her screen credits include Elsbeth, I See You and You See Me, Tales of the City, New Amsterdam, These Thems, The Punisher, Mile 22, The Path, Law & Order, Happy Lucky Golden Tofu Panda Dragon Good Time Fun Fun Show, and Family Guy. Siahaan-Rigg is also the MC and lead singer for the rock n roll / spoken word duo Slanty Eyed Mama.

Josh Sharp is an actor, writer, and comedian best known for writing and starring in Dicks: The Musical. Additional screen credits include The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Search Party, Ziwe, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and After Midnight, among others. Sharp’s one-man off-Broadway show, ta-da!, debuted earlier this year.
Josh Sharp is an actor, writer, and comedian best known for writing and starring in Dicks: The Musical. Additional screen credits include The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Search Party, Ziwe, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and After Midnight, among others. Sharp’s one-man off-Broadway show, ta-da!, debuted earlier this year.

Negin Farsad is the host of the podcast Fake the Nation and a regular panelist on Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! She is the director of the films Nerdcore Rising and The Muslims Are Coming!, and her romantic comedy, 3rd Street Blackout, is streaming on Peacock. She was selected as a TEDFellow for her work in social justice comedy and can be seen in Birdgirl, Not Okay, and Hillary Clinton’s Apple TV+ show, Gutsy. Farsad’s debut memoir, How to Make White People Laugh, was nominated for the Thurber Prize for Humor.
Negin Farsad is the host of the podcast Fake the Nation and a regular panelist on Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! She is the director of the films Nerdcore Rising and The Muslims Are Coming!, and her romantic comedy, 3rd Street Blackout, is streaming on Peacock. She was selected as a TEDFellow for her work in social justice comedy and can be seen in Birdgirl, Not Okay, and Hillary Clinton’s Apple TV+ show, Gutsy. Farsad’s debut memoir, How to Make White People Laugh, was nominated for the Thurber Prize for Humor.
Uptown Showdown is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Seedlings Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Charina Endowment Fund, Charles D. Fleischman Charitable Trust, Susan Bay Nimoy, The Isambard Kingdom Brunel Society of North America, PECO Foundation, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, Michael Tuch Foundation, Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation, Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation, The Grodzins Fund, and the Seedtime Foundation.
Programming is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Symphony Space thanks our generous supporters, including our Board of Directors, Producers Circle, and members, who make our programs possible with their annual support.
Kathy Landau Executive Director
Peg Wreen Managing Director
Isaiah Sheffer*
Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director (1978-1990)
Artistic Director (1990-2010)
Founding Artistic Director (2010-2012)
Allan Miller
Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director (1978-1990)
Jennifer Brennan Director of Literary Programs
Drew Richardson Lead Producer of Literary Programs
Vivienne Woodward Senior Producer of Literary Programs
Mary Shimkin Director of Broadcast & Literary Initiatives
Matthew Love Consultant for Literary Programs
Magdalene Wrobleski Program Associate
Aileen Vasquez Literary Intern
Gabriela Weaver Literary Intern
*in memoriam