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Event Program
THUR, APR 25
FEATURING
Charlie Bardey, Ariel Elias, Peter Grosz,
Dina Hashem, Usama Siddiquee, & Shane Torres
HOSTED BY MATT LOVE
Charlie Bardey is a comedian and writer. On stage, he has opened for Aidy Bryant, Hannibal Buress, and Jaboukie Young-White, and he has been profiled in publications like Vulture, Time Out, New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, and The Patch, among other publications. He has performed live at Caroline's, The Bell House, and Union Hall, among other New York City venues. He currently co-hosts the Exploration: LIVE! podcast.
Charlie Bardey is a comedian and writer. On stage, he has opened for Aidy Bryant, Hannibal Buress, and Jaboukie Young-White, and he has been profiled in publications like Vulture, Time Out, New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, and The Patch, among other publications. He has performed live at Caroline's, The Bell House, and Union Hall, among other New York City venues. He currently co-hosts the Exploration: LIVE! podcast.
Ariel Elias was named a New Face in Comedy at the 2021 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. She made her late-night debut in 2022 on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and has also appeared on Good Morning America, Sherri, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Washington Post, and performs live from coast to coast in the United States and Canada.
Ariel Elias was named a New Face in Comedy at the 2021 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. She made her late-night debut in 2022 on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and has also appeared on Good Morning America, Sherri, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Washington Post, and performs live from coast to coast in the United States and Canada.
Peter Grosz is a writer and actor whose film and television credits include The Colbert Report, for which he earned two Emmy Awards, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Vinyl, Rough Night, The President Show, Veep, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Search Party, The Menu, Fleishman Is in Trouble, and White House Plumbers. He is also a regular panelist on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Peter Grosz is a writer and actor whose film and television credits include The Colbert Report, for which he earned two Emmy Awards, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Vinyl, Rough Night, The President Show, Veep, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Search Party, The Menu, Fleishman Is in Trouble, and White House Plumbers. He is also a regular panelist on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Dina Hashem's debut standup special, Dark Little Whispers, was released on Amazon Prime last fall. She has written for The Premise, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and The Daily Show, and her television credits include Conan, Central Park, and the Comedy Central series Roast Battle and Clusterfest. Hashem has performed at The Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, San Francisco Sketchfest, UCB's Whiplash, and Night Train with Wyatt Cenac, among other venues and festivals nationwide.
Dina Hashem's debut standup special, Dark Little Whispers, was released on Amazon Prime last fall. She has written for The Premise, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and The Daily Show, and her television credits include Conan, Central Park, and the Comedy Central series Roast Battle and Clusterfest. Hashem has performed at The Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, San Francisco Sketchfest, UCB's Whiplash, and Night Train with Wyatt Cenac, among other venues and festivals nationwide.
Usama Siddiquee is a comedian and actor whose television include Dash & Lily; Awkwafina is Nora from Queens; And Just Like That...; Inventing Anna; Better Things; and Survival of the Thickest. He was featured on America's Got Talent in 2020 and performed standup on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year. Siddiquee has performed live at venues and festivals in the US and Canada, including The Comedy Cellar, Caroline's, and the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, where he was named a New Face in Comedy in 2018. He currently co-hosts the Mango Bae podcast.
Usama Siddiquee is a comedian and actor whose television include Dash & Lily; Awkwafina is Nora from Queens; And Just Like That...; Inventing Anna; Better Things; and Survival of the Thickest. He was featured on America's Got Talent in 2020 and performed standup on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year. Siddiquee has performed live at venues and festivals in the US and Canada, including The Comedy Cellar, Caroline's, and the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, where he was named a New Face in Comedy in 2018. He currently co-hosts the Mango Bae podcast.
Shane Torres is a stand up comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster. On screen, he created and hosted the web series Shane Torres Conquers Your Fears and hosted the web series How Good Can It Get?, in addition to appearances on Conan, Last Comic Standing, Night Train, and more. Torres has performed live at venues and festivals worldwide, including Montreal's Just For Laughs, Comedy Central's Clusterfest, San Francisco Sketchfest, and New York Comedy Festival, and he currently hosts the podcast No Accounting for Taste. His one-hour special, The Blue Eyed Mexican, was released in 2023.
Shane Torres is a stand up comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster. On screen, he created and hosted the web series Shane Torres Conquers Your Fears and hosted the web series How Good Can It Get?, in addition to appearances on Conan, Last Comic Standing, Night Train, and more. Torres has performed live at venues and festivals worldwide, including Montreal's Just For Laughs, Comedy Central's Clusterfest, San Francisco Sketchfest, and New York Comedy Festival, and he currently hosts the podcast No Accounting for Taste. His one-hour special, The Blue Eyed Mexican, was released in 2023.
Matthew Love is a writer with bylines in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, The Onion, The AV Club, and Time Out New York, where he was formerly the Comedy and Books editor. He's currently a consulting producer for Selected Shorts and its spin-off podcast, Too Hot for Radio. He has interviewed, written for, or shared a stage with the likes of Chris Rock, David Byrne, Roxane Gay, David Sedaris, Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert, and Aparna Nancherla, to name a few. His “grandma noir,” Tough Old Birds, is currently in development.
Matthew Love is a writer with bylines in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, The Onion, The AV Club, and Time Out New York, where he was formerly the Comedy and Books editor. He's currently a consulting producer for Selected Shorts and its spin-off podcast, Too Hot for Radio. He has interviewed, written for, or shared a stage with the likes of Chris Rock, David Byrne, Roxane Gay, David Sedaris, Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert, and Aparna Nancherla, to name a few. His “grandma noir,” Tough Old Birds, is currently in development.
Uptown Showdown is made possible thanks to the generous support of Susan Bay Nimoy, Estate of Douglas M. Matheson, Seedlings Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Charina Endowment Fund, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, PECO Foundation, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, Mustang Foundation, Michael Tuch Foundation, Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation, The Grodzins Fund, and The Isambard Kingdom Brunel Society of North America.
This program 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 (1978-1988)
Artistic Director (1988-2010)
Founding Artistic Director (2010-2012)
Allan Miller
Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director (1978-1988)
Jennifer Brennan Director of Literary Programs
Drew Richardson Lead Producer of Literary Programs
Vivienne Woodward Producer of Literary Programs
Mary Shimkin Director of Broadcast & Literary Initiatives
Matthew Love Consultant for Literary Programs
Magdalene Wrobleski Literary Assistant
Sophia Raimondi Literary Intern
Lulu Chatterjee Literary Intern
*in memoriam