Welcome to “Rochelle Takes on Comedy” by Rochelle McConico. Have an idea you’d like to share in a column? Submit your pitch here: comedywham@comedywham.com
"I do think that people have a desire to talk about issues they may have wanted to avoid before." - Sasheer Zamata
Hi! I am grateful!
Man it has been a wild ride. I have just finished the inaugural Lysistrata Comedy Festival where we celebrated the collective power of women. What a gift to be surrounded by funny women from all over the country. I learned so much. I got the opportunity to laugh and create a space for women to network and share their talents. Thank you to my co-producers Jess Scott, Denise Jena and Candace Robertson.
I’m Rochelle McConico, owner of MoonCricket Productions, a live comedy event company. I am a standup comedian, improviser, sketch actor, writer, director, producer and livestreamer. I’m also a person that isn’t great with deadlines so catch this column when the inspiration hits — like Lauryn Hill — sans the voice and the keen fashion sense.
What do you do with your platform?
I don’t know if we always think about the bigger picture of comedy. But when comedic superstars are being slapped in the face — sorry Chris Rock, I had to talk about it — it makes you think. If you have the opportunity to get on the mic and say whatever you want, what you choose to say and not to say is very important. It holds weight.
Oftentimes, as comedians, especially in standup, we may not think about the weight of our words. We are having fun, expressing ourselves, lampooning the world, and fighting our demons right there on stage. It is a very personal experience, so we may not think about the effect our words have on people or how we should use the platform we have.
We get to stand in front of people — sometimes only two people, the bartender, and the bouncer — and speak. No matter how small, it is a platform. So as we grow, I challenge you to think about what you use your platform for. Because if you use it just to talk shit about another person, you might get the taste slapped out of your mouth. (Sorry Chris Rock, you’re still a GOAT.)
This Week’s Show Review and/or Shameless Plug
All Together Now
This show was amazing! First of all, production value. Sometimes as a standup comedian you forget what that stage picture looks like or what that atmosphere feels like, Shannon Stott did not. When I stepped out of my car at Vesper--a community art space in East Austin--I immediately felt good. And that feeling did not fade. There was such a tasteful atmosphere, well lit with purples and gold hues, and two statement arrangements that made the space warm and welcoming. As a person who couldn’t decorate their way out of a paper bag, I was impressed by how these small touches could make such a big difference.
Okay, let me stop gushing about the production value - but for real it was dope - and talk about the show. I have never been to anything like it! It was an intentional and well-executed melding of improv and therapy. Throughout the performance I found myself both laughing and feeling like I should be taking notes. And I wasn’t the only one. The work was done with such clarity of vision and heart that the audience was totally bought in. At one point, a woman was asked to share a time where she felt she should change something about herself so that she could better fit into society…. and she answered in a room full of strangers! I’ve seen people at comedy shows refuse to clap for themselves so this level of engagement floored me! But it was handled gently and respectfully and that’s what made it work.
But my favorite part - hands down - is when they were able to get all of the audience up on the stage and we all became pieces of artwork that they referred to as their family - their human family. How beautiful!
Bravo! This is a must see!
The All Together Now players are below. Follow them… on IG, not to their cars.
- Shannon Stott @shannonstott
- Mykel Jewell @mykecheckonetwo
- Stephanie Vasquez Fonseca @stephv.f
- Kenzie Slottow @kenzieslottow
- Braden Baumbach @braden.baumbach
- Emily Arnold Fleming @yesand_socialreinforcement
- Calliope Rae @callioperae
Alright y’all I’ll see you next time! Please feel free to leave a comment, or let me know of a show I should go see by hitting me up on IG at @rochelle_war or on FB: MoonCricket Productions LLC. Thank you Comedy Wham for the platform. You rock!
PS: My Venmo is @Rochelle-McConico, and my CashApp is $rochellemcp. Just in case you were wondering. Cheers!
Rochelle McConico is the founder and CEO of MoonCricket Productions a live entertainment company specializing in interactive, multisensory comedic events. She is a visionary, writer, producer, and performer. In June 2020, Rochelle launched the Amuse-Bouche Comedy Festival to showcase the many great improvisers, comedy podcasters and stand-ups in New Orleans and performed as all three.
Rochelle also wrote, directed, and starred in three plays centering her alter ego character, billionaire media heiress Stangela Angela Hemsworth Kingsley Winthrop Farouk Adams III. I’m Only Here for the Snacks, and Stangela for President were both featured at Infringe Fest 2018 and 2019. Her third play Stangela’s Swamp Thing is currently in production and premieres June 2022. Rochelle also co-produces and co-hosts the comedy-advice video podcast Not Another Black Show and a bi-monthly live-streamed show — The Bookclub. Both shows are designed to take on serious topics and be seriously funny.
Additionally, Rochelle is a member of the multi-talented No Lye Comedy collective — a group of dynamic Black femme comedians. With No Lye Comedy, Rochelle co-produced and co-wrote the sketch and variety show Comedy.Peridot, performed sketch in the Dallas Comedy Festival and the Los Angeles Diversity in Comedy Showcase (LADC), and performed improv in the inaugural 2019 New Orleans Improv Festival and 2021 Baton Rouge Improv Festival. Rochelle has also written and performed for Morphed, a monthly stand-up and sketch show in New Orleans, and performed stand up in the Black Girl Giggles Festival.
