The 16th Annual Bloomington Comedy Festival!
It's that time again, friends! 11 Weeks, 40 Comedians, 39 Frowny Emoticons, ONE Champion. With almost all sold out shows, the best audiences of the year, and the ability to decide the winner, The Bloomington Comedy Festival returns for its 16th year. Join us Wednesdays AND Thursdays ALL SUMMER LONG as we crown The Funniest Person in Bloomington!
First Round
- June 12 & 13
- June 19 & 20
- June 26 & 27
- July 10 & 11
Second Round
- July 17 & 18
- July 24 & 25
- July 31 & August 1
Quarterfinals
- August 7 & 8
- August 14 & 15
Semifinals
- August 21 & 22
THE FINALS
- August 29
Alingon Mitra's Comedy Attic Debut!
Alingon Mitra is a stand up comedian known for his tight jokes, original thoughts, and affable presence.
Making his television debut on NBC's Last Comic Standing, Alingon finished first in the public vote 5 weeks in a row to win the comic comeback contest and perform on the finale. He has since been invited to do stand up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Adam Devine's House Party on Comedy Central. In addition, he wrote for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Adam Ruins Everything. Alingon went on to be named one of the "New Faces of Comedy" at Montreal's Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. He also won both the Boston Comedy Festival and the "Funniest Comic in New England" contest in the same year. Alingon was a writer for the humor magazine The Harvard Lampoon and can now be found on TikTok, on Instagram, or in bed.
Emily and Mark Crash the Attic!
The Comedy Attic is proud to present the co-headlining weekend with Mark Bookwalter and Emily Davis! Both Emily and Mark have been not only Bloomington mainstays but are also regionally and nationally known as well.
Emily Davis is a Midwestern comic through-and-through, and a queer darling. She’s been featured at Big Pine, Limestone, Middle Ground, and other comedy festivals. She’s regular at The Comedy Attic, and has been seen doing comedy on Vice TV network. She’s sweet, she’s sharp, she’s silly, and off-stage she would love to talk to you about antiques!
Mark Bookwalter is a real silly goose and one handsome feller. As a kid he was an overweight nerd who used humor to combat bullies. Now he is an overweight nerd who uses humor to combat crippling depression and anxiety. He performs all over the country at comedy festivals, working with such acts as Beth Stelling, Kyle Kinane, Chris Gethard, Dana Gould, and more. In 2023 he released a live album and accompanying special ‘SAGE’. Mark was featured on a stop of the Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco House nationwide comedy tour. His mom says she is proud of him but he’s not quite convinced.
Jackie Kashian's Comedy Attic Return!
Jackie Kashian is a stand-up comedian who has been seen on Conan, Corden, HBO, Netflix, Comedy Central, and or heard on NPR and Audible. Touring 45 weeks a year, she calls it The Neverending Story Tour and you should check to see if she’s gonna be in a town near you. Her 5 comedy albums and specials have been number one on Amazon and Apple and #3 on Billboard. In addition to two podcasts “The Jackie and Laurie Show” and “The Dork Forest,” you can also read her writing in “The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies” and the comic book “Comics Comics Quarterly”. Currently, she has a new TINY comedy special "LOOKING BACK" shot from the camera of a Mazda 6 in reverse.
Shane Torres Returns to The Comedy Attic!
Shane Torres is a stand up comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Shane landed in Portland, Oregon and began his comedy career. Shane has performed on festivals all over the globe including Montreal’s Just For Laughs, Comedy Central’s Clusterfest, San Francisco Sketchfest, Bonnaroo, Outsidelands, Bumbershoot, Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin, Red Clay Comedy Festival, High Plains in Denver, Laughingskull, New York Comedy Festival, Laughfest, and many more.
His television appearances to date have included Conan twice, Comedy Central Half Hour Special, IFC’S Comedy Bang Bang, NBC’S Last Comic Standing (barely), Tru Tv’s Comedy Knockout, NBC’s Red Nose Day, and Ron White’s Comedy Salute To The Troops on CMT. He has been heard on such popular podcasts such as Savage Love, All Fantasy Everything, Comedy Bang Bang, Doug Loves Movies and Bertcast. He tours frequently across the states and can often be found performing in a comedy club, theaters, and music venues near you. In March of 2019 his Comedy Central web series Shane Torres Conquers Fear is being released.
He has been reviewed by numerous media outlets including The New York Times, Onion AV Club, GQ UK, and more. His album Established 1981 came out in September of 2017 on Comedy Central records “Mr. Torres has a laconic drawling delivery with deliberate pacing, placing him firmly in the tradition of dry deadpan specialist like Tig Notaro and Todd Barry. But his style is warmer, relying on punchlines with corkscrew turns that have moments of vulnerability and even melancholy.” — The New York Times. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Twitter feed is not available at
Mohanad Elshieky's Comedy Attic Debut!
Mohanad Elshieky is a New York based, Libyan born comedian who made his national TV debut on Conan, has been featured on Comedy Central, and has toured with Pop Up Magazine. He is currently a writer/consultant for the hit podcast LOVETT OR LEAVE IT and was one of the hosts of Lemonada’s podcast I’M SORRY where each week they unravel the latest and greatest in twitter gaffes, petty beef and not-so-subtle shade. In 2018, he appeared in an episode of Epix’s “Unprotected Sets” and was listed as one of Thrillist’s 50 Best Undiscovered Comics. Mohanad was also a digital producer on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Mohanad combines a deceptively laid-back demeanor with his whip-smart perspective on politics and culture. The Portland Mercury called him “an undisputed genius of comedy,” and he's been featured on podcasts such as Lovett or Leave It, Pod Save The People and Harmontown. He has toured across the country with the critically acclaimed storytelling show Pop Up Magazine. Elshieky zeroes in on topics that seem off limits - then surprises you with how hard you’re laughing. Follow Mohanad on twitter @MohanadElshieky.
Bob & Tom's Greg Warren!
Greg Warren recently released his special The Salesman, co-produced by Nate Bargatze and 800 Pound Gorilla Media. The project tells the story of his post-college phase when he had a stint selling Jif and Pringles for Procter & Gamble which eventually led to his decision to become a full-time comedian. According to The New York Times, Greg “…has done for peanut butter what Jerry Seinfeld did for Pop-Tarts and Jim Gaffigan did for Hot Pockets.” An honest mix of self-deprecation, frustration and an arsenal of lifelike characters highlight Greg’s colorful perspective.
He can be seen in his Amazon Prime Special, “Where The Field Corn Grows”, Fish Sandwich on Dry Bar Comedy, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show and Comedy Central Presents. Greg attracts a diverse audience spectrum, having performed as a finalist on BET’s Coming to the Stage and on Country Music Television. He is a favorite on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show, which led to touring theaters nationwide with The Bob & Tom All Stars Comedy Tour. Greg’s comedy has been a daily staple on Sirius/XM’s Laugh USA and Jeff and Larry’s Comedy Roundup channels for a decade. You can hear him guesting on podcasts like Nateland, Never Not Funny, Bertcast, Dumb People Town, The Adam Carolla Show and many more. He's performed as a New Face of Comedy at JFL, on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and NBC’s Last Comic Standing.
Greg hails from St. Louis, MO, where his father was a high school wrestling coach and his mother made him play clarinet in the band. He has captivated audiences with anecdotes about the conflict inherent in meshing the two disparate high school identities of varsity wrestler and band geek. Greg was also a West Point Cadet, where he distinguished himself by amassing an impressive tally of demerits and endless hours of pointless marching. After moving on to the University of Missouri, he studied journalism and became an All-American college wrestler.
Greg Warren Family Friendly Matinee!
This show is appropriate for parents and kids. We recommend 9 years old and up, but seeing as most kids don’t have driver’s licenses, we are not going to card anyone! The show features standup comedy followed by a kid's talk show. Greg picks out random kids from the audience, interviews them on stage and encourages them to tell a joke or story to the crowd.
The show has been a hit with kids and parents!
“We loved how interactive it was with the audience.” - Ainsley, 15
“I loved how authentic all the comedians were.” – Emma, 16
“My favorite part of the show was Flute Man” – Tory, 11
“They could make people laugh without being vulgar.” – Jake, 17
“We brought a whole group of kids of all ages and everybody had a blast – Joi, Parent. (We don’t disclose adult ages.)
A longtime favorite of Bloomington residents, Greg Warren's brand new Amazon stand up special "Where the Field Corn Grows" is a bonafide hit with both viewers and critics alike. Before his smash hit, Greg recorded his last two albums right here at The Comedy Attic- 2017's “Fish Sandwich” and 2013's "Running Out of Time."
Greg has recently seen on “ Late Night with Seth Meyers”, "The Late Late Show on CBS" and “Last Comic Standing” and has built a strong fan base with an act inspired by his Midwestern upbringing. Self-deprecation, frustration and an arsenal of lifelike characters highlight Greg's colorful perspective. Greg attracts a diverse audience, having performed on BET’s "Coming to the Stage", Country Music Television's "Comedy Stage" and Comedy Central’s “Comedy Central Presents”. He is a favorite on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom radio show. He toured theaters across the country with The Bob & Tom All Stars Comedy Tour.
Sat Aug 10 2024, 4:00 PM
Buy TicketsAn Evening with Laurie Kilmartin!
Laurie Kilmartin is a stand-up comedian and an Emmy-nominated, WGA award-winning comedy writer. She was a staff writer for all 11 years of CONAN on TBS, and has performed standup on CONAN, Late Late Show w/James Corden, and Comedy Central. She was a Top 10 finalist on season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing, and has been a guest on Marc Maron's WTF 3 times. She is the author of Dead People Sck, a comedic memoir about grief, and Shitty Mom- NY Times bestselling comedy about parenting. Her special 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, was named Vulture 's Top Ten Comedy Specials of 2016. In 2022, she was a guest in the “Comedy” episdoe of Hillary Clinton’s 2022 Apple TV series Gutsy. Her new special, “Cis Woke Grief Slut,” taped at Hollywood’s El Portal Theater, will be available on all platforms in January, 2024.
Zainab Johnson's Bloomington Debut!
Zainab Johnson is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. Zainab’s comedy is based on her unique point-of-view, which was shaped growing up in Harlem as one of thirteen siblings in a black Muslim family. After getting a degree in Education and Math and taking a job as a teacher, she quickly learned that she had a different calling. Zainab is currently a series regular on the Amazon Original hit series titled UPLOAD from Greg Daniels, she is one of the hosts for Netflix's show 100 HUMANS, and starred as Dr. Hanniel in the brilliantly written web series AVANT-GUARDIANS. She made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS, and had breakout appearances on HBO’s ALL DEF COMEDY, NBC’s LAST COMIC STANDING, and has performed at the JFL Comedy Festival in Montreal first as a "New Face of Comedy", then as one of "Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch", and most recently on the longest running JFL show "Just For The Culture". She is a paid regular at The Comedy Store, The Improv, and Laugh Factory in Los Angeles as well as the Comedy Cellar in New York City. Her first hourlong special, Hijabs Off, is now available to stream on Amazon.
Gianmarco Soresi - The Leaning In Tour!
Gianmarco Soresi is a New York based stand-up comedian, actor, and creator known for his sharp societal observation and spry, energetic stage presence.
Gianmarco effortlessly commands a room with his animated style, blending upbeat candor with dark comedic beats — which has garnered him critical acclaim from NPR, Esquire, The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, ABC News, and many more. He’s performed stand-up on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Comedy Central, Don’t Tell, The Real Housewives of New York, and was selected as a JFL New Face in 2022. Gianmarco has also acted in Billy Crystal's Here Today, Netflix’s Bonding, Hustlers, The Last OG, and is the host of the popular podcast “The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi.”