Recognized as one of the best weekly comedy showcases in the Bay Area, Tuesday Night Live Comedy features 5-7 comics at the top of their game. On June 19th, we’re celebrating Juneteenth with an epic comedy showdown! Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
The event features comedians Reggie Steele, The Bad Aunties (Judi Niehi, Diane Amos, Debi Durst), Valerie Vernale, Lyall Behrens, Aundré the Wonderwoman & co-hosts Al Clethen and Diane Amos!
THE COMEDIANS
Reggie Steele
A Bay Area native, Reggie Steele started doing comedy in 2000, and his hilarious stories quickly made him a local favorite. National TV success soon followed, and Reggie was seen on Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-Up, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, Comedy.TV and Nickelodeon’ Nickmom. When he’s not touring the country with his jokes, performing for the troops overseas, or cracking up Northern California audiences, Reggie is an actor whose credits include a recurring role on NBC’s Trauma, a role in the film Love on the Line and Nowhere Girl. He also has a starring role in the feature length film, Hey Monster Hands off My City. You may have also seen him in an episode of Murder in the First on TBS and you can see him the Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why.
The Bad Aunties : Judi Nihei, Diane Amos & Debi Durst
Judi Nihei’s life in improv began when she took a class from Jim Cranna at the Asian American Theatre Workshop. She went on to perform with Cranna and other improv artists in The Committee, The National Theatre of the Deranged, and The Dinosaurs of Improv. She was also in the original company of Not My Fault. A native of San Francisco, she has been deeply involved in the development of Asian American theatre. For over 30 years, she was as administrator, director, dramaturg and performer, primarily with San Francisco’s Asian American Theater Company and Seattle’s Northwest Asian American Theatre, where she was a founding member and served as Artistic Director from 1993 to 1997.
There’s something about an actor with roots in improvisational theater; it’s a confidence, a creative toughness based on faith, guts and teamwork. Such an actor is Indianapolis native and longtime San Franciscan Diane Amos, who, by way of baptism by fire in the world of improv has carved out a career in movies, television, comedic and dramatic stage work, stand-up comedy and a long run as spokesperson for a well-known household cleaner: aka The Pine-Sol Lady.
Forged in the crucible of improvisational theater at a young age, Debi has performed with every improv group known to Man in the Bay Area, beginning with The Committee, Spaghetti Jam, Femprov, The Comedy Underground, The National Theater of the Deranged, Papaya Juice, The Dinosaurs of Improv, and The Marsh Jam. Blessed with a background in legitimate theater, Debi has been able to straddle both worlds, spending the last 30 years improvising in clubs all over this Blue Ball and has recently began trodding the boards again. Summer of 2014 found her playing the Nurse in “Romeo & Juliet” with the Marin Shakespeare Company. She also directs, having helmed productions of “Bullshot Crummond,” “Noises Off,” “The Sunshine Boys” and “Father of the Bride” for Pacifica Spindrift Theatre. She also produces San Francisco’s Comedy Celebration Day and The Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show. Debi won the 2016 SF Bay Area Critic’s Circle Award for Best Featured Actress for her role in “Cymbeline” with Marin Shakespeare Company.
Valerie Vernale
Valerie Vernale is a San Francisco native and was named one of the six comics to watch by the San Francisco Chronicle. Valerie performs all over the Bay Area at venues like Comedy Oakland, the San Francisco Punch Line, and your favorite dive bar. Valerie is unafraid to take risks on stage by being painfully honest and sometimes taking unpopular or extreme stances on issues. Valerie can make you laugh or want to punch something, but either way she’ll make you pay attention to her. She also performed at SF Sketchfest 2018.
Lyall Behrens
Lyall Behrens honed his skills in Bay Area comedy clubs. He covers human foibles, race, social commentary, relationships, gender equality and pop culture with an irreverent perspective. Lyall is also known for hilarious, spot on impressions of celebrities. His stand up has appeared on Hulu Network. His eclectic style has lead to him sharing the stage with everybody from Paul Mooney to Ali Wong. Lyall currently tours throughout the US performing at comedy clubs, casinos and colleges from Maine to Maui. In his home state he’s blessed every major club from SF Punchline to Hollywood Laugh Factory. Tuscon Weekly described him as “a funny social critic with exceptional chops in celebrity impressions.”
Aundré the Wonderwoman
When he introduced Aundré the Wonderwoman at Steve Harvey’s Comedy House in Dallas, Texas, Harvey described her as a “new comic with a funny way of saying things.” Since then, she’s garnered a reputation as a solid talent dishing up content-based comedy ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. A keen observer of human behavior, she’ll have you laughing at everything from disability to the politics of the day. Her credits include The Funniest Woman in Half Moon Bay, Oakland’s Funniest Comic on the Strip and Winner of the Inaugural Russian River Comedy Competition. She was a semi-finalist in the 2005 San Francisco International Comedy Competition and in 2008 received the Stand-Up For Justice Award for her work against the death penalty.
Al Clethen
You may recognize Al Clethen from his numerous appearances on Showtime, A&E, Comedy Central and MTV, including his starring role in the HBO’s Robert Townsend special, “Partners in Crime.” Al has worked with many comedy legends including the great Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, and Drew Carey. He has also worked with Will Smith, Tina Turner, Chaka Kahn and Gloria Estefan.
