Personally, I’m a HUGE FAN of the Brooklyn Comedy Collective in Williamsburg, so when, Philip Markel, the Founder and Artistic Director agreed to come in for a Dr. Lisa session, I was thrilled. 

Philip is the chilliest version of a Type A personality that I have met. He’s warm, welcoming, exuding a contagious sort of joy. The most obvious question in my mind was “How does he do it all?”, but our session went far past that simple question. Philip is a multitalented, (improv, singing, dancing, writing, teaching) creative person who is running a collective with 3 linked locations and a staff of 20 people, since 2018, all while doing his own work!

My take is Philip is that he is an unusual combo of talent, drive and business smarts. You don’t often meet people like him with this much talent and drive, establishing collectives for creative people, I think because most people that have that combo of skills go for the money. Comedy is not a get rich quick pursuit.

I read this autobiographical story that Philip had written for Medium before our interview and it lent some insight on Philip. It's helps illuminate where some of that leadership and fearlessness in his nature may led him to give us The Brooklyn Comedy Collective. Here’s just the very beginning of that story:

“Can I change?

I’ve been trapped by that question, in a loop I can’t break, most of my life.

I broke the loop once — my Senior Year of Catholic high-school, when I stood up during Mass and told a crowd of my classmates — and assorted nuns, deacon, and priest — that Jesus would want me to “Tell you all right now I’m gay.”

It was the most authentic moment of my life.”

BIO: Philip Markle has performed and produced in hundreds of shows and taught students internationally, from Berlin to Bali. Philip graduated from Northwestern University and trained in improv in Chicago at The Annoyance, iO, and Second City before moving to NYC in 2013 to launch The Annoyance Theater NY, where he acted as its Director for four years. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Brooklyn Comedy Collective in Williamsburg. Performance highlights include musically improvising with Baby Wants Candy in Chicago and BLANK: The Musical Off-Broadway. As a storyteller, he has performed at The Moth and The Paper Machete - and is a writer on Medium.com with 400k+ reads. He executive produced, wrote, and acted in the digital shorts series "The Annoyance Presents" on IFC's Comedy Crib. Philip first performed his show SPARKLE HOUR to rave reviews in the 2013 NY International Fringe Festival and has regularly produced it since, including multiple runs at Joe's Pub and as part of the 2021 and 2022 NY Comedy Festival. You can listen to his album of queer comedy songs “AT THE GAY BATHHOUSE” on your favorite streaming music platform.

Follow him on socials @philipsparkle

Website: https://philipmarkle.com

Brooklyn Comedy Collective Website: https://www.brooklyncc.com/

Tickets for Philip Markel's monthly show The Sparkle Hour HERE