A Classic RISK! episode from our early years that first ran in April of 2013, when Giulia Rozzi, Nimisha Ladva and Kevin Allison shared stories at a live RISK! show in Philadelphia, presented by First Person Arts.

When his comedy troupe The State breaks up, Kevin has to start a solo career, and creates a weird, elaborate, performance-art style comedic character monologue that centers around possibly being (or not being) Charles Manson. He tries it out at the Luna Lounge on a night when the club is packed to the rafters with famous comedians, and one paragraph into the piece, he completely blanks out on the remaining nine pages, paralyzed by stage fright, and unable to trust his own instincts or his vulnerability. Kevin tries to leave the theatre, but the crowd is so huge he can’t go anywhere, and suddenly they grab him and body-surf him around the room, depositing him back onstage, cheering at him that he has to keep performing...and that gives him the boost to find his voice and his lines again, and finish his monologue.

keywords: Live story, show host, Host story, Kevin Allison, NYC, New York, comedy, comedy club, standup, gig, failure, blank, memorization, stage fright, script, scripted, Luna Lounge, Charles Manson, character, monologue, think about it Jackass, audience, The State, solo, body surfing, onstage, agent, fear, vulnerability, career.

🎧Live Story: Giulia Rozzi Shaves Her Toes! by Giulia Rozzi

🎧Live Story: An American Family by Nimisha Ladva

Nimisha's Indian family is not happy to hear she's marrying a Jewish guy, but they do their best to get over it. At the epic Indian wedding, Nimisha's mom makes the groom a gift, and makes a big deal of presenting it to him. It's emblazoned with a swastika, which has its own historical meaning in Indian culture. It's an extremely awkward moment, but love saves the day and the family acknowledges the mistake, conceding that no swastikas should be present during the wedding.

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