I’ve often felt tension between my love of humor, art history, and philosophy and the pressure to “be one thing.” But curiosity is a muscle. And I’m more interested in going deeper than narrowing. Curiosity is a muscle and it must be exercised. What happens if I go deeper there? It seems to be a risk most are not willing to take.

I am learning a lot the more I “go up” on stage. Audiences often remark that my comedy “makes them think” or that I am the “most comfortable comic” compared to others they have seen. A few comics have said that I remind them of Duncan Trussel. I had never heard of him and I was weary when I did a quick Google search and was associated with Joe Rogan. But, I persevered and found that he has an eccentric podcast that featured a porn star I had sex with in my 20s in San Francisco who is now a spiritual leader in Ireland. Who knew? It seems to me that my personal world feels a bit like inception these days, some psychologists would argue this is a feeling of “integration.” It feels oddly good. I know that my comedy, my jokes about my personal experience will continue to push the thread of the serious, the dark, and what constitutes as “funny.” I do believe that my childhood and adolescent experience are more universal than some would think. I have a suspicion. I am looking to find out if I might be right. I was recently amused by how funny Marcel Duchamp was and how much his physical objects were jokes. He even had a drag persona Rsose Leavy. Who knew art history could be so funny? It can. I am constantly looking forward to bringing my art history into the comedic world. Here are to more surprises. I hope I can continue to surprise you. I know it might seem out of focused, or rambling at times, but I assure there will be clarity. I am just not sure how quickly that clarity will arrive.

** COMEDY ONLY ***You can now find me on Instagram, Youtube, Here, and What’sApp.

FOLLOW ME: SOFT INSTAGRAM LAUNCH Looking forward to re-emerging into society with my new name and sharing some videos along with the latest of when I go up on stage! NEXT SHOWS:May 7th at Laughing Buddha TICKETS (I need 3 people :: Let me know if you are coming!)

May 10th at Westside Comedy Club TICKETS (I need 4 people :: Let me know if you are coming!) Laughing Buddha Finals It was great to see a fellow open mic comedian James Patrick rise to the top of the festival. He had a great set and it was a fun night to see all the finalists give it their best shot in front of professional judges. The festival experience made me reflect on the ambiguity, gatekeeping, and other parts of the stand up world. I have yet to make my first dollar from stand up, but it is a goal this year to either host or secure a guest spot to change that. It is a grind and there is no way around it. Keep going up and continue to experiment. The community is the best part of it all.

Jon Laster at Comedy CellarI saw an old friend from the tech world at the comedy cellar. Jon is an ex-NBA player turned comedian turned tech founder. I love his presence on stage and it was fun to re-visit where he is in his home at the Comedy Cellar, which the NYC Cathedral of comedy in my opinion. He regularly is opening for Tracy Morgan, but when I get a chance to catch him here, I run! I hope he makes his billions!

ON BROADWAY

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is the best of American Theater ! Cast, set, acting, and story are compelling. Do not miss Taraji P Henson and Cedric The Entertainer in this August Wilson classic. How August’s writing weaves a story captures your attention from the moment the play starts to the very end is true art. It was so exciting to see this revival in previews and I think it will be one of the stand outs of the season. Go - go - go! After watching this play, you would also understand why Viola Davis gave a particular shout out to Michael B. Jordan at the Actor’s Awards, too. Keep on shining.

Giant ⭐️⭐️⭐️Angry rich white man grows awry and disassociates from past violent experiences is my quickest way to describe Giant, which is focused on British children writer Ronald Dahl. Talk about man who had no self awareness and let anger and resentment take over his life. John Lithgow is a dream to watch fill the skin of this angry nemesis. Yes, he was an Anti-Semite and yes he had great influence. But, what is missing here is the critique of angry white me everywhere. An inability to heal from experiences to transform into beauty. He transformed his hurt and anger into evil characters and sadly, from this play, he let them control him well into his later years. How sad to accomplish so much in their career (particularly for children), yet hate so deeply, and bask in deserts and alcohol.

Dog Day Afternoon ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️A surprising queer twist caught me off guard in this well designed and well casted play. It is too long and scenes drag on like a hot summer August day. Maybe that is the point, but I was drifting at times. Film adaptations are increasingly popular for Broadway, but they are growing tired in my opinion. I haven’t seen the movie and watching the play did not make me want to see even more. As Sodheim always said, the art form should stand on its own in its own form. This play seemed to struggle to find its identity.

VISUAL ART Marcel Duchamp at MoMA ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I have seen this exhibit twice and it continues to unlock something inside. The power of an idea. How did Marcel Duchamp have the permission to take his own ideas, create, and then keep going further with the idea? Some might not say it is beautiful or even art for that matter. It is frustrating, a readymade item right off the shelf. What I have realized with Marcel Duchamp is that by him giving himself permission, he gave a generation of artists permission to explore the ideas of chance, instructions, and what it means to be navigate modernity with humor, play, and the absurd. He has a drag artist persona in the early 20th century! And I hate the concept “ahead of his time,” no no no. He was not ahead of any one time, he was of his time responding to the frailty of life during WW1 and WW2. He is of his time and to pay attention to that unlocks a great mystery of modernity. The power of an idea can shift how we perceive the world around us.

House Made of Dawn: Art by Native Americans 1880 to Now, Selections from the Hsu-Tang Collection at New York Historical ⭐️⭐️⭐️New York Historical always has nice little surprise exhibits and this one was no different. I love this piece by Terran Last Gun stood out

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UPCOMING GREGORY MEANDER LIVE SHOWS:

May 7th at Laughing Buddha TICKETS (I need 3 people :: Let me know if you are coming!)

May 10th at Westside Comedy Club TICKETS (I need 4 people :: Let me know if you are coming!) Next class I am taking : Monologue as Play with Gabriel Leavy I will be working on a few monologues I have written that are more in the dramatic story vein rather than stand up. I am trying to incorporate the tenets of clowning into the dramatic writing. This is building on my intro to clowning from this past spring. On-Going Sublime Poetry: Raphael at The Met Up Coming in May Costume Art at The Met Rocky Horror Picture Show at Studio 54

Jerome at Playwright Horizons Lee Ufan at Dia Beacon

El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego at The Met Opera Matteo Lane Advice Special at the Comedy Cellar Keith Haring at the Brandt Foundation Old Masters and New Amsterdam at NY Historical Other things in my sphere ::

Has Pop Art Icon Keith Haring been sanitised? (BBC) Access O’Keeffe [Digital Catalogue Raisonne]

Permission to Feel: The Power of Emotional Intelligence to Achieve Well-Being and Success

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