When a comic’s in the house, all your prepared questions go out the window. In this surprisingly serious and insightful interview with host Suki Wessling, local comedian and comedy promoter DNA talks about his comedic roots—and the roots of the American standup comedy tradition—that go back to the early Borscht Belt. We touch on the continuing racism and antisemitism that mars the American comedy scene, and how such sentiments are not welcome locally. And we talk about the organization that he built, then lost, and is now rebuilding post-Covid. In an only-in-Santa-Cruz moment, the daughter of recently deceased Budd Friedman, who founded the Improv Comedy Club franchise, happened to catch us on the radio as she drove home from his funeral and called in to reminisce. Tune in!
For more information:
- DNA’s Comedy Lab
- Comedy Nights at the Blue Lagoon
- Budd Friedman
- Comedy in the Catskills: Remembering the Borscht Belt
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
