Storytown Ashland partners with Epic Ashland to bring seasoned touring comedians to town
By Jim Flint for Ashland.news
Some funny business is afoot in Southern Oregon.
Ashland, long celebrated for its Shakespearean drama, is about to trade soliloquies for sarcasm. From Dec. 5 to 7, the city will host the inaugural Ashland Sarcasm Festival (ASF!), a comedy takeover designed to fill theaters, bars and restaurants with sharp wit, satire and laughter.
“This festival is our love letter to Ashland’s clever, quirky soul — and to the power of laughter to bring us together,” said Matt Hoffman, creative director of Storytown Ashland, the nonprofit producing the event in partnership with Epic Ashland.
“ASF! brings a national spotlight to our town, elevates our creative community and offers a brand-new cultural experience rooted in sharp storytelling that celebrates irreverent,” he said.
Bowmer goes for laughs
The festival’s centerpiece is “Epic Nights of Comedy,” two headliner shows Dec. 5 and 6 at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Angus Bowmer Theatre — a stage usually dark after the festival’s season. Each night will feature performances at 6 and 8:30 p.m.
On Friday, Dec. 5, Los Angeles-based comic Moshe Kasher headlines. Known for his sharp crowd work and candid storytelling, Kasher is the author of “Kasher in the Rye,” a memoir about his turbulent teenage years in Oakland, Calif. Opening will be Amy Miller, a comic with credits on Netflix and Comedy Central who has performed at major festivals, including Just for Laughs and South by Southwest.
Saturday’s headliner is Ronald Funches, an actor and comedian raised in Salem who began his career in Portland. Known for his self-reflective humor and memorable roles in “Trolls” and NBC’s “Undateable,” Funches brings an Oregon connection to the Bowmer stage. He’ll be preceded by Jared Goldstein, a comedian, actor, and writer named one of Time Out Los Angeles’ Comics to Watch and whose stand-up has appeared on Comedy Central.
Tickets for Bowmer performances range from $35 to $75 at sarcasmfest.com.
Big step for local comedy
Karolina Lavagnino, head of marketing for the Sarcasm Festival, said the Bowmer lineup represents a major step for the local comedy scene.
“The performers slated for the Bowmer are seasoned touring comedians,” she said. “While all have toured Oregon before, this is their first time performing in Ashland.”
She says the goal of ASF! is to raise Southern Oregon’s profile on the touring comedy circuit.
The lineup spans a broad range of comedic styles.
“They range from hosts Carl Lee, a local rising star, and Jay Light, a popular L.A. comic and regular TV writer, to openers Miller and Goldstein,” Lavagnino said. “And then there are Funches, an Oregon native known for his self-reflective comedy, and Kasher, a crowd-work mastermind and recent Oregon Country Fair performer.
Comedy all over town
ASF! will spill beyond the Bowmer into downtown bars, restaurants and hotels. Local venues were eager to sign on, said Montana Hauser, the festival’s head of operations.
“I’m absolutely stoked that something new and fresh is being produced in town,” she said.
The schedule for those events follows.
Friday, Dec. 5
7 p.m., music and comedy at Liquid Lounge, featuring Connor Reese.
7 p.m., stand-up comedy at Resistance Wine Co., featuring Monica Nevi and Luke Null with Lynette Manning.
8 p.m., “Wrong! A F**ked Up Game Show” at White Rabbit with host Jay Light.
10 p.m., stand-up showcase at Local 31 Pub, featuring Sam Miller and Adam Pasi with Julia Corral, hosted by Levi Anderson.
Saturday, Dec. 6
Noon-5 p.m., Sarcasm Hub at White Rabbit, with improv shows, festival merchandise, family-friendly activities, Zanni Nation, the Hamazons, and more.
1-3 p.m., Get Out of Your Head Improv Workshop at the Drift Collective.
7 p.m., Hick to Hamlet at Resistance Wine Co. with Ty Boice.
8 p.m., Dungeons & Drag Queens at the Ashland Springs Hotel.
8 p.m., stand-up comedy at Liquid Lounge with Sam Miller, Jared Goldstein and Lynette Manning, hosted by Nick Meier.
9 p.m., stand-up comedy at Brickroom with Luke Null, DJ Sandhu and Julia Corral, hosted by Carl Lee.
Sunday, Dec. 7
11 a.m., Drag Brunch at Bar Juillet with Queen Kylie Mooncakes and Amy Miller.
5:30 p.m., a historical roast fundraiser at Brickroom.
Most venues will charge a cover, but two events are free: Sarcasm Hub from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at White Rabbit, and Music & Games at Skout Taphouse from 5 to 9 p.m. the same day.
Hauser is happy about the variety of fare being offered.
“There will be stand-up comedy, improv comedy, game shows, dungeons and dragons live play, commedia dell’arte, a one-woman show, a one-man show, music — with more being programmed as we speak,” she said.
Global experience, local roots
The team behind ASF! is focused on giving Ashland stages a broader, global reach.
Hoffman, born and raised in Ashland, built a career directing commercials for Nike, Gatorade, ESPN and other top brands. He lives in Ashland with his family. The organization he leads, Storytown Ashland, is a nonprofit aimed at making the city a year-round cultural destination.
Hauser has spent 15 years directing large-scale live events, ranging from Coachella and the Preakness Stakes to competitive video gaming events in Los Angeles. She said she approaches each project with resourcefulness, humor and “just the right sprinkle of good-natured sarcasm.”
More than entertainment
Organizers see ASF! as an economic and cultural catalyst. Jim Fredericks, board chair of the Ashland Cultural & Economic Alliance, characterizes the festival as more than a comedy event.
“It’s a cultural statement,” he said. “We’re launching ASF! as a signature Storytown event to drive tourism, energize local business and position Ashland as a creative capital for bold new ideas and storytelling.”
Storytown recently teamed up with Epic Ashland to produce free summer concerts at the Lithia Park Butler Bandshell. The success of those events inspired other groups — including the city of Phoenix — to start their own series.
Matthew Bernard, Epic Ashland board chair, was pleasantly surprised at the response to the Lithia Park concerts.
“I had no idea what to expect,” he said. “I just crossed my fingers and hoped our efforts would bring people together. The first concert ended up being packed and the feedback was great.”
Now, with the Bowmer Theatre available during OSF’s offseason, Storytown and Epic are betting that comedy can fill seats during the winter lull.
“Our events, like those at OSF, are designed to attract locals and visitors from across the region and beyond,” Hoffman said. “We want to turn Ashland into a citywide venue capable of pulling off a multiday festival of entertaining programming that signals more to come.”
It’s not the first time OSF has opened its stages to community partners during the off-season. In 2023, Oregon Cabaret Theatre presented a holiday run of “White Christmas” at the Thomas Theatre. The Rogue Valley Symphony, which launched its annual holiday concerts at OSF that year, will present “A Judy Garland Christmas at the Bowmer Dec. 19-21.
Setting the stage for more
While ASF! is the first of its kind, organizers say it won’t be the last. With programming that ranges from seasoned touring comedians to experimental acts in intimate venues, they hope the festival will grow into an annual tradition.
For tickets and a full schedule of ASF! events, visit sarcasmfest.com.
Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him at [email protected].
