Want To Perform?

THE EMAIL LIST

We send out two weekly emails to more than 1,600 comedians; one with the sign-up protocol (Thursday at 9:30pm the week before) and one with the bookings (Wednesday morning at 8:00am). Because of the timing of our pre-sign-up shows, our booking week runs from Monday to Sunday. This means when you get the booking email Thursday night, you are requesting time for the Saturday that is 9 days away. The performance listserv sign-up form is at the bottom of this page. Please read the rest of the page.

If you are new to comedy or the area, we ask that you help us get a big crowd by talking to folks on the street (“barking/flyering”), inviting friends (“bringing”), coming in with a rec (“being a working, funny comedian”), submitting a funny tape or helping us produce shows in another way. You can sign up for the email list below; however, you should read the rest of this page before you do. (To submit an application to help, click here.)


OUT OF TOWN, TRAVELING COMEDIANS

If you are an out-of-town comic, please fill out the google form (in the Thursday email the week before you are planning on coming to town) and check “Out-of-Town.” We will likely have space. However, an instagram message/email is helpful to remind us; if you’d like to do more than 1 spot or do a paid spot, please submit a tape and shoot us a message on instagram. We cannot guarantee space, but we will do our best to take care of a traveler.


HARASSMENT OF OTHER COMEDIANS POLICY

We are an organization run by comedians who love comedy and either want to make or are making it our profession. We treasure our community’s humor and the comedians we book to offer their time and talents and to make people laugh. We have to support each other, so in that spirit, we insist folks we book treat our community members with respect, refrain from race-based, sex-based, sexual orientation-based, gender identity-based, national origin-based, religious-based or any other-based harassment. It is wrong; it will not to be tolerated; and, it is so unnecessary when we have a town full of politicians we can disrespect on stage. Srsly, though, you should know that we will not tolerate these behaviors and will not book comedians who we determine either engage in them, encourage them or fail to let us know when others do. We are not your parent or your boss, but we are telling you how we feel and what we will do. Did something happen at a show that made you feel uncomfortable? Let Elena or Jack know. 


BOOKING POLICY

We book comedians regardless of age, race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification or any other protected category. To ensure the audience has a diverse and original entertainment experience, when booking shows, we consider voice, perspective and if you’re funny or not.

We have a fair, but not equal, booking system. A few times a year, our hosts plus a wide range of other respected DMV comedians vote on a passed list, which is based on everyone who has requested time in the past 3 months, any known DMV comic, and everyone who submits a tape for consideration (~275 people in total last time). The panel asks themselves this question about each comic: Do you want this person to do a 10 minute set on your show? From these votes we compile a list of passed comedians; if these comedians request a spot, they’ll get it, with preference for paid spots, provided they show up on time (see below).

If you are helping (barking or bringing), please arrive by 7:00pm; all other comedians, call time is 7:45pm—except the 10-minute spot, which has an 8:30pm call time. Please text only Justin if you are running late. Please text him by 8pm. Asking to go early can only be done in-person before the show. Order (including on-site spots) out at 8pm. If you miss your spot, you miss your spot. You are being paid, so please be on time. Arriving after 8pm for the 7-minute spot and 9pm for the 10-minute spot means missing pay and possibly your spot. We ask that comedians bring some new material each week. Do not blow the light. We take comedy very seriously and expect our comedians to as well, so please show up on time and appropriately dressed. We enforce these guidelines by bumping a comic from that night’s show, bumping them from future shows and/or shaving their time.

We want to help new comedians get better and get in our rotation, so, we offer many different ways to get on a show (e.g. showing up early and asking, barking, bringing friends, helping us market, helping us manage Capital Laughs, crushing on stage). There are also many different types of slots on any given show.

Each show typically has:

  • 8-10 passed comedians (5, 7 and 10 min sets; some paid)

  • 1-2 comedians helping the show (4-5 mins)

  • 0-2 out-of-towner (4-5 mins)

  • 0-1 host exemptions/host choice (4-5 mins) — arrive before call time

Most commonly asked question: “But, but, I’m not getting time on shows, what am I doing wrong?”

Please consider all of the following before emailing us:

  • Have you offered to help promote the shows in any way?

  • Have you killed lots of times at The Comedy Shuffle?

  • Have you been performing for years?

  • Did you fill out the form correctly?

  • Did you check your spam folder?

  • Have you come by a show?

  • Do we know who you are?

  • Did you submit a tape?

  • Are you funny?