Performance Revue

Robert Littwin

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Performance Revue Podcast

Performance Revue is a show that reveals the creative process behind Chicago’s premier comedians. Each episode features a set, interview, and breakdown of each joke or concept presented in their act. Performance Revue is released as a podcast biannually, with video releases (both with and without commentary) of the sets discussed in each episode.

2021-02-24

Outtakes: Amy Sumpter

In these outtakes from Amy Sumpter's episode, we discuss the duplicitous toilets of Manhattan, working a day job, dating as a comedian, and a lot more. Timestamps: 01:00 – Dissecting Comedy at Open Mics 01:28 – “I love a good poop joke, but…” 01:58 – The Legend of Kyle Parris Mentions of Doc Martins, Dad Jeans, Elbow Patches, ‘The Room’, Vaudeville 03:45 – Selling the Hell Out of a Dad Joke 04:38 – New York and L.A. 05:00 – The Toilets of New York 05:52 – Moving to Chicago to Wait Tables 07:38 – Reflect on Your Decade 08:19 – “If you want me, come and get me. You fly me out” 09:35 – No Shame in Having a Day Job 11:07 – I Do Not Run Las Locas Comedy (Janice Rodriguez Does) Mentions of 2002, Frosted Tips, Anal Beads, Janice Rodriguez, Vanilla Ice 13:28 – Entitled White Women at Open Mics 14:36 – “Everyone feels this ownership of what is funny” Mentions of George Carlin, Checking Your Privilege, Last Comic Standing 16:50 – Absorbing Positive Messages Before a Performance 17:54 – Rachel McCartney is a Genius 18:20 – Relatable Material? 20:40 – She’s Crafty 20:58 – “So, you’re famous, right?” 21:44 – Building Women Up Mentions of The Kates, Public Speaking 23:00 – Wisdom vs. Age Mentions of Non-Binary, Gender Norms, Feminism, Patriarchy 24:36 – The Weird Dating Cycle Redux 25:37 – Sex and Self-Respect 26:15 – You Deserve a Sexy, Famous Gentleman Mentions of Jason Momoa, Idris Elba, #metoo, ‘Luther’, ‘Cats’, The Rocky Horror Picture Show 27:45 – I Spill Water on Myself 28:25 – Brittany Meyer’s ‘Cats’ Story 28:50 – A Kid Keeps Farting During ‘Beauty and the Beast’ 29:38 – Gym Momentum 30:15 – Hair vs. No Hair Mention of Winslow Dumaine 30:46 – Wait, You Found Love? 32:25 – I Don’t Want to be Objectified 33:00 – Tips for Going on a Date with a Comedian 33:40 – Kelsie Huff Kicks Ass Mentions of Marilee, Laugh Factory, Robin Williams, St. Patrick’s Day, Zanies, Scott Duff 34:32 – “Scott Duff is magic”

36 min
2021-02-22

Amy Sumpter: Creating A Space For Women In Chicago Comedy

Co-founder of The Kates on Broadway and acclaimed Chicago comedy vet Amy Sumpter goes over her amazing 2019 set at Strip Joker in this season 3 finale! We discuss making space for women in stand-up (and in the world), the time her breast ended up in an old lady's mouth on the subway, and what not to do when your gynecologist shows up to a pelvic exam dressed as a pirate. Timestamps: 01:00 – Set from Strip Joker 14:00 – “I come from a pretty funny family” Mentions of 7th Grade, Mean Girls, High School, Medieval Times, Jewel Osco, Bennigan’s 16:35 – “I want to be the weirdo; I want to be the character actor” Mentions of College, Chicago, Second City 17:45 – “…And that’s where I met Kelsie Huff” Mentions of Kelsie Huff, The Kates, Bear (The Nephew), Columbia College, Second City Conservatory 18:55 – The Kates Origin Story Mentions of Frankie J’s on Broadway, Methadone Clinics, One-Woman Shows, ‘Huffs’, Tragedy Plus Time, ‘Enough is Enough’ Webseries 21:40 – “Chicago is very small” 22:25 – “Whenever I have issues [with someone], it’s usually a white dude” (SPOILER ALERT) 22:55 – “I have been getting onstage since I was twelve” 23:21 – “Open mics just make me want to quit comedy” 24:37 – “Talk about what you know” 24:54 – “Don’t try to emulate your favorite comics” Mentions of Eddie Murphy, Lilly Tomlin, Amy Schumer 25:30 – Bad Sitcom Writing vs. ‘The Office’ 26:10 – Amy’s First Open Mic Story Mentions of Chicago Trolley, Corona Beer, Withered Lady-Boners, Eric Estrada, ‘Chips’, The Comedy Hole of Shame 32:02 – Moving to Chicago vs. LA 32:42 – ‘The Kates’ Begins Mentions of Female Representation, Edgewater, Kate The Great’s Book Emporium, The Book Cellar, Facebook, Feminism 35:11 – Getting into the Set 35:13 – The High Kick Mentions of Cartwheels, Counseling, Therapy, Macho Man Randy Savage 36:57 – Underwear Covered in Pubic Hair Mentions of Gen-X, Shaving, Litmus Test 37:54 – 3-Year Old Nephew, Bear, Trying to Swear Mentions of Child Psychology, Teaching, Testing Limits 40:11 – The L-Cup and “You’re Welcome!” Mentions of Strip Joker, Specialty Bras, Motifs, X-Treme Commercials, Body Positivity, Believe Women 43:40 – Midwestern Politeness 44:20 – The Subway Incident Mentions of Rebirth, Mid-Life Crisis, Hindsight, Turkey Dogs 46:27 – Mom Is Taller Than Dad 48:30 – The Tom Green Digression Mention of ‘The Tom Green Show’ Season 1, Episode 9: ‘Parent Statues’ Season 2, Episode 11: ‘Best of Special’ Mention of Drew Barrymore 50:20 – “I’m not a virgin and that’s sad” Mentions of Pound Town, Self Esteem 52:11 – “Why do some people just get to live in Pound Town?” Mentions of Hot Privilege, Serial Monogamy, Relationship Baggage, Chemistry 54:57 – The Gynocologist Mentions of Halloween, Speculums, Tinder, Salvatore Dali, Empowered Vaginas 57:10 – Revealing The Pasty 59:58 – Reviewing the Set 1:01:21 – “I don’t necessarily believe in ‘suffer for your art’” 1:01:45 – Advice for Aspiring Comedians 1:03:18 – Where Can We Find You? Podcast: ‘Shaped’ She’s Crafty: Chicago’s All-Female Beastie Boys Tribute Band The Kates @ The Book Cellar Upcoming Comedy Album 1:04:28 – Final Words

1h 7m
2021-02-17

Outtakes: Brittani Ferguson

In these outtakes from Brittani Ferguson's episode, we discuss the queer coding within 80's and 90's action films, 'Little House on the Prairie', and, of course, the 'X-Files'. Timestamps: 00:00 – “The Burbs” 00:48 – Del Close and Sharna Mentions of Second City, Improv, Todd Barry, Steven Wright, Mu 02:18 – All 80’s and 90’s Action Films Were Softcore Gay Porn Mentions of Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren 03:16 – “I published an essay in college about all action films as gay romcoms” 04:32 – Telling Inside Jokes Onstage 04:56 – The Kyle Parris Story Mentions of Jerry Seinfeld, Trigger Warning Open Mic 06:47 – “Generally people around the age of thirty just seem to be kind of sad” 07:08 – “Nobody got their porn from Tumblr” 07:38 – Little House on the Prairie Mentions of Twitter, Doc Baker, Kevin Hagen, Charles Landon, Winger 09:36 – A Sexual Awakening to the X-Files Mentions of Divorce, Halloween References to The X-Files Season 2, Episode 7: ‘3’ (1994) 12:50 – “What do you call fans of Gillian Anderson? Lesbians” 13:28 – What Happens in Florida Laundry Rooms

18 min
2021-02-15

Brittani Ferguson: Quoting Mel Brooks, Leaving Second City for Feminine Comique, and Her Sexual Awakening to Gillian Anderson

In the Before Times of Yore, comedian and cast member of The Lincoln Lodge, Brittani Ferguson stopped by to discuss her interesting set at Strip Joker. We have a fascinating conversation about her military upbringing, reciting Mel Brooks films as a child, the context of the words "gay" and "queer," her childhood (and current) obsession with Gillian Anderson, and a lot more. Timestamps: 01:00 – Opening Set @ Strip Joker 13:45 – ‘History of the World: Part I’ Mentions of Madeline Khan, Mel Brooks, Gregory Hines, Premature Ejaculation 16:33 – Moving to Chicago 17:10 – A Military Kid Mentions of K-Pop, Abu Dhabi, Da Burbs 18:50 – Improv Classes at Second City 19:13 – “I wish you were a diversity candidate” 19:55 – “They will forgive any crime that anyone commits” Mentions of Cults, Scientology, Del Close, iO, Sharna, Object Work 21:25 – “Stop playing” 21:55 – “You need to go do stand-up” 22:20 – Kelsie Huff and Fem Comique Mentions of Alex Cumin, The Kates University, Robin Williams, The Laugh Factory 25:01 – “A lucky idiot” Mentions of The Lincoln Lodge, Strip Joker, Bobby’s World 27:13 – Getting into the Set Mentions of Le Aboav, Strip Joker, Sigmund Freud 28:32 – The Graveyard at Clark & Irving Mentions of Murphy’s Irish Pub, Yelp, Bucktown, Uber, HP Lovecraft, The King In Yellow 31:33 – Gay vs. Queer Mentions of LGBTQ, Safe Spaces, Homophobia 34:49 – ‘Top Gun’ The topic of homoeroticism in action films is addressed in the outtakes episode 35:26 – All Comics Are Recently Single Mentions of April Fools Day, Valentine’s Day, Vitamin B12, Celiac Disease 39:17 – Gay Christmas Mentions of Pride, Gay Pride Parade, ‘Will & Grace’ 40:29 – Hosting Your Own Straight Pride Parade Mentions of Quentin Tarintino, Inside Jokes 41:16 – A 90’s Kid is a Sad Adult Mentions of Tumblr, Adderall, Antidepressants, Millennials, iPads 43:32 – The Need to be Validated 43:47 – “I’ve already met all the people I want to meet” Mentions of Introverts, Extroverts, The Kinsey Scale 45:10 – “I don’t know what a healthy, intimate relationship looks like” Mentions of Therapy, Alcoholism, Negative Reinforcement 47:38 – Old-Timey Doctor Mentions of Kristen Toomey, ‘Little House on the Prairie’, Doc, Plague Doctors, Morphine, Vibrators, Leeches, Country Clubs, Twitter 50:07 – Factory-Made Lesbian Mentions of Bob Dylan, Lilith Fair, Christian Slater 51:13 – An Incredible Gillian Anderson Fetish Mentions of ‘The X-Files’, Italy, ‘Friends’, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, ‘Seventh Heaven’, David Duchovny, Keanu Reeves, Coding, Katatonia, ‘Mulder and Scully’, ‘The Bad Touch’, The Bloodhound Gang 55:32 – “I would put on ‘The X-Files’ instead of music to f*ck a guy” Mention of Masking 56:30 – The Cheerleader Circle Jerk Mentions of Being Closeted, Male Cheerleaders, Gymnastics, Korea, ‘Bring It On’, Gillian Anderson 1:01:33 – Set Review 1:03:43 – Advice for Aspiring Comedians 1:05:33 – Where Can We Find You? The Lincoln Lodge Instagram: @BJJFerguson 1:06:23 – Parting Words

1h 9m
2021-02-10

Spencer Blair: Outtakes

In these outtakes from Spencer Blair's episode, we discuss the unceremonious closing of Uptown Underground, how he used to cheat audience members into the Chill As Fuck show at Second City, the time I learned about secondary sex mattresses, gay dating app etiquette, and more.

41 min
2021-02-08

Spencer Blair: How I Learned to Stop Trying So Hard and Love the Comedic Process

In the Before Times of Yore, podcaster/producer/comic Spencer Blair chats about his mostly-improvised hosting set at Strip Joker. We discuss his improv background, how he got into hosting/producing shows all over Chicago, the internal dynamics of Strip Joker, and being terrifyingly confident onstage, all before we dive into the set. Spencer can be found on the podcasts 'Desks & Dayjobs' as well as 'Please Make This', and is currently a co-producer of Strip Joker. Timestamps: 01:00 – Hosting Set @ Strip Joker Mentions of Martin Felshman, Rachel Relman, ‘A Dog’s Journey’, Lexipro 10:36 – “When did you realize comedy was a thing you could do?” Mentions of Comedy Sportz, Imposter Syndrome 12:33 – “Maybe you should stop trying so hard” Mentions of Scott Duff, Le Aboav 14:03 – The Funny Friend 15:05 – “I went to a small, Christian university” Mentions of Orange County, Improv Groups; Improvcivable, Improv Shmimprov, Disney Cruises, The Walt Disney Corporation 17:30 – “Doing the Chicago thing” Mentions of iO, Second City 18:41 – “I’ve never consistently mic’ed” Mentions of Hobart Thompson, The Chill As Fuck Show, Droday, Dewayne Perkins, Michelle Wolfe, Brooklyn Nine-Nine 21:25 – Stand-Up vs. Improv Mentions of The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Second City 23:10 –The Chill As Fuck Show and Strip Joker Mentions of Brittany Meyer, Le Aboav, Strip Joker Deluxe, Scott Duff, Uptown Underground, That Dude Jeff, Sunny Grissom 27:57 – “The trick is being terrifyingly confident onstage” 29:09 – “The Scientific Method, but applied to humor” Mentions of Samantha Berkman, Kink-Shaming 30:54 – Getting into the Set 30:55 – Ad Libs 31:22 – “Are you as horny as I am?” Mentions of Body Positivity, Sex Positivity 32:10 – “I don’t write comedy down” Mentions of Tad Walters, Kirkwood 34:00 – “Everybody’s gay dad” 34:58 – Seasonal Depression Mentions of Lexapro, SSRI, Edging 38:29 – “A hot guy and his boyfriend” 40:37 – Coming Down from Lexapro Mention of Grindr, Christmas 43:18 – Gay Dating Apps 44:00 – Crying at a Movie Poster Mention of Johnny Rockets, ‘Homeward Bound’ 48:30 – Losing the Audience 50:10 – The Oppressor in the Safe Space 52:16 – “Two white guys unpacking it on a podcast” Mention of Casey Larwood 521:54 – Self Awareness 53:23 – Spencer Shaved His Legs 54:27 – Wrapping It Up 57:25 – “I’m definitely more comfortable with queer comedy” 59:40 – Advice for Aspiring Comedians 1:00:25 – “The reason we do open mics is to see, meet, and network with people” 1:02:49 – Asshole with Great Jokes Cool Person with Mediocre Jokes Mention of Marilee, Tina Fey, 30 Rock, Richard Pryor, ‘The Marvelous Ms. Maisel’ 1:05:25 – Where Can We Find You? Podcast: ‘Please Make This’ Podcast: ‘Desks And Dayjobs’ Monthly Live Show: Strip Joker Grindr, Scruff, Growler: S.B. Hashtag: #thatloudbottom Twitter: @SpencerDBlair Instagram: @spencerdblair 1:08:14 – Final Words and Pandering

1h 11m
2021-02-03

Outtakes: Jamie Shriner Biddle

Trigger Warning: Personal Story of Sexual Assault In these outtakes from Jamie Shriner Biddle's episode, we discuss the tragedy that is Louie CK at length, which prompts Jamie to reveal that she is a survivor. We also discuss the wounds of conservatism, the life of Valerie Solanas, Ellen Degeneres and her relationship with George W. Bush, and a whole lot more. This is the longest and heaviest outtakes episode to date. Time Stamps: 01:30 – Punching Down Mentions of Louie CK [I understand that part of Louis Szekely’s family is from Mexico, but he presents as white, and is coded as such] 03:13 – Coming Back From Being Cancelled 04:39 – “Everyone is the hero of their own story” 04:49 – “I don’t think that [Louie CK] was righteously masturbating in front of those women” 05:23 – The Tragedy of Louie / His Lost Chance For Redemption References to the bootleg recording of Louie’s comeback set at The Comedy Cellar on August 26, 2018 09:31 – Louie Becomes the Villain 11:06 – “I have been… Raped” 11:30 – “His material is no longer relatable to me” Mentions of TED Talks, Twitter, Westboro Baptist Church 14:03 – Liberal Karma vs. Conservatism 16:20 – Speaking as a Survivor of Sexual Assault Discussion of non-consensual sex as a “kink” 19:30 – “I see the best in people, to a fault” 20:36 – Presenting as Queer Mentions of Bisexuality, Ethical Non-Monogamy, Alfred Kinsey, The Kinsey Scale, Dave Chappelle, LGBTQIA 23:30 – “I am will to forgive [Chappelle]… You’re just old, baby” 24:35 – “You are not as ‘Other’ as I am” Mentions of ‘Wife Material’, Straight-Passing Privilege, Mom Energy 26:25 – ‘Valerie Solanas; The Woman Who Shot Andy Warhol: The Musical’ Mentions of Andy Warhol, ‘SCUM Manifesto’, ‘Up Your Ass’, Paranoid Schizophrenia [I amateurishly call it Narcissistic Personality Disorder], Sex Work, Feminist Caricatures, Ted Cruz, Fred Rogers, Caitlin Cash, ‘The Holy Trinity of Wholesomeness’, Steve Irwin, Bob Ross, Ellen DeGeneres 33:12 – Ellen DeGeneres is a Tarnished Icon Mentions of George W. Bush, Cowardly Conservatives, Christianity, Gay Rights 36:45 – “He [George W. Bush] is a coward” 37:05 – Awkward Family Gatherings 40:35 – “People change, things change over time” Mentions of Jeb Bush, The Bush Dynasty 41:34 – Back to Comedy Mentions of Star Trek, Captain Picard 42:15 – Rapping About Cows 42:30 – “Being hard as fuck about a silly thing is the only way white people can get away with [rapping]” Mentions of Eminem, 75th and Prairie, Cultural Appropriation, The Velvet Lounge, Doc Love, Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug, RuPaul 45:31 – Writing and Performing Musical Comedy Mentions of Hair Metal, Folk Punk, Adam Sandler, HHannah Gatsby 48:55 – Skylar Higley and Political Discourse Mention of Nick Ogle 50:39 – “This got serious…” References to Astrology

53 min
2021-02-01

Jamie Shriner Biddle: Writing Musicals, Singing While Going Deaf, and Making Your Own Opportunities

In the Before Times of Yore (2019), actor/singer/composer/comedian Jamie Shriner Biddle breaks down her hosting set at 'Naughty Thoughts', her monthly Laugh Factory show. This set includes her original song 'In My Butt', the story of her sexy cat costume, some crowd work, and a parable about unprotected sex. We discuss how she went from writing musicals to performing stand-up, her international marriage, how to make music funny, and a lot more before digging into the set. Jamie has written and performed the musicals 'Little Miss' and 'Wife Material'. She is currently working on a musical about the life of Valerie Solanas (known for shooting Andy Warhol). Watch the performance here: https://youtu.be/z--uwtDjJxM Time Stamps: 01:00 – Naughty Thoughts Opening Set @ The Laugh Factory 11:29 – “I wrote a one-woman musical” Mentions of Musical Theater, Cabaret, ‘Little Miss’, Bulimia, ‘The Marvelous Ms. Maisel’, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Master’s Degree, Dougie Irvine 13:30 – Moving Back to Chicago Mentions of the 2016 Election, Elope, Immigration, Spousal Visa, Long-Distance Relationship 16:19 – ‘Wife Material’ Exploration of the words “Wife” and “Slut” Mentions of The Shithole, Dan Wilcop, Zach Bartz, Kevin Garrity, [NOTE: Shithole shows have also been produced on stages, such as the Revolution Brewery], Zanies, Laugh Factory, The Young Hustle Show, Nick Ogle 20:07 – “Just go to a mic” Mentions of ‘Kill All The Men’, ‘In My Butt’, Adam Sandler, Bo Burnham, Dave Chappelle 22:29 – Punching Up vs. Punching Down Mentions of Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder, Louis CK 23:33 – Yet Another Discussion About Louie C.K. Mention of Shady Babies 26:00 – Writing ‘Wife Material’ Mentions of Sex Positivity, Sexual Assault, The Prop Theater, #metoo Movement, Underscore, Feminism, Bisexuality, Shaming, Mike Birbiglia 30:50 – “Queerscapades” Mentions of Fear of Rejection, Bi-phobia 32:02 – A Stand-Up Career in Reverse 32:32 – How to Make Music Funny Mentions of Marvin Gaye, Motown, Jake DeWard 33:40 – Getting into the Set 33:48 – Technical Difficulties Onstage Mentions of Rebecca Gibson, Boston, Massholes, Powerpoint Presentations, Spiraling Down 36:18 – ‘In My Butt’ 37:02 – Crowd Work Mentions of Halloween, Improv, Drew Lauren, Alexa 37:24 – Sexy Halloween Costumes Mentions of Astrology, Leos, Ed Towns 39:04 – “If I go onstage and look hot, it’s difficult to like me” Mentions of Las Vegas, Brittany Meyer, Matt Brown, Marc Levalle 41:04 - Back to Sexy Halloween Costumes 42:26 – “People get mad when women dress a certain way to get something” 43:18 – More Crowd Work Mentions of LaPorte, Indiana, Texas, @Northbar, Shady Babies, Laugh Factory 45:10 – Learning a New Venue 45:22 – Hearing Impaired Mentions of Peanuts, Charlie Brown, Lip Reading, Glasgow, Medical Negligence, ENT Doctor, ASL 49:20 – Producing and Hosting Naughty Thoughts Mentions of Correy Boyd-Bell, Keenan Thompson, Monique 52:50 – The Broken Condom Mentions of IUD, One-Night Stands, Amy Schumer, Joe McMahon, Marty DeRosa, Tim McLaughlin 57:49 – Advice for Aspiring Comedians; “Create your own opportunities” 59:44 – Comedy Scene Cliques, Friends, and Advice Mentions of Joey Villagomez, Joe Kilgallon 1:02:10 – Where Can We Find You and Final Words Instagram: @jamieshrinerbiddle Shady Babies, @Northbar Naughty Thoughts, Laugh Factory The ‘Wife Material’ Album, available on all streaming platforms

1h 6m

Performance Revue is a show that reveals the creative process behind Chicago’s premier comedians. Each episode features a set, interview, and breakdown of each joke or concept presented in their act. Performance Revue is released as a podcast biannually, with video releases (both with and without commentary) of the sets discussed in each episode.

Creator

Robert Littwin
Years Active

2018 - 2021
Episodes

65
Rating

Explicit
Show Website

Performance Revue