Charley Case: The Original King of Comedy (featuring KevOnStage and Monét X Change)

Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History

Humor in live performance has been around since the beginning of time. In the 1800s this kind of entertainment mostly showed up as live theater and minstrel shows filled with skits, costumes, singing, dancing, and yes, blackface. But performer Charley Case dared to do things differently. Without costume or props Charley Case simply stood there telling jokes and funny stories in the repeated cadence of a set-up, filler, and punchline - inventing what we now know as stand-up comedy.

Drapetomaniax is created by Michael Harriot in collaboration between OTHERtone, Sony Music Entertainment and Queer Media

Executive Producers Pharrell Williams, Scott Vener, Noleca Radway, and Moses Soyoola

Senior Producer Janicia Francis

Managing Producer  JoAnn DeLuna

Production Coordinator  Homero Radway

Production Assistant  Gilianne Roberts-Atkinson

Writers Silas Miami, Dallas Rico, Roderick Morrow, Danielle Solomon and Randolph Sturdivant

Audio Engineer Marcellino van Callias

Fact checker LaPorsche Thomas

Music Supervisor Timmhotep Aku

Theme Song  Freedom by Pharell Williams

This episode features

“A Tale of Paris” - Billy Wiliams

“Saxophone Sobs” - Ernie Erdman, Rudy.Wiedoeft, and Pietro Frosini,

"The People's Court aka The Big One" - APM Music

“AB2YO” - Suzi Analogue

Cast:

Charlie Case    KevOnStage

AI Jo   Monét X Change

Vaudeville Announcer Roderick Morrow

Boss    Noleca Radway

Judge    Andrea O'Brien Vives

Announcer 1  Homero Radway

Prosecutor   Jason Vives

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