Reading the Room

I’ve been calling myself the Susan Boyle of stand-up comedy,” Celia Contreras laughs with a beer and friends for a warm reunion in Phoenix for the weekend. She came back, not just to visit and shoot the shit, but to open for Tony Hinchcliffe at the Celebrity Theatre. The opportunity was not lost on her.…

Conner O’Malley has a YouTube channel. And it’s a treasure trove. He will also be performing at the CB Live this April 16th! “Rebranded Mickey Mouse” This week I was delighted to stumble upon O’Malley’s inventive nearly 10 minute long short film, “Rebranded Mickey Mouse,” that friend and collaborator Tim Robinson posted to his instagram…

If you ever wander into the Lost Leaf tell them I sent you. The cozy part-live music venue, part-art gallery and bar is the kind of place where you can rock out in one moment and read a book in another. I’m not kidding I’ve seen it all before. This is my favorite spot to…

On a lounge chair in the quaint Xanadu coffee shop in downtown Phoenix, 24 year-old stand-up comic, Tristan Bowling catches his breath. He’s late. Twenty minutes late. But, living nearby, he made a run for it. He apologizes and tells me he got carried away with writing. Time slipped away.  “I’m moving to New York…

I’m Samantha Morris, journalist and stand-up comedy enthusiast. I’m very excited to start my new blog, where I’ll be shining a light on emerging talent in the Phoenix comedy scene. What’s more it’s an unfiltered look into what makes them tick and how they go about “Reading the Room.” I value everyones feedback and input,…