Comedic partners Jodi Lennon and Beth Lisick will host More Than a Feeling Comedy Festival at Upstate Films’ Orpheum Theater in Saugerties June 7-June 9. The comedic partners Lennon and Lisick met during the pandemic. While taking masked walks together, they brainstormed ideas for comedy shows, which they produced at the Reservoir Inn in West Hurley. Their collective experience and contacts helped them dream up More Than a Feeling, a three-day mini comedy festival of standup, sketch, variety, solo shows, improv, and live music. “There’s a little bit of a Laverne and Shirley vibe involved, hoping we can make our dreams come true,” Lennon says.
Lennon is an alumna of Chicago’s Second City and an Emmy-nominated comedy writer/producer/director whose work has appeared on Comedy Central, Hulu, Max, MTV, and more. A writer and an actor, Lisick published the New York Times bestselling comic memoir Everybody into the Pool. She has also acted in the Amazon series “Transparent” as well as starring in numerous independent films.
Having been involved in comedy and performance for years in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, Lennon and Lisick know many comedians. “It made sense to get a bunch of them together,” Lisick says.
For More Than a Feeling, they have booked a solo show by comedian Sara Schaefer, sketch comedy group Unitard, comedian Dave Hill, and more. “We’ve got sketches, solo shows, Powerpoint presentations, and a killer lineup of stand-ups. And if you like rescue animals, expertly crafted miniatures, synthesizers, or wigs, then you’re also in luck. The best way to see any person who performs live is to be in that same room with them. There’s nothing like it.” Lisick adds.
About the venue and their relationship with Upstate Films, Lennon says, “We fell in love with the main room and what a beautiful, classic theater it is. George Burns and Gracie Allen have performed on this stage. Come onnnn. And the new renovation in The Mark [the upstairs screening room at the Orpheum] is so gorgeous. That space is intimate, which is ideal for stand-up. A few of the shows have multimedia elements so being able to use the screens and to have great sound will enhance the performances.”
Working with Paul Sturtz, Jason Silverman, and the team at Upstate Films, Lennon and Lisick have programmed an exciting comedy festival in downtown Saugerties. “It’s a perfect place for people to have drinks and dinner before and after the show, buy a book or a record. Get your legs waxed. Buy a candle,” Lennon says.
