Real Characters

A humor series featuring New York's best storytellers, humor writers, memoirists and comedians

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SAVE THE DATE - DECEMBER 8 at 7pm

For the final Real Characters at McNally Jackson Books. We’ll be moving to a new venue in the new year, but before then we are closing out our time at McNally with one hell of a talented lineup of humor writers and performers.

Daniel Nester (author of Shader and How to Be Inappropriate) Anna Drezen (Reductress, How May We Hate You?) Hallie Cantor (The New Yorker, Inside Amy Schumer) and James Bewley (Dale Radio, SF Sketchfest)

With a lot of self-indulgent readings by host Andy Ross.

McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince Street, NYC Free!

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Save the Date — November 10 at 7pm

For the next Real Characters Humor & Storytelling show. With a stellar lineup of writers, storytellers, and performers including:

Maris Kreizman (author or Slaughterhouse 90210) Dave Hill (WFMU, author of Tasteful Nudes) Teddy Wayne (New York Times, author of The Love Song of Jonny Valentine) Micaela Blei (The Moth Radio Hour) Cole Escola (Difficult People, The First Gay President)

Hosted by Andy Ross.

McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince Street, NYC Free!

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Back...

Hey guys, sorry the show has been absent there for a bit. Great news! We have two spectacular Real Characters shows before the end of the year. Save the dates November 10 and December 8 at 7pm for our final two shows at McNally Jackson Books before finding a new performance space. They are going to be blow-out celebrations. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the staff at McNally for being so accommodating and outstanding for these past few years. Exciting things for them lay ahead, and the same for Real Characters as we find a new spot to bring you the best humor writers, storytellers, and performers in town.

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Hey, look at these great readers from our previous show. Thank you you Allison Silverman, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Isaac Oliver, and Sandi Marx. And everyone who attended. It was a real fun show. A tiny toddler wandered over from the children’s section right as Isaac was describing a very graphic sex act. We all rolled with it.

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Photos from our super fun Real Characters show at The City Reliquary with terrific performances by Colin Nissan, Elna Baker, Jo Firestone, and Adam Wade. Huge thanks to them and the Reliquary for having us and to everyone who came out.

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Two Big July Shows!

Real Characters has two fun shows coming up this month.

Saturday, July 18 at 8pm at The City Reliquary in Williamsburg and Wednesday, July 22 at 7pm at McNally Jackson Books in SoHo

The lineups for each are spectacular. See more below and then come to both!

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SAVE THE DATE - July 22 at 7pm

Real Characters returns to its regular monthly home at McNally Jackson Books to bring together a terrific group of humor writers and storytellers. This month's lineup includes:

Bruce Eric Kaplan (The New Yorker, Girls, author of I Was a Child: A Memoir) Isaac Oliver (Ars Nova, author of Intimacy Idiot) Allison Silverman (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Colbert Report, Portlandia) and Sandi Marx (The Moth)

Hosted by Andy Ross

July 22 at 7pm McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince Street, NYC mcnallyjackson.com

Free!

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SAVE THE DATE - July 18 at 8pm

Real Characters is putting together a very special show with The City Reliquary — a quirky, kind of magical storefront museum of New York artifacts in Williamsburg. We’ll be in their beautiful backyard with drinks for sale to benefit the museum. It’ll be a great night of humor readings and storytelling by:

Jo Firestone (Punderdome 3000, Dr. Gameshow) Elna Baker (This American Life) Adam Wade (The Moth, Inside Amy Schumer) and Colin Nissan (McSweeney’s, Paris Review)

Hosted by Andy Ross

July 18 at 8pm The City Reliquary 370 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn cityreliquary.org

Free!

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Last month’s Real Characters show at Bryant Park was so great! Super audience and very talented writers. Big thanks to Kate Bolick, Sasheer Zamata, David Crabb, and Bryant Park for having us.

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Save the Date & Take a Long Lunch Wednesday, June 17 at 12:30pm Real Characters is coming back to Bryant Park.

Real Characters has been asked to come back as part of the Word for Word series outdoors at the beautiful Bryant Park. It’s a great chance to see amazing writers and storytellers out in the sunshine. Featuring readings and stories by:

Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live) Kate Bolick (The Atlantic, author of Spinster) and David Crabb (The Moth, author of Bad Kid)

Hosted by Andy Ross.

Take a long lunch. Give yourself a moment off from constant hustling for freelance work. Send your underemployed friends. It will be a terrific time. This is the whole point of living in New York, right?

June 17 at 12:30pm Bryant Park Free!

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SAVE THE DATE - MAY 28 at 7PM

For the next Real Characters show. Featuring humor reading and storytelling by:

Awkwafina (rapper, author of Awkwafina's NYC) Ophira Eisenberg (host of NPR's Ask Me Another, author of Screw Everyone) Doogie Horner (standup, author of 100 Ghosts) and Ben Jurney (The New Yorker, McSweeney's)

Hosted by Andy Ross.

Thursday, May 28 at 7pm McNally Jackson Bookstore 52 Prince Street, NYC

Free!

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Save the Date - Monday, March 9 at 7pm

for the next REAL CHARACTERS humor series featuring an amazing lineup of readers and storytellers:

Simon Rich (author of Spoiled Brats, creator of Man Seeking Woman) Janet Manley (The New Yorker, columnist for McSweeneys) Andy Christie (The Moth, host of the Liar Show) Ross Hyzer (The New Yorker) and Steve Zimmer (The Moth Radio Hour)

Hosted by Andy Ross.

REAL CHARACTERS McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince Street, NYC Free!

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How very sad and unexpected to hear about the passing of Taylor Negron. He was such a kind and gracious man. Gracious in a way that is always surprising and wonderful coming from someone so talented. As you can see in the above clip from The Moth, it was a deep, meaningful talent. I was so glad to have met when he performed at Real Characters. Rest in peace. —Andy

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Save the Date - Thursday, January 15 at 7pm

for the next Real Characters Humor Reading and Storytelling, featuring:

Nicole C. Kear (author of Now I See You, The New York Times) Bob Powers (The New Yorker, author of Happy Cruelty Day) Faye Lane (The Moth, Beauty Shop Stories) and Hallie Cantor (The New Yorker, College Humor)

hosted by Andy Ross

January 15 at 7pm McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince Street, SoHo Free

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Save the Date - December 3 at 7pm

for the next Real Characters Humor Reading and Storytelling, featuring:

Beth Newell (co-founder and editor of Reductress) Mike Albo (The Underminer, The Junket) Frank Lesser (The Colbert Report, The New York Times) and Jenny Rubin (The Jenny Rubin Show)

hosted by Andy Ross

December 3 at 7pm McNally Jackson Books 52 Prince Street, SoHo Free

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We're back!

Save the Date for the next Real Characters show November 12 at 8pm, featuring readings and storytelling by:

Tim Carvell (Executive Producer of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, former head writer of The Daily Show, author of Return to Planet Tad) 

Henry Alford (The New York Times columnist, The New Yorker, author of Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That?)

Erin Barker (host of The Story Collider, storyteller at The Moth)

and

James Bewley (host of Dale Radio Live, Literary Death Match)

Curated and hosted by Andy Ross.

November 12 at 8pm

McNally Jackson Books

52, Prince Street, NYC Free

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No October Show

Hey, guys and gals and gulls (if there are any seagulls reading this), this is a quick note to say that there will not be an October Real Characters show. We'll be back on November 12 at 8pm with an incredible lineup of readers and performers. Which is good, 'cause that gives you more time to work on your Halloween costume. What are you gonna be?! Don't go as a seagull again. You went as a seagull last year. Remember? We got in a fight at that Halloween party on Coney Island where we both wanted the same slice of sidewalk pizza? Every year, you dress as a sexy seagull for Halloween and we get in a drunken, squawking argument on the beach. It's time to turn our lives around.

Alright, see you November 12! Andy