LIVE from NYPL, Online: So Long, 2020

Beloved New York comedians say goodbye to a year that stinks. 

Featuring

• Michelle Buteau
• Matteo Lane
• Aparna Nancherla 
• Ophira Eisenberg

Whoever said laughter was the best medicine wasn't anxiously awaiting a vaccine during a global pandemic. Laughter has, however, been scientifically proven to ease pain, so while we wait around for the best medicine, join some of our favorite comedians for a bit of relief as they look back on the year that was and what it has meant to be a New Yorker—a funny New Yorker—during these tumultuous times.

LIVE from NYPL is made possible by the support of Library patrons and friends, as well as by the continuing generosity of Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, and the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Michelle Buteau is an actress and comedian. She is the author of Survival of the Thickest, published by Gallery Books, which is available for purchase now. Buteau's stand-up special Welcome to Buteaupia premiered this fall on Netflix. She can currently be seen hosting Netflix's The Circle, which has been renewed for two additional seasons. Buteau is also known for the Netflix feature Always be My Maybe, Bet+'s First Wives Club and Netflix's Tales of the City. In the podcast space, she produced and hosted the talk show Late Night Whenever and Adulting with co-host Jordan Carlos for WNYC. 

Matteo Lane is a New York-based comedian whose stand-up special can be seen on Netflix's The Comedy Lineup. He was the first stand up to perform on A  Little Late with Lilly Singh and has also made appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night With Seth Myers, and The Comedy Jam. Matteo is currently developing an animated series, Kickass Drag Queen, together with Bob the Drag Queen, Gary Sanchez and Unicorn Island Productions, as well as an autobiographical half hour comedy special with Point Grey and Lionsgate. Not limited to stand up, Matteo also co-hosts the podcast Inside the Closet together with Emma Willmann and performs a cabaret, Live at the Bon Soir, to great critical acclaim. Fluent in five languages and with a singing range of six octaves, Matteo lived in Italy as an oil painter and opera singer before starting his comedy career.

Aparna Nancherla is a comedian, writer, and actress who can currently be seen on Comedy Central's Corporate and Space Force on Netflix. Additional acting credits include roles on A Simple Favor, You're Not a Monster, Crashing, High Maintenance, Master of None, Two Woke Girls, and Inside Amy Schumer. In 2016, she released her debut album, Just Putting It Out There and was named one of The 50 Funniest People Right Now by Rolling Stone in 2017. In 2018, she was featured on Netflix's The Standups and co-hosted the Women's March Rally in New York City. Nancherla has written for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and Late Night with Seth Myers. She is the voice of Meena on Mira, Royal Detective and Hollyhock on BoJack Horseman. 

Ophira Eisenberg is a comedian and host of NPR's comedy trivia show Ask Me Another. She's appeared on Comedy Central, This Week At The Comedy Cellar, The New Yorker Festival, and more. She is also a regular host and teller on The Moth Radio Hour. Her stories have also been included in two of The Moth's best-selling collections. Ophira's own comedic memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy was optioned for a TV series. Her comedy special Inside Joke is available on Amazon and iTunes. 

RECOMMENDED READING:
Ophira Eisenberg:
I Want To Be Where The Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom
Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People be Funnier by Alan Zweibel

Matteo Lane:
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

Aparna Nancherla
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
All The Names They Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva
Intimations by Zadie Smith
Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
This program will be streamed live on Zoom and simulcast to YouTube. You must register with your email address in order to receive the link to participate. Please check your email shortly before the discussion to receive the link. Captions for this event will be provided. If you miss registration, join us on YouTube to watch at 8 PM EDT on Thursday, December 17th. 

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Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc.) at least 24 hours before the day of the program to Sara Beth Joren at sarabethjoren@nypl.org. 

For all other questions and inquiries, please contact publicprograms@nypl.org. 

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