GOING UP with SARA SCHAEFER

DOORS: 6:30 PM

SHOW: 7:00 PM

Eris Mainstage

Come see Sara Schaefer’s critically acclaimed solo show at Brooklyn Comedy Collective in conjunction with her art installation at BCC’s Dog House Gallery! Following the performance, join Sara at the gallery for an after party. 

In her solo show, Sara Schaefer teaches you how to unlock your potential in this fake(?) seminar about defeating your hecklers, developing your TS (thick skin) and achieving total perfect comedy success. No matter your walk of life, you can make your dreams come true simply by Going Up!

Going Up is, on its surface, a hilarious recruitment into the cult of comedy. But at its heart, the show is a bold confrontation of a toxic system, an examination of what it means to be a creative person in today’s world, and Sara’s own reckoning with the tiny voice in her head that tells her she’s not good enough. Combining sharp joke writing, scathing satire, original music and incredibly detailed handmade miniatures, Sara takes the audience on a wholly original journey through the darkness and into the light.

Sara has performed the show in cities all over the the U.S. and the world including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and more. 

What people are saying about GOING UP

“Spoofing the cult of comedy in the language of Scientology, the wry, incisive stand-up Sara Schaefer adopts the pose, jargon and microphone of a guru in her new solo show about how to make it in the stand-up business. ‘Going Up’ (a riff on the Scientology term ‘Going Clear’), which has been performed a few times but will get a wider hearing in 2023, is ambitious and nimble, sneakily personal with enough inside-baseball jokes to make it a must-see for comedy nerds. The most impressive example of this, and the bit I am most looking forward to revisiting, is when Schaefer illustrates every kind of modern stand-up by doing the same genre of joke, over and over again, in a multitude of styles. It’s a feat of comedy as well as criticism that captures an entire scene in just a few minutes.” - The New York Times

“Having entered comedy over two decades ago, Schaefer’s cynicism, disdain and grievances with the industry are laid bare – be it the rampant misogyny, how the richest comedians are usually the least funny, and the unspoken rules you need to follow to “make it”. It’s a clever, dry and meta work of comedy about comedy.” - The Age

“There is perhaps no comedian alive who is capable of being so effortlessly funny and so fully themselves without being reductive than Sara Schaefer. In her show, Going Up, she manages to dissect stand-up, calling into question its cultishness, exclusivity, lack of creativity, and impact on one's life and self-worth.” - Eric Farwell, comedy critic 

“Schaefer herself has done spectacular work in almost every discipline of comedy and almost on every level, and now, with that wealth of experience and acclaim, is doing a perfectly biting satirical solo show on ‘how to become a comedian’.” - The Comedy Bureau

“Sara Schaefer’s live show is so f-ing funny. She does this whole show about a Scientology/Nexium/Tony Robbins style of comedy school that is hilarious! And cool. Yes, cool. I am dazzled by her as a writer and performer.” - Kathy Griffin

“I saw Going Up last night and it's possibly one of the coolest and funniest shows I've seen in a good long while. If you get a chance to see it anywhere, see it. Fucking incredible.” - Mike Drucker, head writer Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

“It's like Sara has drawn a chalk line around my body.” - Emmy Blotnick, comedian and writer

About Sara Schaefer

Sara Schaefer is a critically acclaimed stand up comedian, writer, and artist. Her Comedy Central Stand Up Presents half hour special debuted in November 2019 and she was the co-host of MTV’s late night show Nikki & Sara Live. Sara published her first book, Grand, in 2020 with Simon & Schuster. She has written for numerous television programs including Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Would I Lie To You, and The History of Swear Words. She won two Emmy awards for her work at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In recent years, Sara’s satirical sketches have been viral hits, including Comedy Ad, Quarantine Barbie, How To Sell a TV Show in 3 Easy Steps, and MeResearch. The New York Times called her new solo show Going Up "ambitious and nimble” and “a feat of comedy.” 

Fine Print:

• Must be 21+ to attend. No outside alcohol is allowed in the space.
• There are 60 seats - first come, first serve - and then standing room up to capacity.
• All ticket sales are final - no refunds. If you must miss your show, email us at aW5mbyB8IGJyb29rbHluY2MgISBjb20= with at least 24 hours notice and we can transfer your tickets to any upcoming show at the BCC. Answers to most other questions can be found here.
• If show is sold out, limited tickets will be available at the door.
• If you have questions about accessibility needs at our venue, please reach out to aW5mbyB8IGJyb29rbHluY2MgISBjb20=.
• Lineup subject to change.

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