Sticks And Stones Comedy Club Returns for Second Season in Southampton

Southampton has long been a hub for entertainment. With frequent concerts at Coopers Beach and Agawam Park during the summer, and a full slate of events year round at the Southampton Arts Center on Job’s Lane, there’s always an abundance of live performances to go to.

The one thing that’s been missing is stand-up comedy shows, as there hasn’t been a venue in the village for comedians in recent years.

But now, local residents in need of a liberal dose of humor can hit the Sticks And Stones Comedy Club at the Southampton Cultural Center for a night of laughs and jokes as the club enters its second year of operation in the heart of the village.

Founded by Abby Russell, a television producer and filmmaker with long ties to the East End, Sticks And Stones Comedy Club is a logical extension of her talents. She founded the Hamptons Comedy Film Festival in 2000, an annual showcase of comedy films and comedians that spanned venues from Westhampton to East Hampton. After running the festival for five years, Russell’s career took her out to Los Angeles, but she’s still maintained her Southampton residence.

Russell returned to the East End during the COVID-19 pandemic and during that time, became inspired to bring a comedy venue to the area as a way to unite people in an increasingly divided time.

“I love the art form of comedy as a way to bring people together,” she said. “Especially coming out of a pandemic and given where we are as a world right now, I think the more community and the more laughter the better, so that was my rationale.”

Russell approached the Southampton Cultural Center about using its stage as a venue, having previously programmed offerings for the Hamptons Comedy Film Festival there in years past, and the center quickly got on board. Russell said that the small, intimate space makes it a great environment for both performers and audiences.

“It’s a professional theater with lights, sound and a beautiful, beautiful stage,” she said. “It’s elegant and also intimate, and I thought that it would be a really great, welcoming place to come and see a show.”

The club opened last summer with a performance by Carmen Lynch, a New York City-based comedian. It was her first time performing in the Hamptons, but she recalled it being a great night thanks to the crowd which she was able to poke fun at in a respectful way. She said that “It’s fun when the crowd lets you kind of make fun of them or their town a little bit without being mean,” creating a bond between her and the audience.

Lynch returned to Sticks And Stones Comedy Club on August 9, when she did two performances at SCC, one in English and the other in Spanish. She regularly performs shows in both languages, but has never done so in the same night, which is a challenge she is looking forward to.

“Being able to do it in two languages, especially in the same town on the same night, can be very rewarding,” Lynch said. “Both shows will be so different. They would be different if they were both in English, but now they’re definitely going to be extra different.”

This year’s offerings feature a stacked lineup of comedians from across the country, including identical twin duo The Sklar Brothers, Sherrod Small and Jordan Rock, the brother of Chris Rock. The club is also hosting the weekly “Rob White All Star Comedy Show” on Wednesday nights, which features local comics taking the stage. White is a Long Island-based comedian who Russell called one of the most requested performers at the club after being very well received last year.

Russell said that while there usually aren’t themes among the comedians she brings in, she looks for performers who are “professional, unique and original” in their work and that will connect with the audience.

“What I look for is somebody who’s original and someone who’s going to appeal to the audiences that we have here,” she said. “Someone who’s smart and funny and knows how to do crowd work.”

One comedian who is particularly skilled in working the crowds is Sag Harbor-based Joe Winchell, who is the house emcee at the club. He had previously done emcee work across the island and in New York City before being offered the Southampton emcee role by Russell. Winchell explained that being an emcee keeps him on his toes as a comedian, as he has to adapt depending on what kind of crowd is there.

“It always depends, as sometimes it’s an older crowd and sometimes it’s a younger crowd,” Winchell explained. “So just from a comedian standpoint, you get almost a different show every night. It gives you the opportunity to try different things, see what jokes work and perfect being a host.”

Winchell and Russell both spoke of the diversity of the crowds at the club, with Russell calling them “very intergenerational.” She said that she’s seen people ranging from their 20s to their 80s in the club, while Winchell said that he’s met people from across the country while emceeing at the club.

“What’s different about it is that you get a melting pot of people from all walks of life and from different states there,” he said. “Last show, we had people from Arizona that were in the audience, and it’s cool to get to perform for people from different states because it gives you a different experience.”

Winchell added that the club has an atmosphere that “is very conducive to fostering new comedians,” and that Russell has made a space where young comedians will want to perform and work with her.

“People want to work with her because she puts up a good atmosphere to let comedians thrive in,” he said. “I think a good producer is somebody that makes comedians better and Abby definitely does that.”

Additionally, a portion of profits from each show this year will be donated to Comedy Fights Cancer, which the Hamptons Comedy Film Festival has consistently donated to, and the Eli Sunshine Fund, which raises money for pediatric cancer research and cancer treatments available for children. The fund is named after Eli Morrison, a nine year-old boy who died of cancer. Russell knew Eli and his family, making it a particularly important cause for her.

“Eli was an incredible little kid,” she said. “He was hilarious and a comedian in his own right, and we want to honor him and help the cause. That’s something that we are passionate about, committed to doing and that we will continue to do.”

The upcoming schedule at Sticks And Stones Comedy Club in August is as follows:

Saturday, August 17 – Jordan Rock with Host Joe Winchell and Sticks And Stones All-Star Comedy Lineup. Shows at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75

Wednesday, August 21 – Hamptons Comedy Film Fest Plus Matt Ritter & Comedy All Stars with Steve Rocco Parrillo and Joe Winchell. Show at 8 pm. Tickets $35 to $75

Thursday, August 22 – Hamptons Comedy Film Fest plus Katina Corrao & Comedy All Stars with Joe Winchell, Steve Rocco Parrilo and Matt Ritter. Shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75

Friday, August 23 – Sherrod Small plus Hamptons Comedy Film Fest with Sticks And Stones All-Star Comedy Lineup and Host Joe Winchell. Shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75

Saturday, August 24 – Sherrod Small plus Hamptons Comedy Film Fest with Sticks And Stones All-Star Comedy Lineup and Host Joe Winchell. Shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75

Wednesday, August 28 – Rob White All Star Comedy Show with Joe Winchell and Sticks And Stones All-Star Comedy Lineup. Show at 8 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75

Thursday, August 29 – The Hamptons’ Best Comedy Show with Host Joe Winchell, Kyle Mara and All Star Comedy. Show at 7 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75.

Friday, August 30 – The Hamptons’ Best Comedy Show with All Star Comedy. Show at 7 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75.

Saturday, August 31 – The Hamptons’ Best Comedy Show with Host Joe Winchell, Kyle Mara and All Star Comedy. Show at 7 p.m. Tickets $35 to $75.

The Southampton Cultural Center is at 25 Pond Lane in Southampton. For more information, visit sticksandstonescomedyclub.com and scc-arts.org.