Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones...

Words will not hurt you, but they will hopefully produce laughter at the new Sticks and Stones Comedy Club coming soon to Southampton — the first club of its kind since the 1980s.

“I wanted to bring comedy and bring a comedy club back,” explained Abby Russell, a filmmaker, producer and founder of Sticks and Stones who created the new club with co-producer Lynn Kaplan. “I wanted to provide a place where we can come back together and share a moment in laughter.”

Russell recalls with fondness the days when there used to be regular comedy shows in the village, and said that during the pandemic, with everyone isolated in their homes, she realized her desire to bring laughter back into the Southampton community.

“I love being out, being entertained by comedians and experiencing the thrill and excitement of interacting with other people,” said Russell. “We did not interact with each other for so long. We need to laugh together and come together and interact and share ideas.”

This realization spurred Russell to turn her dream into a reality. Feeling that the East End needs more nightlife activities, Sticks and Stones is designed to provide an evening of laughter, accompanied by drinks and small bites. Sticks and Stones Comedy Club will be based at the Southampton Cultural Center (SCC), and beginning on Friday, June 30, and Saturday, July 1, will bring national talent to the stage this summer with two shows presented each night at 7 and 9:30 p.m. offering a headliner, a feature act and a host with a different comedian on each date. In the coming months, the plan is to offer comedy and other programming on a year-round basis, including Spanish language-only comedy shows.

Like Russell, headlining comedian Eddie Brill also believes in the concept that people need to laugh together and share ideas. Brill will perform a pair of shows at the Sticks and Stones Comedy Club at SCC on Tuesday, July 18, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. After nearly four decades of working in the comedy and entertainment industries, Brill said that stand-up is still his favorite art form. Brill said that his stand-up continues to get better and better the more he does it, and that his goal on that stage is to remain authentic and to tell the truth.

“Do not go up there and try to please the crowd,” said Brill. “As long as you tell your truth and have a great time doing what you love, most of the time the audience will love it.”

Brill has a history with Southampton, as he actually performed at the East End Comedy Club which operated at the Southampton Inn on Hill Street in the 1980s before it closed. Russell said that she has lined up comedians for Sticks and Stones that are all tried and true experienced comedians who will bring a real level of professionalism to her comedy club. She said that the audience should always expect a national headliner anchoring the show.

“Creative expression is so important, and we need to carve out a place for creative expression and allow that to kind of expression be and raise up our humanity,” Russell said. “We need to laugh together and find commonality where there may be differences.”

Russell has had a love for comedy since age 12, when she first experienced the excitement of live stand-up at the East End Comedy Club. Since then, she has gone on to make a film about stand-up comedy, and began the annual production of the Hamptons Comedy Festival in 2000, which was sponsored by HBO.

“We produced films and stand-up comedy at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Stephen Talkhouse, Guild Hall and many other venues across the Hamptons, including some in Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor that no longer exist,” Russell said.

That festival raised money for cancer research helped her realize that she loved being involved in something that would not only entertain, but help people. She enjoyed producing events alongside comedian Jeffrey Gurian and providing this service of comedy acts to the community.

Gurian, who will be a featured comedian at Sticks and Stone on July 1, discussed his long history with Russell and the business. Gurian has made a career for himself in the comedy world and has befriended many famous comedians along the way. However, he said that he has experienced the raw side of comedy, as it is difficult to make a name for yourself in the industry. Gurian said in his act, he focuses on aspects of everyday life that he finds entertaining, but that almost everyone can relate to as well.

“I get my inspiration just from life,” said Gurian. “I just talk about things that I think are funny, like going through customs, social media, Facebook, traveling and other things that I think most people relate to. If you talk about things that people do not relate to, then they will not laugh.”

It is not easy to become a national headliner in comedy. Russell and club producer Lynn Kaplan have made it their goal to search out comedians for Sticks and Stones who are not only passionate about the industry, but great performers who make people laugh.

“Everyone needs to laugh these days,” said Kaplan. “It will be a little different than a typical comedy show because we will have a cocktail party for an hour before every show for some drinks and yummy food.”

Russell and Kaplan are especially excited about their partnerships with East End businesses, including The Clubhouse in East Hampton and Hen of the Woods market in Southampton. The Clubhouse will provide the drinks served during the cocktail hour that occurs before every show, where guests can mingle and drink and grab some small bites, which will be provided by Hen of the Woods.

In addition, on Friday, June 30, as a special treat for comedy club goers on the opening night of the club, the BuddhaBerry truck will be providing self-serve frozen yogurt and toppings.

Southampton Cultural Center is at 25 Pond Lane in Southampton Village. Tickets for Sticks and Stones Comedy Club events start at $35. For details on all the comedy shows, visit scc-arts.org or sticksandstonescomedyclub.com. On Monday, July 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. Rogers Memorial Library will present “My Life in Show Business,” a Q&A with comedian Eddie Brill about his experience in the field. Rogers Memorial Library is at 91 Coopers Farm Road, Southampton. This is a free community event.

Shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on each date

Friday, June 30

Carmen Lynch (as seen on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”)

Featuring Andy Pitz and John Reynolds

Host: Joe Winchell, East End comedian

Saturday, July 1

Jordan Rock (as seen on Netflix and “Last Comic Standing”)

Feature act Jeffrey Gurian and Ben DeMarco

Host: Joe Winchell, East End comedian

Tuesday, July 18

Eddie Brill (as seen on “Late Night With David Letterman”)

Featuring Brill’s comedian son, Dan Madonia

Tuesday, August 8

Eddie Pepitone (as seen on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien”)

Featuring JT Habersaat

Thursday, August 10

Tom Cotter (as seen on “America’s Got Talent”)

Featuring Cotter’s comedian wife, Kerri Louise

Tuesday, August 15

Liz Miele (as seen on Comedy Central)

Featuring Maria Shehata