UPDATE! Rachel Fogletto is performing at both the Erotic Literary Salon this month (Tuesday, 6/17) and also with Comedy-Gasm Saturday, 6/21)!
COMEDY-GASM: Prepare to get your experience ON & laugh your ass OFF! RACHEL FOGLETTO is an up & coming comedian with a special flair for laying it bare. Her monotone delivery kisses audiences with a masochistic style of sexually charged "fascist-femme" style of political pop culture humor, leaving audiences smacked chock full of humor, begging for more! It is a show that gets hardened Philladelphia locals from stoic to stoned out tickled to the core laughing with unabashed abandon. She is funny. She is hot. She is in Old City. South Philly. Northern Liberties / Frankford. She is everywhere cool 'n' happening!
She is making it all even more friggin fun by sharing the love acting as MC Hostess for COMEDY-GASM, a monthly comedic sensate experience that ties together amazingly funny, edgy Philly comedians including: Elise Thomson-Hohl, LUMP, Walter, Alejandro Morales, Brandon Gorin, Gina with a J, Setoiyo, Mike Alloy, Steve Miller-Miller, Lou Misiano, Tim Raymus , Keane Cobb , Oliver Yu, Mikaela Hamje, Alex Pearlman, Touch Me Philly Theater Productions, Jared Carlos Rosado, Jemaine Jones, Mike Hans, Carolyn Busa... just to name a few!.
RACHEL FOGLETTO is so sizzle on the scene right now, I am psyched to share that she is also here chatting it on with SLIXA DAHL for all you on the LATE-NIGHT SLIXA CIRCUIT!
Hey Rache - Congratulations on your first anniversary of comedy in the City of Brotherly Love! The show last night at Irish Pol was puddle-in-yo-pants hilarious!
Yes, and I’m sure if you ask Mike Hans, nicely he’ll provide an example of “puddle-play” haha.
WoW - Yea - Mike Hans let it all out with that piece on orgasmic puddly post-play with squirters, along with conspiratorial camel religions and an intimate conversation about anal leakage. Carolyn Busa did an awesomely sweet follow up there. Seriously, sweet as Betty Crocker. So, hey, what inspired you to go from your own solitary stand-up show to a group scene?
Like producing my own show? Well, long story short, I am relatively new to the scene, pretty sure last night marked my one year anniversary. The Philly scene is very DIY and everyone gets noticed differently. Some people go to an open mic and are an instant hit and get booked on things immediately. I knew I had to create my own thing because I was having trouble navigating the politics of the system, so decided to put on a show that would represent what I thought comedy should be. I love producing shows... It’s a ton of work but the outcome is very rewarding, especially when everyone from the audience to the performers have a great time.
Which do you prefer: Auto-Erotic or Group Humor?
Haha, that’s an amazingly sexy way to put that. I think that doing stand-up in itself is a self-gratuitous act. You’re essentially saying, “Look at me, I’m important. I’m saying important things and you should hear them.” I think in a way, all stand-up comedians have to have a sense of internal stimuli in order for their ideas to reach out to the audience. In terms of “grouping” I think that lining up different people with different styles to create a cohesive show and changing it up each month keeps it spicy. I could never do a monthly show that was just me... People would stop coming to see it. People come to a show because they don’t know what to expect, so you need other people to keep that momentum going. Once the show becomes predictable, it’s time to end it, start something new.
In Philly you have performed so much over the last six months. I think I’ve caught your act Upstairs at the Irish Pol, The Republican, Helium, Adobe Cafe, The Bohemian Absinthe Lounge above TIME in affiliation with the Erotic Literary Salon, The M Room: A lot of local hot spots. Where is your favorite place in the city to really let your hair down and let everyone laugh it all out?
Honestly, it’s hard not to say the Upstairs at Irish Pol because it’s my night, and I have the complete support from the staff there, especially Mike Hans who manages the upstairs and has guided me with his experience in producing events. The Erotic Literary Salon at Time Lounge is one of my favorite places for the same reason - Susana runs an amazingly supportive space where people are free to explore themselves. There are countless places in the city that are doing open mics and they’re all really awesome. My utmost respect goes out to anyone running an open mic. It's a stressful job. It's like managing a gym for creatives. It gives us a place to work out our shit so we can find out what works best when we get booked on shows.
Your humor is distinctly your own style of slightly sardonic, emotional masochism, yet the situations are easily related to by a diverse audience. Is your comedy based on your real sex around the city? Or are you sort of melding observations of friends and strangers current, urban sexuality into a finely tuned skit?
It’s 95 % true. We all exaggerate to varying degrees, some more than others. Some people completely make up stories that are hilarious works of fiction, while others start out with a real story and end with a fantasy punchline. Some of my jokes are sarcastic while others are blatant thoughts and experiences I’ve had …. The sex stuff, that’s all real. I have no reason to lie about it - haha. As much as I love sex and am open about it, I get awkward with it just like everyone else; I have insecurities. I’ve had embarrassing or uncomfortable sex moments and I talk about them. Why not? Why not put it out there? At least anyone who sleeps with me after seeing my act knows what to expect.
Stand-Up comedy is hard core entertainment! The spot light is bright and the stage small. You - Rachel - make people laugh hard out loud (seemingly) with platinum ease. Folks may take for granted what an art form it is to perform such smooth delivery of consistently good jokes. Do you have any advice for young women thinking about giving it go?
My advice is, DO IT. Especially women. The scene needs voices from the non-male gender. I think it’s harder for women to get up and talk about a lot of the same shit that guys do because we’re told no one wants to hear about our bodily functions, our discontent with sexism, our discontent or total adoration of SEX, so the thought of getting up there and bombing is a huge deal for women who feel the need to be accepted. Do it. Your first set you may kill, you may eat shit. If you eat shit, do it again. Figure out why it wasn’t funny. Make it work. Fight. Repeat.
Where can we find you autumn into winter? Laughs are essential to warm us up once the city turns chilly! We know COMEDY-GASM is going to get HOT, HOT, HOTTER!
I finally made a website so I’m constantly updating my appearances there - so any non Facebook peeps can check that out at RachelFogletto.com!
The next three Comedy-Gasm shows are October 19th, November 16th, and December 21st upstairs at The Irish Pol in Old City Philadelphia at 45 S 3rd Street between Chestnut & Market.
Also, I’m co-hosting and amazing all-female comedy show with Phyllis Voren on Sept 30th in South Philly.
If you live in Philly, or are visiting our awesome city, and want to get in on the experience in a way that is more intimate, check out the site & make a date to be in the audience at one the upcoming shows! That's a date to laugh your ass off , Yo!
Find out more at RachelFogletto.com.
