NC Comedy Fest – The Idiot Box

Andy Forrester 
Andy Forrester has been leaving audiences in stitches for 25 years. His Dry Bar Comedy Special, “Most Of This Is Baby Fat,” was released in 2019 and has been seen by millions. He’s also been featured on “Stand Up Nashville! – Live from Zanies” and “Pure-Flix Comedy All-Stars” hosted by Louie Anderson. He’s worked with such legends as Jimmie “JJ” Walker, Gilbert Gottfried, Marc Maron, Tom Segura, and many more. Andy’s show is a non-stop ball of energy that will leave your cheeks hurting from laughing so hard.

Steve Lesser 
For over 20 years Steve Lesser has been pleasing crowds with his blended comedic style that draws on a lifetime of mistakes.  With over 4000 stand up and improv performances from Ireland to Las Vegas Steve has earned millions of laughs – seriously, this nerd did the math.  Steve is the co-founder of the Idiot Box Comedy Club in Greensboro NC where he regularly performs standup, improv, and sketch comedy and coaches other comedians. He is a successful producer with producing credits including the NC Comedy Festival and the Ultimate Comic Challenge now in its 17th year.  Steve has shared the mic with amazing comedians like Eddie Ifft, Jay Pharoah, Todd Glass, and Barry Crimmins and has been featured at the NC Comedy Festival, Queen City Comedy Festival, New South Comedy Festival, Montreal Sketchfest and San Francisco Sketchfest.

Pat Monaghan
Pat Monaghan is an NYC based comedian who’s been featured at clubs across the country and most recently on The Rich Eisen Show.

Ryan Cox 
Ryan Cox is a stand-up comedian based in Asheville NC. Ryan’s relaxed delivery weaves twisted storytelling with crafted punchlines and unique observations on our ever-changing world. Ryan has performed up and down the East Coast, from Comedy Key West to Bomb Shelter Comedy in NYC. He’s worked with Reggie Watts, Sean Patton and Jessimae Peluso. Ryan hosts Home Planet with Ryan Cox, a podcast that explores the creative process through conversations with comedians, musicians and artists from all walks of life.

Yoshee
Yoshee is an Atlanta based touring comedian, entrepreneur and dad who delivers hilarious takes on his upbringing alongside quirky observations on everyday life. Yoshee has shared the stage with George Wallace, TJ Miller, and Chris Tucker, and he’s been selected to perform at several notable comedy festivals, including Out of bounds, World Series of Comedy and the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in 2023. He was also selected to compete in the national competition, NBC Stand up for Diversity.

When Yoshee isn’t performing on stage, he’s either coaching his kid’s soccer team or guiding companies on using humor in the workplace through his company, Shift to Play. He says he loves both equally, but the soccer team insists they get more laughs.

Sofia Javed
Sofia Javed is a Chicago-based comedian and writer. Her humor is inspired by her life as a brown woman in America, her love of languages, and her former career as a cubicle bureaucrat. Sofia has been a featured performer at comedy festivals across the country, and she co-hosts “Dance of Joy: A Perfect Strangers Rewatch Podcast”. She enjoys steak. Check her out at www.sofiajaved.com.

Josh Di Donato 
Josh di Donato is one of the unsung pioneers of the LA Alternative comedy movement. In the 1990’s, he produced a series of comedy shows which he brought to Largo, which became an iconic LA comedy destination. Josh opened for Sarah Silverman, Mitch Hedberg, Zach Galifianakis, Dave Chappelle, Maria Bamford, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Margaret Cho, Jackie Kashian, and many others. He now splits time between Atlanta and Chicago.

Lately, Josh has been making the festival rounds, appearing just in the last few years in the Plano Comedy Festival, Burbank Comedy Festival, Blue Whale CF in Tulsa, Hell Yes Fest in New Orleans, Sno Jam in Sioux Falls, SD, Savage Henry CF, Mutiny Radio CF in SF, Funlap CF in Dunlap, Iowa, Four Corners CF in Durango, CO, San Luis Obispo CF, New South CF in Greenville, SC. After doing standup for 30 years, Josh is pretty sure this will be his year.

Seth Kerman 
Seth Kerman has a stutter, alright. The ol’ talking two step, vocal cords still on 3G. He’s been a finalist in the Ultimate Comic Challenge and co-headlined the Idiot Box Comedy Club. He gets audiences laughing with his jokes about his personal struggles and strong stances on wildlife.

Danna Kiel 
The hilarious Danna Kiel brings her blend of west-coast charm, southern wit, a teacher’s wisdom and Gen X Soul to every stage. Recently highlighted in Sherri Shepherd’s Funny Over 50 Competition on the Sherri Shepherd Show, Kiel performs nationally, including the World Famous Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store, the Hollywood Improv, Flappers Comedy Club, Stardome, and more.