The Yes, And… Laughter Lab (YALL) — a competitive comedy and social justice incubation lab for diverse comedy writers and performers – today announced its 2024 YALL Fellows and the annual IT’S FALL, YALL! comedy show in Los Angeles. The 13 fellows were competitively chosen by YALL’s Selection and Leadership Committees, which include industry all-stars like Alex Bach (I Think You Should Leave), Alice Mathias (Portlandia), Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman), Brittany Scott Smith (A Black Lady Sketch Show), Chris Gethard (The Chris Gethard Show), Jeffrey P. Jones (Peabody Awards), Jenny Yang (Busy Tonight), Ryan Cunningham (Search Party), and leaders from top social justice organizations, including Pillars Fund, Caring Across Generations, The League, and others. YALL’s entertainment industry partners include Comedy Central, Netflix, The Walt Disney Studios, NBC Universal, and others.
Following a three-day training weekend in November, the 2024 YALL Fellows will perform and pitch original comedy ideas at YALLFest on April 2-5, 2025 at Asylum NYC. YALLfest is the first and only comedy festival that celebrates the power of humor to change the world. Showcasing a diverse community of YALL creators, YALLfest spotlights the best comedy writers and performers who take on social justice issues while making us laugh. The 2024 inaugural YALLfest was featured in The New York Times as one of April’s best offerings in New York City and platformed performances from over 100 top comedians including Dylan Adler, Kelly Bachman, Chris Gethard, Dina Hashem, Jaye McBride, Kenice Mobley, Alise Morales, Muslim Girls DTF, Good Medicine Comedy, Ali Sultan, Milly Tamarez, Usama Siddiquee, among others.
YALL’s new season of comedy programming kicks off with a public show, IT’S FALL YALL!, which will feature performances from Aparna Nancherla, Chike Robinson, Leah Bonnema, Lynn Maleh, Nthenya Ndunda, and Biniam Bizuneh as host, on Monday, November 18 at 7:30pm. Tickets are now on sale at dynastytypewriter.com.
Co-founded in 2019, and co-directed by the non-profit creative innovation lab and research center Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI) at American University (Caty Borum) and cultural agency Moore+Associates (Mik Moore), the Yes, And…Laughter Lab is designed to introduce diverse comedians to the entertainment industry, social justice organizations, philanthropists and activists who can help bring their work into the entertainment marketplace. The program has trained and continues to work with over 200 artists, a majority of which are people of color and women. The Yes, And…Laughter Lab is supported by Comedy Central, Doris Duke Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Pop Culture Collaborative.
2024 Yes, And… Laughter Lab Fellows:
Alison Zeidman
Alison Zeidman is an Emmy-nominated and WGA Award-winning comedy writer who got her start doing stand-up in Philadelphia and NYC. She’s written for Archer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (Supervising Writer) and Adam Ruins Everything (Head Writer & Co-Executive Producer), and her humor writing and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Reductress and The Daily Beast. Alison was also one of the hosts/producers of the long-running NYC thematic stand-up show Dark Spots at Union Hall, which was a frequent critic’s pick in the New York Times and Time Out New York. Alison will pitch her solo comedy show, Ready to Die? at YALLfest 2025.
Andre D Thompson
Andre D Thompson was born and raised in New York City where he began stand-up at 18 and studied at UCB Theatre. In 2020, Andre made his network television debut on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. In 2021 Andre was selected for New Faces JFL Comedy Festival and began writing on late night comedy shows. Andre will pitch his stand-up comedy special Southside at YALLfest 2025.
Batoul Mourad
Batoul is an Arab-American screenwriter from New York City and a graduate of NYU where she studied history education. She was supposed to be a history teacher, but decided to disappoint her parents instead by turning her heritage into a joke — literally, she wrote a sitcom about it. Batoul has been a fellow in the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator, the Sesame Writer’s Workshop, and the WeScreenplay Diverse Voice Lab where she’s grew her network, honed her craft, and finessed the art of pitching. Batoul is particularly interested in exploring the intersection between history and comedy and loves more than anything finding the funny in the seemingly not so funny. Batoul will pitch her scripted series Ajnabiyeh at YALLfest 2025.
Carlos Greaves
Carlos Greaves is an electrical engineer turned comedy writer—a career move that haunts his parents to this day. When he’s not busy defending his life choices, he teaches online classes at The Second City, is a features contributor at The Onion, and writes the humor newsletter, Shades of Greaves. His writing has been featured in The New Yorker, NPR, and McSweeney’s, and he’s written for Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson’s annual Peacock special, Back That Year Up. His debut book, Spoilers: Essays That Might Ruin Your Favorite Hollywood Movies, was highlighted in Vulture’s “Best Comedy Books of 2023.” Carlos will pitch his scripted series Fuerza at YALLfest 2025.
Cecelia Ticktin
Cecelia Ticktin is a writer, actor and producer. Her incredibly twisty path has taken her from a career in injury rehabilitation, to touring the country as the standby for the role of Elphaba in the musical WICKED, to writing funny scripts about all of the things that make her sad. After winning a 2023 Screenwriting Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Cecelia wrote, produced, and acted in the web series HUSTLING (now streaming on YouTube). Currently, she is the Producer of the 2025 National Conference for Women. It is Cecelia’s deepest hope to leave this world just a little bit more knowledgeable about the experience of living with chronic pain and disability via comedy that feels relatable to all. Cecelia will pitch her scripted series Chronic at YALLfest 2025.
Chanel Ali
Chanel Ali is a standup comedian who blossomed on the Philadelphia circuit. Her command stage presence and storyteller style make her a quick crowd favorite. She boasts two Comedy Central specials, an album, and she can drink way more than you. Chanel will pitch her stand-up comedy special Break Up With Your Dad at YALLfest 2025.
Eric Lockley
Eric Lockley is a Harlem-based, Baltimore born, award-winning actor, writer and producer. Centering joy and possibility in his work, Lockley’s projects range from his kooky talk show “Percy’s Theater This n Dat” to his AfroFuturist walking-tour “We The People (Not the Bots).” Lockley co-created and starred in the digital series “BLACKER” and won numerous awards for his inspirational short, “The Jump.” A staple in the NYC theater and comedy scenes, Eric’s work has been presented at The Apollo, The Public Theater, The People’s Improv Theater and more. Eric will pitch his film Charlie Blackman’s Day in Harlem at YALLfest 2025.
Greg Roque
Greg Roque is a Los Angeles comic who navigates the physical and philosophical inaccessibilities of the world. Armed with nothing but his wheelchair and his self-deprecation, Greg Roque challenges the conventions of contemporary society through his unique deconstructions of pop culture, politics, sex, and disability. He’s been featured on Comedy Central, Amazon Prime, and The Los Angeles Times. Greg will pitch his scripted series He Won’t Rise Again at YALLfest 2025.
Kate Sisk
Kate Sisk is a professional comedian, amateur drag king, and retired soccer player. Kate tours the country performing stand up and has sets out now with Comedy Central and Cracked. As a performer, Kate has also improvised at the UCB Theater, starred in the short film The Launch, and co-hosted the popular podcast We’re Having Gay Sex. As a writer, Kate has contributed for The Onion, co-written a musical, and participated in the NBC Late Night Writers Workshop. Kate will pitch their scripted series Carry On at YALLfest 2025.
Orli Matlow
Orli Matlow is a comedian and writer who has written for Indefensible with Jena Friedman on SundanceTV/AMC+, and the Addy Award-winning docuseries From Yalta to Malta” She created and hosted the cabaret Send in the Clowns: Comedians Sing Sondheim, which was a New York Times comedy pick. Orli has written for Adult Swim, McSweeney’s, and Reductress, and can be seen on Amazon Prime Sports Talk’s comedy and sports show, Game Breakers. Orli will pitch her podcast War is Stupid: An Anti-War Podcast About War at YALLfest 2025.
Rasheda Crockett
Rasheda Crockett brings her visionary leadership to the forefront, reshaping narratives and fostering inclusivity within the media landscape. Her journey is marked by participation in the esteemed Climate Comedy Cohort (CCC) in 2023, where she contributed her talents to the creation of 30 original videos distributed by Comedy Central. Recognized for her innovative approach, Rasheda also received a W3 award for her groundbreaking series, “The Rasheda Crockett Sketch Comedy Show.” With a passion for storytelling and a dedication to driving meaningful change, Rasheda Crockett continues to be a trailblazer in the entertainment industry, shaping narratives that resonate and inspire audiences worldwide. Rasheda will pitch her animated series No Dumping at YALLfest 2025.
Rima Parikh
Rima Parikh is a standup comic and writer in New York by way of Chicago. In addition to her solo show Death Threat, she co-hosts a show called It Girls at Union Hall. She’s the senior writer at Late Stage Live (@latestagelive), a queer, public access late night show. Her comedy writing has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, The Onion, Cards Against Humanity, Reductress and more. Rima will pitch her comedy special, Death Threat at YALLfest 2025.
Sam Morrison
Born and raised in Florida, Sam Morrison came up performing in the Brooklyn comedy scene before moving to Los Angeles in 2024. In 2023, he was named a New Face at the Just for Laughs Festival, made his television debut on Late Night With Seth Meyers, performed a set on Comedy Central Featuring, and his solo show Sugar Daddy played Off Broadway for 14 weeks receiving Outer Critics Circle & Off Broadway Alliance nominations. Sam will pitch his film PTOWN at YALLfest 2025.
2024 YALL Finalists:
The Yes, And… Laughter Lab also named thirty-three comedy creators as finalist runners-up. The 2024 YALL Finalists are Ahsan Ali, Andrea Zile Bish, Bixby Elliot, Brandon Follick, Fifi Dosch, Fouad Dakwar, Gregory Hoffman, Jake Noll, Joan Haley Ford, John David Williams, Justin Carter, Leah Bognanni, Leannet Amalfi, Lisa Jill Anderson, Lynn Maleh, Meka Mo, Natan Badalov, Pamela Schuller, Patricia Dinglasan, Quei Tann, Rachel Borka, Raft, Rokhsane Zadeh, Ryan Leach, Sabeeh Jameel, Sami Schwaeber, Savannah DesOrmeaux, Shareef Taher, Spencer Meade, Stephanie Leke, Stephen Brower, Sylvie Wang, and Willie Macc.