Smiles all around: Chapman alumni host monthly stand-up gigs
Chapman graduates take their talents to the stand-up community in self-produced and self-written comedy shows. Photos courtesy of Maddie Ogden and Sam Bailey
There’s not much Sam Bailey won’t do in the name of comedy, especially when he has an audience.
“One time during a show, I tried to chug three Mexican cokes in a row,” the 2022 alumnus told the Panther. “I did not succeed, but the effort is what counts.”
Bailey’s noble effort is a true testament to the lengths that Chapman grads will go to put on a show and get some good laughs.
In 2023, Bailey, and another class of ‘22 pal launched a monthly stand-up comedy show that involves multiple comedians, including multiple Chapman grads. Despite the show being a success and a great way to learn on the job, Bailey was initially hesitant.
“My good friend Graham Byrne had been pitching it to me for a while. At first, I didn’t want to start the show until we were more experienced,” Bailey said. “But then, I came to the conclusion that doing the show was the best way to get that experience.”
The show, called Rock and Roll Comedy, usually happens on one Thursday every month at about 8 or 9 p.m. in Ghengis Cohen. Specific details can be found on the Rock and Roll Comedy Instagram page. Bailey encourages current Chapman students to not only come out and watch, but also throw their own hats in the ring.
“Anyone can get involved,” Bailey said. “(Direct message) a video of yourself performing to @rockandrollcomedy on Instagram.”
Bailey is an alumnus of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Since then, he’s been working as a substitute teacher “to pay the bills,” as well as writing. During his time at Chapman, he did improv as part of campus group Improv Inc and wrote for The Kumquat. Now that he’s out in the world, Bailey has broken into the world of comedy on a more professional scale.
At this point, he and Byrne appear to have the show down to a science.
“We pride ourselves on keeping the shows to a tight hour,” Bailey said. “We usually have five comedians doing eight-minute sets each, as well as a short opening bit and two five-minute sets from (Byrne) and myself.”
There definitely seems to be a network of former Chapman students who are now in the business of laughter. The group stays tight-knit and makes sure to support each other, and some, like alum Kel Cripe, have even made it to the Netflix is a Joke festival.
Another member of this group is Maddie Ogden ‘22, who created her own comedy show called OGDICKS.
“I started the show because I wanted a space for comics to celebrate the comedy and joy that comes from chaos,” Ogden told the Panther. “It’s easy to become a comedy perfectionist and lose the joy that comes from laughter…I hope that everyone who participates in or attends OGDICKS is able to embrace the chaos and let go of life’s anxieties — in other words, have fun.”
Maddie Ogden (first image) and Graham Byrne (second image) are both Chapman alumni who perform stand-up. Ogden has her own show called OGDICKS, which Byrne has done sets for.
OGDICKS takes place on the last Friday of every month at 8 p.m. at The Best Comedy Club Near Me Theater. Chapman students get in for free if they show their Chapman ID. Similar to Bailey, Odgen also encourages interested students to submit their videos to the OGDICKS Instagram if they want to be part of it. Several recent Chapman alums have done sets as part of the show, including Byrne.
Attendees can expect complimentary kazoos and an award ceremony for each of the comics (and the audience members they interact with), with categories like “Most likely to be a sock puppet in a human skin suit,” among other wacky things.
When she’s not up on stage making people laugh, Ogden works as a talent coordinator for Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. The comedian has given Ogden some advice she thinks all graduating seniors should know if they’re freaking out about life after college.
“Success is not linear, and there is no one right way to do anything. To quote that one red-headed guy I work for: ‘Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen”
Rock and Roll Comedy’s next show is June 20 at Genghis Cohen, and the OGDICKS will next take the stage on May 24.
