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Bleav in The Comedy Bureau Field Report

150 episodes listed below

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Live comedy, reported from the rooms.

The gist

Bleav in The Comedy Bureau Field Report is an industry-minded comedy interview show centered on the people making live performance happen. Episodes move from club openings and festivals to clown, improv, solo shows, touring, and the emotional labor behind creative work.

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About Bleav in The Comedy Bureau Field Report

Bleav in The Comedy Bureau Field Report is built around the backstage machinery of comedy. The show focuses less on polished bits and more on the people, rooms, habits, and experiments that keep live performance moving. Recent episodes talk with performers and founders about musical comedy, improv, clown, fringe festivals, comedy clubs, creator platforms, and institutions such as UCB. The conversations are informal and a little messy in a deliberate way. They keep the texture of real shop talk: venue names, odd time slots, collaborators, grantless ambition, touring logistics, and the constant question of how anyone sustains an original idea. Sydney Kane's episode follows the making of White Material as a one-person musical comedy show shaped through collaborators, rooms, and repeated performances. Maggie Winters' conversation moves through a debut special, fringe fatigue, festivals, touring, and the social side of comedy gatherings. Chris Coldhurst's episode centers on ImprovCon and the path from improv practice to building a larger convention-style event. Jeremy Pinsly's appearance looks at the nerve and pressure of opening Greenpoint Comedy Club in Brooklyn. Chandler Dean's episode links Abolish Everything, Nebula, Dropout, creator-driven platforms, and the possibility of building for small but committed audiences. Rachel Olson's conversation brings in service, social confidence, rootlessness, and the human work of being in comedy spaces. Natasha Mercado's episode treats soft clown as both a performance mode and a corrective to harsher training cultures. Across all of it, the show keeps returning to live rooms. It likes people who make things themselves. It notices who supports the scene, who teaches it, who opens doors, and who turns a strange idea into a show. The tone is loose, dry, and sometimes blunt, but the editorial center is earnest: comedy is happening because people keep making places for it to happen. That makes the series especially useful for listeners who want comedy culture with names, context, and working details attached.

Made for: For comedy fans who follow performers, venues, festivals, and alt-scene infrastructure as closely as finished specials. It especially suits listeners interested in how live comedy gets built, revised, booked, and sustained.

What sets it apart: The show treats comedy as a living field of rooms, collaborators, festivals, platforms, and self-produced experiments. Its strength is not celebrity polish; it is granular access to the people making comedy scenes function.

In their own words

The Comedy Bureau Field Report, a nice, neat rundown of comedy news (and news about nothing else), with Comedy Bureau founder and director Jake Kroeger.

As heard by us

Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026

Jake Kroeger turns conversations with comedy makers into a clear view of the work, communities, and practical decisions behind performance.

Jake Kroeger treats comedy as work worth examining, then lets the jokes arrive through conversation. His interviews follow the practical choices behind a solo musical, creator-led distribution, festival production, community building, and clown instruction.

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A soft-clown teacher questions comedy's boot-camp classes, and you get to hear why.

Press play if you want

  • to hear Jake Kroeger ask how a performer built a comedy festival in two months
  • to follow a musical comedy's path from a bedroom cabaret to a one-person show
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
live comedy scenesfestival lifenew comedy venuesimprov and clown trainingsolo and musical comedy showscreator-driven platformstouring and fringe circuitscommunity and collaboration

Talks about

ComedyComedy InterviewsStand-up Comedy

Podcasts like Bleav in The Comedy Bureau Field Report

Episodes

  1. 1

    Ep. 250: Skyler Higley & MANDAL & Guaranteeing GUARANTEED!

    ·49m
  2. 2

    Ep. 286: Chris Colthurst & Better Living Through Improv

    ·1h 10m
  3. 3

    Ep. 285: Jeremy Pinsly & Opening a Brand Spankin' New NYC Comedy Club in 2026

    ·1h 16m
  4. 4

    Ep. 284: Nikolai Phalen & Dreaming Big Comedy Dreams (and Often in English) in Barcelona

    ·2h 25m
  5. 5

    Ep. 283: Jackie Kashian & Finding Joy in Rage

    ·1h 11m
  6. 6

    Ep. 282: Chandler Dean & Sparking Joy Through Abolishing Everything

    ·1h 13m
  7. 7

    Ep. 281: Rachel Olson & Being of Service with a Seat at the Table

    ·1h 31m
  8. 8

    Ep. 280: Natasha Mercado & Building Your Own Corner of Clown

    ·59m
  9. 9

    Ep. 279: Mark Vigeant & The Unspoken Inspiration of Getting Your Ass Kicked

    ·1h 39m
  10. 10

    Ep. 278: TCB's Jake & What Goes Into Making a Year End List

    ·52m
  11. 11

    Ep. 277: Ethan Stanislawski & Being Timely in Comedy (Whether You Like It or Not)

    ·1h 16m
  12. 12

    Ep. 276: Andy Sandford & Keeping Jokes as Tight Possible

    ·58m
  13. 13

    Ep. 275: Jamie Linn Watson & Getting Back to The Old Internet

    ·1h 1m
  14. 14

    Ep. 274: Spaghetti Festival & Sticking on the Wall (Together)

    ·1h 10m
  15. 15

    Ep. 273: R.M. Aranda & Bringing Clown to All

    ·1h 5m
  16. 16

    Ep. 272: American High Digital & Being Part of a Burgeoning Comedy Empire

    ·54m
  17. 17

    Ep. 271: Joey Greer & Defying Convention Starting from the Get Go

    ·1h 25m
  18. 18

    Ep. 270: Fabrizio Copano & Getting Your Citizenship So You Can Release Your Comedy Special

    ·55m
  19. 19

    Ep. 269: Beth Stelling & Doing a Whole Comedy Special About Your Landlord

    ·1h 8m
  20. 20

    Ep. 268: Isaac Landfert & Keeping an Alt Comedy Theater Alive IN THIS ECONOMY

    ·1h 32m
  21. 21

    Ep. 267: Lisa Curry & Possibly Doing Comedy at the End of It All?

    ·1h 43m
  22. 22

    Ep. 266: Bri Pruett & Building the Hr. in 2025

    ·1h 17m
  23. 23

    Ep. 265: Ali Hart & Producing Comedy as Agent of Change(?)

    ·1h 11m
  24. 24

    Ep. 264: Walker Ward & Pedicab Powered Blind Dating

    ·57m
  25. 25

    Ep. 263: Shannon O'Neill & Molding Comedy Into a Potholder

    ·1h 20m
  26. 26

    Ep. 262: David Drake & The Power of Bowling Alleys

    ·1h 19m
  27. 27

    Ep. 261: Linzy Beltran & Comedia Por Todo

    ·1h 18m
  28. 28

    Ep. 260: Erica Bitton & 10 Years of a Solo Show

    ·1h 24m
  29. 29

    Ep. 259: Julie Seabaugh & Documenting Marc Maron

    ·1h 14m
  30. 30

    Ep. 257: Sam Walt Jones & Manifesting the Theatrical in Live Comedy

    ·1h 6m
  31. 31

    Ep. 256: Business Casual & Focused Chaos for Comedic Gold

    ·50m
  32. 32

    Ep. 255: Laser Webber & Defying with Queer Joy

    ·1h 5m
  33. 33

    Ep. 254: Alexis Dubus & Attempting to Translate Comedy in 2025

    ·1h 36m
  34. 34

    Ep. 253: Rebecca Drysdale & Using The Force With Improv

    ·1h 43m
  35. 35

    Ep. 252: Pilot Season & aEp. 252: Pilot Season & Growing an Improv Show Out of the Writers' Strike

    ·1h 9m
  36. 36

    Ep. 251: YALL Fest & Ep. 251: YALL Comedy Fest & Juggling Truth to Power & Safe Spaces in Comedy

    ·1h 6m
  37. 37

    Ep. 287: Maggie Winters & Embracing All Sides of Live, Laugh, Love

    ·1h 12m
  38. 38

    Ep. 249: Sarah Claspell & Doing Improv Literally Everywhere

    ·1h 17m
  39. 39

    Ep. 248: Kristal Adams & Fields-of-Dreams-ing It in NYC

    ·1h 22m
  40. 40

    Ep. 246: Teresa Lo & Sticktoitiveness

    ·1h 26m
  41. 41

    Ep. 245: Meg Penney & What Goes Into Running a Cool Brooklyn Venue

    ·1h 15m
  42. 42

    Ep. 244: Lindsay Adams & The Neverending Quest of Being Liked

    ·1h 11m
  43. 43

    Ep. 243: Sam Morrison & Endless Miles of Your Solo Show

    ·1h 15m
  44. 44

    Ep. 242: Jenny Chalikian/Romantic Comedy & The World's First & Only Bicoastal Romance Novel Store Comedy Show

    ·1h 16m
  45. 45

    Ep. 241: Emily Browning and the Path to Comedy Balloon Enlightenment

    ·1h 15m
  46. 46

    Ep. 240: John Hastings and the One After that Dumb Election in 2024

    ·56m
  47. 47

    Ep. 239: Lauren Leroux & Standing Out When Everyone Else Is Trying to Stand Out Just Like You

    ·1h 16m
  48. 48

    Ep. 238: Sam Varela & El Paso Silverlake Ramen Comedy

    ·1h 22m
  49. 49

    Ep. 237: Luke Null & Standing Up for Guitar Comedy

    ·1h 6m
  50. 50

    Ep. 236: Tiffany Kimmel & Kind Darkness

    ·1h 4m
  51. 51

    Ep. 235: James Adomian & (All the) Path(s) of Most Resistance

    ·2h 4m
  52. 52

    Ep. 234: Danny Jolles & Knowing Yourself/Your Credits

    ·1h 8m
  53. 53

    Ep. 232: Michael Blieden & The Beauty and Courage of the Joke

    ·1h 37m
  54. 54

    Ep. 231: Joel Mandelkorn & The Centers of a Comedy Scene

    ·1h 14m
  55. 55

    Ep. 229: Open Screen LA & Creative Neutrality

    ·59m
  56. 56

    Ep. 226: Cara Mones & Caroline Suh & Making a Doc About Louis C.K.

    ·1h 4m
  57. 57

    Ep. 225: Priyanka Mattoo & Kashmir to Comedy To Memoir

    ·58m
  58. 58

    Ep. 224: Tyler Jackson & Taping an Hour of One Liners

    ·1h 4m
  59. 59

    Ep. 223: Uriah Wesman & Redefining Yourself as a Comedian

    ·57m
  60. 60

    Ep. 222: Emily Catalano & Finally Having Your Own Crowd

    ·56m
  61. 61

    Ep. 221: Rachel Scanlon & The Gay Reality

    ·1h 26m
  62. 62

    Ep. 220: Tommy Tiernan & Returning to America for Comedy

    ·1h 25m
  63. 63

    Ep. 219: Dave Ross & Getting Back Into Doing Everything

    ·55m
  64. 64

    Ep. 218: Noah Eberhart & How To Comedy Photography in 2024

    ·1h 18m
  65. 65

    Ep. 217: Jake Kroeger & Running a Bureau and a Theater (and a Million Other Things)

    ·44m
  66. 66

    Ep. 216: Mike Bridenstine & Comedy Bar Show 101

    ·1h 10m
  67. 67

    Ep. 215: Kel Cripe & Being Handpicked by Netflix

    ·1h 8m
  68. 68

    Ep. 214: Caitlin Linden & Sketch Comedy Outside of SNL

    ·1h 17m
  69. 69

    Ep. 213: Shane Mauss & Comedy a la Science (or Science a la Comedy)

    ·1h 56m
  70. 70

    Ep. 212: Kate Willett & Comedy Making a Difference: Question Mark

    ·1h 13m
  71. 71

    Ep. 211: Jessica Svendsgaard & Starting an Improv Festival Called MILF

    ·1h 18m
  72. 72

    Ep. 210: Red, White & You & Everyone Else You Know

    ·1h 12m
  73. 73

    Ep. 209: Sydney Duncan & Being Enough in All the Comedy Spaces

    ·57m
  74. 74

    Ep. 208: Kurt Braunohler & 20 Years of a Weekly Comedy Show

    ·56m
  75. 75

    Ep. 207: Chloe Radcliffe & Doing a Solo Show About You Cheating

    ·1h 8m
  76. 76

    Ep. 206: Club Video & Keeping the Club Actually Cool (and Inviting)

    ·1h 13m
  77. 77

    Ep. 205: Sam Varela & State of Comedy 2024

    ·1h 17m
  78. 78

    Ep. 204: Hay Beacon & The Easier Way to Move on Up

    ·1h 18m
  79. 79

    Ep. 203: Paul Danke & What Makes Live Comedy ALIVE

    ·1h 10m
  80. 80

    Ep. 202: Jimmy Jatho & The Importance of Hitting Cues

    ·1h 18m
  81. 81

    Ep. 201: Ian Farley & Coming Up with a Show on the Spot

    ·59m
  82. 82

    Ep. 200: Natasha Mercado & The Clowning Life

    ·1h 1m
  83. 83

    Ep. 199: Atheer Yacoub & Finding Palestinian Comedy in the American World

    ·1h 29m
  84. 84

    Ep. 198: Jeremy Culhane & What Makes for Good Improv

    ·1h 28m
  85. 85

    Ep. 197: Sachi Ezura & The Legend of 50 First Jokes

    ·1h 10m
  86. 86

    Ep. 196: Mo Welch & Estranged Dad Jokes

    ·59m
  87. 87

    Ep. 195: Best of 2023 Comedy with Mike Bridenstine

    ·1h 33m
  88. 88

    Ep. 194 Joe Zimmerman & Baby Hitler Jokes

    ·59m
  89. 89

    Ep. 193: Johnny Gold & The Importance of Small Scenes

    ·1h 21m
  90. 90

    Ep. 192: Kristian Mercado & Directing Comedy in 2023

    ·1h 24m
  91. 91

    Ep. 191: Frank Chindamo & Proof of Laughter Being Medicine

    ·1h 7m
  92. 92

    Ep. 190: Cam Gavinski & Gettin' Meta About Being Meta

    ·1h 14m
  93. 93

    Ep. 189 Derek Del Core & How To (Possibly) Get Repped

    ·1h 23m
  94. 94

    Ep. 188: Adam Gold & Producing 33 Shows at a Festival

    ·56m
  95. 95

    Ep. 187: Sunny Zimmerman & Caitlan Moore & Creating a Brilliant Meta Play About LBJ (and Identity)

    ·1h 10m
  96. 96

    Ep. 247: Joel Mandelkorn & Closing Out a 20 Year Weekly Show

    ·1h 7m
  97. 97

    Ep. 233: Caroline Hirsch & Doing a Comedy Festival in NYC for 20 Years

    ·57m
  98. 98

    Ep. 227: Ryan Bitzer & Ian Adkins & an International 800 Pound Gorilla

    Hosts introduce guests Ryan Bitzer and Ian Adkins from 800 Pound Gorilla Media, discussing their international comedy operations.

    ·55m
  99. 99

    Ep. 230: Chris Laker & the Meaning Behind Toiling in Obscurity

    Comedy Bureau host interviews stand-up comedian Chris Laker about his move from NYC to LA and his career.

    ·1h 7m
  100. 100

    Ep. 258: Victoria Male & Revisiting the 90s the Good Way

    Jake introduces guest Victoria Male to discuss her new project 'What Happened to Baby J' and revisits the 90s.

    ·54m
  101. 101

    Ep. 288: Sydney Kane & Tragedy Plus Time as a Musical

    Hidden gem

    Sydney Kane says White Material started as a cabaret at Green Room 42 and is now a one-woman musical heading to the Roxy on April 21 at 7:30 p.m.

    Apr 16, 2026·1h 15m·5 clips
  102. 102

    Ep. 287: Maggie Winters & Embracing All Sides of Live, Laugh, Love

    Jake Weisman interviews Maggie Winters about Marguerite, her debut special released free on YouTube through a partnership involving UCB.

    Apr 9, 2026·1h 12m·5 clips
  103. 103

    Ep. 286: Chris Colthurst & Better Living Through Improv

    Jake interviews Chris Colthurst about his background in improv and the upcoming ImprovCon festival in San Diego.

    Apr 2, 2026·1h 10m
  104. 104

    Ep. 285: Jeremy Pinsly & Opening a Brand Spankin' New NYC Comedy Club in 2026

    Jeremy Pinsly discusses opening a new comedy club in Brooklyn, New York City, in 2026.

    Mar 26, 2026·1h 16m
  105. 105

    Ep. 284: Nikolai Phalen & Dreaming Big Comedy Dreams (and Often in English) in Barcelona

    Mar 12, 2026·2h 25m
  106. 106

    Ep. 283: Jackie Kashian & Finding Joy in Rage

    Comedian Jackie Kashian discusses finding joy in rage in this interview episode.

    Feb 25, 2026·1h 11m
  107. 107

    Ep. 282: Chandler Dean & Sparking Joy Through Abolishing Everything

    In episode 282 of the Comedy Bureau Field Report, host Jay interviews Chandler Dean, creator and host of the comedy debate show 'Abolish Everything,' which streams on Nebula TV at nebula.tv/abolish.

    Feb 18, 2026·1h 13m·5 clips
  108. 108

    Ep. 281: Rachel Olson & Being of Service with a Seat at the Table

    Host Jake Kroger interviews Rachel Olson, Executive Director of the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), on the Comedy Bureau Field Report (episode 281), discussing UCB's pandemic-era near-collapse and revival under Jimmy Miller of Mosaic Management (Dennis Miller's brother), Rachel's eight years developing Workaholics, Nathan For You, Detroiters, and the Awkwafina Show at Comedy Central, and the friendship and power dynamics of working in entertainment.

    Feb 11, 2026·1h 31m·5 clips
  109. 109

    Ep. 280: Natasha Mercado & Building Your Own Corner of Clown

    Hidden gem

    On episode 280 of Bleav in The Comedy Bureau Field Report, host Jake talks with LA clown performer and teacher Natasha Mercado about producing her first festival, Soft Clown Fest, in about two months with collaborator Fernando Funes.

    Jan 31, 2026·59m·4 clips
  110. 110

    Ep. 279: Mark Vigeant & The Unspoken Inspiration of Getting Your Ass Kicked

    Jan 22, 2026·1h 39m
  111. 111

    Ep. 278: TCB's Jake & What Goes Into Making a Year End List

    Jan 14, 2026·52m
  112. 112

    Ep. 277: Ethan Stanislawski & Being Timely in Comedy (Whether You Like It or Not)

    Dec 18, 2025·1h 16m
  113. 113

    Ep. 276: Andy Sandford & Keeping Jokes as Tight Possible

    Dec 3, 2025·58m
  114. 114

    Ep. 275: Jamie Linn Watson & Getting Back to The Old Internet

    Nov 20, 2025·1h 1m
  115. 115

    Ep. 274: Spaghetti Festival & Sticking on the Wall (Together)

    Nov 12, 2025·1h 10m
  116. 116

    Ep. 273: R.M. Aranda & Bringing Clown to All

    Nov 6, 2025·1h 5m
  117. 117

    Ep. 272: American High Digital & Being Part of a Burgeoning Comedy Empire

    Oct 22, 2025·54m
  118. 118

    Ep. 271: Joey Greer & Defying Convention Starting from the Get Go

    Oct 9, 2025·1h 25m
  119. 119

    Ep. 270: Fabrizio Copano & Getting Your Citizenship So You Can Release Your Comedy Special

    Oct 1, 2025·55m
  120. 120

    Ep. 269: Beth Stelling & Doing a Whole Comedy Special About Your Landlord

    Sep 25, 2025·1h 8m
  121. 121

    Ep. 268: Isaac Landfert & Keeping an Alt Comedy Theater Alive IN THIS ECONOMY

    Sep 17, 2025·1h 32m
  122. 122

    Ep. 267: Lisa Curry & Possibly Doing Comedy at the End of It All?

    Sep 4, 2025·1h 43m
  123. 123

    Ep. 266: Bri Pruett & Building the Hr. in 2025

    Aug 20, 2025·1h 17m
  124. 124

    Ep. 265: Ali Hart & Producing Comedy as Agent of Change(?)

    Aug 7, 2025·1h 11m
  125. 125

    Ep. 264: Walker Ward & Pedicab Powered Blind Dating

    Jul 31, 2025·57m
  126. 126

    Ep. 263: Shannon O'Neill & Molding Comedy Into a Potholder

    Jul 10, 2025·1h 20m
  127. 127

    Ep. 262: David Drake & The Power of Bowling Alleys

    Jul 3, 2025·1h 19m
  128. 128

    Ep. 261: Linzy Beltran & Comedia Por Todo

    Jun 26, 2025·1h 18m
  129. 129

    Ep. 260: Erica Bitton & 10 Years of a Solo Show

    Jun 12, 2025·1h 24m
  130. 130

    Ep. 259: Julie Seabaugh & Documenting Marc Maron

    Jun 5, 2025·1h 14m
  131. 131

    Ep. 258: Victoria Male & Revisiting the 90s the Good Way

    May 22, 2025·54m
  132. 132

    Ep. 257: Sam Walt Jones & Manifesting the Theatrical in Live Comedy

    May 15, 2025·1h 6m
  133. 133

    Ep. 256: Business Casual & Focused Chaos for Comedic Gold

    May 1, 2025·50m
  134. 134

    Ep. 255: Laser Webber & Defying with Queer Joy

    Hidden gem

    Bleav in The Comedy Bureau Field Report episode 255 centers on Laser Weber, co-founder of The Joy Who Lived, a trans and GNC comedy and performance festival that staged 27 shows around Los Angeles and has three left.

    Apr 24, 2025·1h 5m·4 clips
  135. 135

    Ep. 254: Alexis Dubus & Attempting to Translate Comedy in 2025

    Apr 17, 2025·1h 36m
  136. 136

    Ep. 253: Rebecca Drysdale & Using The Force With Improv

    Apr 10, 2025·1h 43m
  137. 137

    Ep. 252: Pilot Season & aEp. 252: Pilot Season & Growing an Improv Show Out of the Writers' Strike

    Apr 3, 2025·1h 9m
  138. 138

    Ep. 251: YALL Fest & Ep. 251: YALL Comedy Fest & Juggling Truth to Power & Safe Spaces in Comedy

    Mar 27, 2025·1h 6m
  139. 139

    Ep. 250: Skyler Higley & MANDAL & Guaranteeing GUARANTEED!

    Mar 20, 2025·49m
  140. 140

    Ep. 249: Sarah Claspell & Doing Improv Literally Everywhere

    Mar 13, 2025·1h 17m
  141. 141

    Ep. 248: Kristal Adams & Fields-of-Dreams-ing It in NYC

    Mar 6, 2025·1h 22m
  142. 142

    Ep. 247: Joel Mandelkorn & Closing Out a 20 Year Weekly Show

    Feb 21, 2025·1h 7m
  143. 143

    Ep. 246: Teresa Lo & Sticktoitiveness

    Feb 14, 2025·1h 26m
  144. 144

    Ep. 245: Meg Penney & What Goes Into Running a Cool Brooklyn Venue

    Jan 17, 2025·1h 15m
  145. 145

    Ep. 244: Lindsay Adams & The Neverending Quest of Being Liked

    Dec 19, 2024·1h 11m
  146. 146

    Ep. 243: Sam Morrison & Endless Miles of Your Solo Show

    Dec 12, 2024·1h 15m
  147. 147

    Ep. 242: Jenny Chalikian/Romantic Comedy & The World's First & Only Bicoastal Romance Novel Store Comedy Show

    Nov 28, 2024·1h 16m
  148. 148

    Ep. 241: Emily Browning and the Path to Comedy Balloon Enlightenment

    Nov 21, 2024·1h 15m
  149. 149

    Ep. 240: John Hastings and the One After that Dumb Election in 2024

    Nov 14, 2024·56m
  150. 150

    Ep. 239: Lauren Leroux & Standing Out When Everyone Else Is Trying to Stand Out Just Like You

    Comedy Bureau Field Report host discusses a corrupted interview with comedian Lauren Leroux, teasing her upcoming show and advice on overcoming bad performances.

    Oct 31, 2024·1h 16m