Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One

Whitmer Thomas has crafted a beautiful show. The Golden One, his first HBO special, is vulnerable and bristling with a combustible energy just beneath the skin. Lovingly crafted stand-up with elements of documentary & storytelling, I had the pleasure of seeing Thomas workshop this material at the intimate Lyric Hyperion theatre in 2019. A year later, upon driving home one evening, I would discover him perched, crosslegged, on a billboard above Hollywood Blvd. Sailing underneath a giant version of the affable comedian was surreal, but not unexpected. Even from our brief chat after his show, I knew he was sharpening his set for something big. In my driver’s seat, I actually yelped out: “Hey, nice job, Whit!” as if he was a friend of mine. As a performer, he has that ability, though. Makes you feel like you’re sharing a laugh, as only friends would.

"Buzz" by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe

Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe (Gulp Splash) are masters of the comedic slight of hand, concealing acerbic commentaries on the maniacal obsessions of domesticity beneath their whimsical comic fantasies. Having just returned from SXSW 2019 with their feature adaptation of Greener Grass, a dizzyingly off-kilter suburban nightmare, Buzz is the perfect example of their craft’s deliberate pace and control, trading simple punchlines for the types of laughs you’re afraid to make in a crowded theatre. From the filmmakers: “A codependent woman’s life is disrupted when her servile best friend wants to move out of their isolated mountain home to be with a man. She hatches an unusual plan to ensure she will never be alone.”

FILMMAKERS

Created by: Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe (“Greener Grass” Sundance 2019)
Directed by: Mitch Magee (“Welcome To My Study” Funny or Die Presents, HBO)

Written by and Starring: Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe 
With Patrick Carroll as Buzz and James Pumphrey as Hank

Gulp Splash Productions & Alpen Pictures
Producer: Nate Vaughan
Supervising Producer: Matt Pittman
Executive Producers: Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe
Director of Photography: Daniel Kenji Levin
Production Design: Traci Hays
Editors: Taylor Gianotas, Chris Punsalan
Costume Design: Michelle Thompson
Hair and Makeup: Veronica Sinclair
Music Composer: Samuel Nobles
Sound Designer: Brian Goodheart

Genevieve Rice

In equal measure, I both admire and fear the exacting, withering wit of comedian Genevieve Rice. Thus, my first in a series of stand up "trading cards," to celebrate both hers, and the voices of other comedians I admire.