Comedian: SUE GALLOWAY

"Girls aren't funny." If you've heard it once, you've heard it many times, along with girls "can't drive" and Lawrence Summers' favorite, "don't do math/science." As two females who often crack each other up (and know many outstanding female drivers and mathematician/scientists), we figured we'd do our gender a solid by featuring one of the funniest people we know--rather, watch on TV and then stalked: Sue Galloway. Sue has successfully navigated the NYC comedy scene, and proven repeatedly that women can in fact be funny, if not hilarious. She is a regular at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB), a freelance joke writer for SNL's Weekend Update, and an actress on NBC's comedy sensation, 30 Rock (created by fellow funny-gal Tina Fey, who also stars in the show). Playing the role of the French-Dutch, suspected nymphomaniac Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout, Sue has made a name for herself on TV in addition to the top comedic outposts in NYC. She also writes and stars in her own clever and wacky webseries, Namedroppers, which we encourage you to watch, along with the other videos available on her website, described by Sue as, "The corn kernels spurting out of a giant silo. Delicious. Breathtaking. Unique. Yellowish."

Showing up to settle the gender score is the quirky and awesome Sue Galloway at her finest.
Photo credit: Robyn Von Swank.

Sketch Comedy Troupe: HARVARD SAILING TEAM

Despite stormy weather and tumultuous waves, the Harvard sailing team prevailed for the third consecutive year, defeating Princeton and winning the Ivy League championship regatta. Just kidding! That didn’t happen. Or maybe it did—but it doesn’t matter, because we’re profiling  the Harvard Sailing Team, the hilarious and awesome NYC sketch comedy troupe, not to be confused with the prestigious university’s athletic team. We were first introduced to HST when nymag.com featured their satirical viral video duo, Boys Will Be Girls and Girls Will Be Boys, and since then we’ve been hooked on their comedy, showing off their collection of videos as part of our online video repertoire. The group--Jen Curran, Rebecca Delgado Smith, Clayton Early, Faryen Einhorn, Katie Larsen, Adam Lustick, Billy Scafuri, Chris Smith, and Sara Taylor—first met while studying together at NYU, but it was only post-graduation that Chris and Billy (who had started writing together) formed the team, who have since won the 2011 Nightlife Award, the Friars Club Sketch Competition, and the ECNY and INNY awards.  

So if a comedy troupe that bonded through a collective affinity for argyle intrigues you (how could it not?), read on--and be sure to or check out their videos online and their weekly show at the People’s Improv Theater (PIT).
Photo credit: Eric Michael Pearson

Actor: CHEO BOURNE

Cheo Bourne has certainly come a long way since his acting debut as the Happy dwarf in first grade. The Boston native began his career at Connecticut College, where he took the stage in nearly a dozen  university productions over the course of his tenure. He returned to his hometown after graduation, kicking off his career by working in reputable regional theaters for two years.  He recently decided to move and showcase his talent in the theater capital of the world--New York City, obviously!--where he soon after landed a role in an off-Broadway production of Shine! The Horatio Alger Musical, as part of the New York Musical Theater festival this past October. Cheo’s resume impressively boasts 4 years of dance and a capella, and his past experience on stage (not to mention his mastery of 4 speech dialects) ensures his capability to successfully portray a wide variety of characters. 

This guy’s got talent, and we can’t wait to see him make it big on Broadway--keep your eyes peeled for his name on your Playbill.

Pistols Kill Ponies: LENA DUNHAM

Sharp, tongue-in-cheek comic filmmaker Lena Dunham singlehandedly founded the independent film production company, Pistols Kill Ponies:  "We like to make ourselves sound like a collective, but in truth we only consist of Lena Dunham and whoever is kind enough to work with her." At just 23, Lena already has an impressive collection of films, including webseries Delusional Downtown Divas for Index Magazine and Tight Shots for Nerve Video. She has been featured in New York Magazine, Interview Magazine, and Scarlett Cinema, among others, and has been named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film (2009). Lena hails from an artistic family, and as a proud older sibling, she insists that she got her talent from her younger sister.

Whether as a director, producer, writer, or actress, Lena's charm, pizazz, and quirky sense of humor shines in all her artistic endeavors.
 

Actor: SPENCER CLARK

Spencer Clark has evolved from a child actor to a burgeoning movie star. He's our personal favorite--not only because he's our friend, but also because he explains so well what it feels like to watch yourself on screen (and is wholly unaffected). You may remember him as the young Lucius Verus in the Academy Award winning film Gladiator, or know him as the (all grown up!) teen son of the bad guys in The Last House on the Left .  He has also appeared in Unbreakable, Mystic River, and on the television show, The Good Wife. But these days, Spencer has been focusing on playing the role of "college student," attending Columbia University full-time and majoring in political science. He's talented both on screen and in the classroom. When asked what his upcoming projects were, he duly responded: "My only project right now is somehow making it through this next week of school!" We feel your pain, Spence. 

Insider tips: If you camp out in Morningside Heights, you might spot Spencer riding his bicycle around Columbia. And if you want to see his baby pics, click here.