Performer Bios
Since 2017, Aaron Bell has been a regular in the Philadelphia comedy scene and has performed on numerous shows in the Philadelphia, Delaware, and Central Pennsylvania areas. This past December, he performed at Punchline as part of his Philadelphia Comedy College Graduation Showcase. Aaron is known for his deadpan delivery and draws his inspiration from his unique upbringing in Bucks County.
Stand-up
Friday, May 10
Aaron Bell (Philadelphia, PA)
Alyssa Truszkowski is a comedian and writer based in Delaware. She is the co-host of the true scary stories podcast, Real Chills, and a producer of the Bechdel Test Fest comedy festival which features women and non-binary performers. Her sketch comedy team, Cups & A Half is the winner and reigning champion of Philly’s Dirtiest Sketch. She performs stand up all over the east coast and is super pumped to be a host for the Tax-Free Comedy Fest again this year.
Host
Friday, May 10
Alyssa Truszkowski (Philadelphia, PA)
I'm Betty.
Stand-up
Saturday, May 11
Betty Smithsonian (Philadelphia, PA)
Donna Ottena is female comedian that shares her own personal life experiences in a very funny outlook.
Stand-up
Friday, May 10
Donna Ottena (Pennsburg, PA)
Dr. Volcano is a two person improv group featuring Jake Pritchard and Mack Smith. Every show we perform high energy and insane longform improv and try our best to make you laugh.
Improv
Friday, May 10
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Dr. Volcano (Philadelphia, PA)
Fearless Improv is Wilmington's ONLY improv team, produced by City Theater Company. The team delivers a unique blend of unpredictable sketches, interactive games, some compromising positions and a bit of bawdiness for the fun-loving folks of Wilmington and beyond.
Improv
Saturday, May 11​
Fearless Improv (Wilmington, DE)
Guy Schiavi is a Delaware captive who performs comedy everywhere. Basements, attics, bars, in front of a gelato freezer, he’s done it all! Guy has even performed at a comedy club. He can be found every Thursday night at The Jackson Inn, hosting a Stand-Up Showcase and Open Mic.
Host
Saturday, May 11
Guy Schiavi (Wilmington, DE)
Groundhog and Butler (Steph Masucci and Mike Butler) adhere to the creed "Hungry Improvisors Run Faster." They are an aggressive independent duo from Philadelphia who jump from character to character, scene to scene, and back again with their fast-paced and exhausting two-person performance.
Improv
Friday, May 10
Groundhog and Butler (Philadelphia, PA)
After spending nine days together in a Volkswagen Golf, the only natural next step was to form a duo. Cara Schmidt has been performing for nearly a decade. Alex Fierro is newer to the stage. Their pun game is strong.
Improv
Saturday, May 11
Keepsake (San Jose, CA)
Matt Hyams is a Philly-based comedian / comedy writer, the creator of egobabymag.com and the world's leading online PDF business coach.
Stand-up
Saturday, May 11
Matt Hyams (Philadelphia, PA)
The Mean Wendy Band and their Philly-grown musical comedy casually spans the gap between traditional music venues and more comedy-oriented shows through relatable humor and catchy songs. Their shows are high-energy, honest, and thrive on audience interaction. Lead vocalist and sketch/improv comedian Wendy Lenhart started writing original songs in 2014 and soon collected a “Man Band” of other comedian/musicians to join the fun. This is Ryan T. Barlow on bass guitar, Brian Kelly on conga drum, Dan Kristie on lead guitar, and Zachary Wiseley on additional vocals, keyboard, acoustic guitar and whatever else he is asked to play.The Mean Wendy Band would like you to know that if they don’t have anything nice to say, they don’t say anything at all….except when they’re singing. Despite the implication of their name, they are really quite nice people.
Music
Friday, May 10
The Mean Wendy Band (Philadelphia, PA)
Megan Chialastri is a nonbinary comedian from Philadelphia. They're always thinking about gay stuff and what murder documentary to watch next.
Stand-up
Saturday, May 11
Megan Chialastri (Philadelphia, PA)
#Puppies is comprised of the wild dogs known as Sue Taney and Rachel Garmon. An improv duo with all the spunk of puppies and none of the butt sniffing.
Puppies begin social play with play-biting, pawing, and barking. The intensity escalates and becomes more complex as the dog matures. The first play-eliciting gesture seen in puppies is the raised paw. The play bow, is the classic invitation for a canine romp and is used by older pups and adults, along with barking, leaping forward to nose-poke and then withdrawing, face pawing, and licking.
Improv
Saturday, May 11
#puppies (Washington, DC & South Jersey)
Robby Leon is a standup comic, writer and podcaster based in Brooklyn, NY. As a comic, he has performed all over the country, from dive bars in the south to alt rooms and clubs in NYC. His weekly Manhattan show "Monday Night Slob" was featured in the New York Comedy Festival. He has also been featured in the Asheville Comedy Festival, the Finger Lakes Comedy Festival and the Hoboken Comedy Festival. Robby would love to perform at your show/club/festival, which he has heard is great.
Stand-up
Saturday, May 11
Robby Leon (Brooklyn, NY)
Shane is young-ish comedian who spends an inordinate amount of time trying to make people relate to his thoughts on Ratatouille. He's a regular host at the Good Good Comedy Theater in Philadelphia and also produces his own show there.
Stand-up
Saturday, May 11
Shane O'Connor (Philadelphia, PA)
Tony Sykowski is a Brooklyn based comedian who has been writing, performing, and producing shows for over 10 years. He grew up on his family’s farm in Hadley, Massachusetts, the self proclaimed “Asparagus Capital of the World”. After graduating from Umass-Amherst, Tony moved to Chicago, where he studied and performed with Second City’s House Co, iO Chicago, and the Annoyance Theater. During this time he worked for Second City Theatricals aboard the NCL Breakaway, had his written work has been featured on Second City Network, co-created the sketch/improv group Brand New Toys (which produced two full sketch reviews in addition to performing at Sketchfest, Chicago Improv Fest, and Detroit Improv Festival), and staged his acclaimed solo show I Killed Peter Rabbit at the Annoyance Theater.
He’s also a stand up who’s performed at The Comedy Bar, Zanies, Q.E.D., Westside Comedy Club, Greenwich Village Comedy Club, Grisly Pear, and in the back rooms of too many bars. Outside of comedy, Tony has hand modeled for Jim Beam, Canadian Club, and Sauza Tequila. He loves to brag about this to anyone who will listen.
Stand-up
Friday, May 10
Tony Sykowski (Brooklyn, NY)
Trevor Wade (they/them;The Moth StorySlam winner) mixes tales of misguided affection and botched romance with cutting observations about this divide we've erected between "man" and "woman".
Stand-up
Friday, May 10