Washoe County Library System

"From a beloved comedy critic, a wisecracking, heartfelt, and overdue chronicle of comedy's boom-and its magic"-- "Comedy is king. From multimillion-dollar TV specials to sold-out stand-up shows and TikTok stardom, comedy has never been more popular, democratized, or influential. Comedians have become organizing forces across culture―as trusted as politicians and as fawned-over as celebrities―yet comedy as an art form has gone under-considered...

"An exciting history of the improv group you've never heard of that changed comedy in America—this is the story of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam as told by its founders and most famous alumni "It’s kind of crazy, the impact on culture so many Boom Chicago alums have had. Boom was where I became my best comedic self: the excitement of Amsterdam, the freedom of that environment, the letting loose—it's magic. There's no better training ground." —Jordan...

A collection of short comedic plays and monologues.

An inspiring, hands-on guide to narrative improvisation, by the co-creator and director of the Olivier Award-winning improv show Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. Improvisation is a craft that anyone can learn. When freed from endless rules and rigid approaches and allowed to relax, react instinctively and work seamlessly as a group, improvisers can spontaneously create performances that thrill audiences with their liveness. Drawing on the author's...

"To exonerate her best friend, one woman must mastermind a jewelry heist during the wedding of the season in this hilarious romantic-comedy caper. Simi Chopra is on a bad-luck streak. She's lost yet another job, her student loan debt won't stop growing, her basement apartment is a certifiable flood zone, and now her best friend has been accused of stealing a multimillion-dollar diamond necklace. To put it lightly, she's desperate for a break-that's...

"Holly Winters owns the jolliest holiday shop on Main Street and this season is shaping up to be the best yet. The only pit in her figgy pudding? Declan Gallagher, the owner of the hardware store next door. He's the scroogiest man in all of Mistletoe, Idaho. Then Holly's revenge prank escalates into an all-out war with her Grinchy neighbor, and the situation turns sticky when she realizes she needs his help. Declan can't believe the nerve of his oh-so-cheerful...

Before all 626 experiments landed in Hawaii, Stitch was enjoying his new 'Ohana' with Lilo and Nani. It may have seemed like paradise, but little did they know something strange was about to happen ... Stitch has a glitch!

"During the course of a career that began in the late 1940s, Lenny Bruce challenged the sanctity of organized religion and other societal and political conventions; he widened the boundaries of free speech. Critic Ralph Gleason said, "So many taboos havebeen lifted and so many comics have rushed through the doors Lenny opened. He utterly changed the world of comedy." Although Bruce died when he was only forty, his influence on the worlds of comedy,...

Bookish Arabella Bromley never gave a fig for society’s rules―until her sister ran off with a man below her station. Now Arabella is desperate to restore her family’s ruined reputation to favor amongst the ton.She’ll have to marry quickly and well. But in order to carry off her plan, Arabella needs a duke…and she has just the rakish fellow in mind. The Duke of Whittsley has an ungentlemanly tendency to disregard the rules. Unfortunately,...

Elizabeth is a foul-mouthed, ruthless junior high teacher who can't wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job. When she's dumped by her fiance, she begins to woo a rich, handsome substitute. Competing for his affections is overly energetic colleague Amy. Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic gym teacher. The consequences of her outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and herself an...