COMEDY SHOWCASE
During our inaugural Diverse Representation Week, we’re presenting a stand-up comedy showcase to highlight the next generation of Black comedians and help launch their careers.
August 9, 2023
8:30 pm - 10:00 pm
The Hollywood Improv
For any agents, managers, attorneys, or executives interested in attending, please email: lacey@diverserepresentation.com. A limited number of General Admissions tickets are available through The Hollywood Improv (click here).
Kasaun Wilson
LOS ANGELES, CA / JERSEY CITY, NJ
Writer for the Emmy-nominated "The Problem with Jon Stewart" on AppleTV+, TRUtv's Laff Tracks, Last Comic Standing, and proud graduate of Howard University.
Keysha Edwards
LOS ANGELES, CA
Actress/Comedian LaKeysha Edwards, also known as “Keysha E.”, was born & raised in Detroit, MI. After receiving her Masters of Science she moved to Los Angeles to follow her true passion for acting. A dare from friends landed her on stage doing stand up comedy and she’s been slanging jokes ever since. She starred in Season 1 & 2 of Revolt TV’s “Funny AF”, last years Netflix is a Joke Comedy Festival, she appeared in Tyler Perry’s film “A Fall From Grace” and you can catch her on ALLBLK’s “For the Love of Jason.’ She lives by the motto “your gifts will make room for you” and that’s exactly what she has been doing.
Sammy Edan
ELK GROVE, CA
Sammy Edan is a Somali-American Comedian based in Sacramento, California. He was born in Oakland but was raised overseas for 18 years. He was raised in London, UK until he was 6 years old with his British mother and grandmother, before his dad got a job in Qatar and moved the whole family to live in the Middle East until he turned 18. Sammy moved back to America at 18, where he navigates the USA as an American Tourist and somehow ends up in the strangest situations.
Jalisa Robinson
LOS ANGELES, CA
Jalisa Robinson brings her sometimes-deadpan, sometimes-sparkling style to everything from race to the patriarchy to getting hit on at Whole Foods. A native midwesterner, she now lives in Los Angeles. She’s opened for Hannibal Burress and she regularly performs at Punchline San Francisco, the Set-Up LA, Don't Tell Comedy, Rooster T. Feathers, San Jose Improv, Alameda Comedy Club, and Cheaper Than Therapy where she’s also an alumnus artist resident and producer. She's performed at comedy festivals including SF Sketchfest and Oakland Comedy Festival and she was a San Francisco International Comedy Competition Semi-Finalist (2022).
Carter Morgan
NEW YORK CITY, NY
International comedian Carter Morgan is here to have a good time! His charismatic, in-the-moment comedy has entertained audiences in NYC, LA, Paris, London, and at festivals like Edinburgh Fringe and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Khiry Lee
ATLANTA, GA
Quick paced and witty, KJ is a writer and comedian who uses his stories of relationships, family and political views to draw in crowds across the country. KJ has opened for and worked with many of today's hottest comedians and a few legends. He has been featured on Russell Simmons' All Def Digital and Chris Spencer’s inside jokes. KJ was also TBS comedy Competition finalist and MVP Houston all Area comedian runner up NBC Stand up for Diversity 2nd round.
Michael Houston
LOS ANGELES, CA
Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, I was exposed to a lot of diversity from being around so many different cultures and being able to experience other perspectives outside of my own. Although my own wasn't so bad. My mom, still to this day, is a master of impressions, her most famous being Marge Simpson. She was a comedian in her own right and I learned a lot by watching how she provided a natural joy and humor to those around her. My Dad was a wordsmith: clever and charming. He also was down to earth. I can hear him to this day reminding me: never get gray hair over things you can't control. From watching top tier comedy such as Martin and making my 3rd grade classmate my Pam so I can practice Martin's jokes on her, it was the start of it all. Kings of Comedy, Ace Ventura, In living Color, Delirious etc, I have absorbed various forms of comedic elements to incorporate into my personal style. Energetic, theatrical, up to date and thoughtfully funny.
Electra Telesford
BROOKLYN, NY
Electra Telesford is a comedian, actress, and screenwriter from Brooklyn, NY. Born into an Afro-Indo Caribbean family she uses her cultural background to inform her craft. As a comedian, Electra has opened for Michael Che at the world-famous Caroline’s on Broadway, Zainab Johnson, Hari Kondabolu, Larry Owens, and Nore Davis. She was featured in the 2020 HBO Presents: Women in Comedy Festival and the 2022 Red Clay Festival. In 2019 she made it to the quarterfinal of the NBC STANDUP auditions (NY Auditions). She currently produces a music game show at Union Hall called Aux Lords. As a writer, she most recently wrote for Tiny Talk Show with Marsai Martin on Quibi (RIP).
ShantaQuilette Carter
CEDAR HILL, TX
Meet ShantaQuilette Carter, the captivating force hailing from Cedar Hill, TX, who has transformed herself into a household name. During a time where she felt overwhelmed with emotional and physical pain, her daughter introduced her to Tik Tok. She then used the popular platform to introduce the world to her infectious personality, with relatable skits that have viewers laughing and begging the burgeoning comedian to get out of their thoughts and homes. She’s always been interested in comedy, but because it wasn’t viewed as a career that would be financially fruitful she pursued a career in accounting. The retiree has now proved to those who were once doubtful that a career as a comedian, digital creator, brand spokesperson and influencer can be lucrative. These opportunities have landed her on the pages of popular social media platforms such as EllenTube, Steve Harvey Online, The Shade Room and Fly Young Ageless to name a few. Even your favorite celebrities are following Hey ShantaQ!
Kacey Johnson
LOS ANGELES, CA
Born in Rochester, New York, but raised in South Florida, Kacey Johnson has always been a performer. At the age of seven, she performed her showcase in front of her mother. To which she replied, "I love you baby, but you cannot sing." Ever since then, Kacey has been an incredible writer. Now, Kacey is an award-winning screenwriter and proud first-generation graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Industry Management Masters' program. Her television pilot, Going South, loosely based on her upbringing, has won awards including Page Turner Semi-Finalist (2020) and Stowe Story labs Development Grant (2021). Based in Los Angeles, Kacey has performed as a comic for under a year at venues including Hollywood Improv and Comedy Chateau.