Culture Series: Comedy Across the River
Date and Time
Feb 19, 2026 6:00 pm
Location
Anacostia
2004 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, District of Columbia, 20020
Feb 19, 2026 6:00 pm
Anacostia
In this special Culture Series, we ask who gets to laugh together, and what is lost when communities east of the Anacostia are left out?
HumanitiesDCPresents Culture Series: Comedy Across the River explores the stand-up scene east of the Anacostia and the lack of performance spaces in Wards 7 and 8. Comedians have long brought people together through laughter while making difficult conversations more accessible. But what happens when the artists behind those voices are left without places to develop their craft?
Inspired by C. Darren Thompson’s AFRO article, “Comedy East of the Anacostia Is No Laughing Matter,” the program features three performers sharing their experiences growing up in a city with a deep comedic history, while lacking access to venues to watch, learn, and perform comedy.
The evening will begin with stand-up performances from our featured comedians, followed by a panel discussion centered on the bold question: Who gets to laugh together, and what is lost when communities east of the Anacostia are left out?
If you’ve ever wondered who gets to be heard in the city, join us as we open the conversation right here in Anacostia!
More About the Curator: Clyde Darren Thompson is a Navy Veteran, eighth-generation Washingtonian, stand-up, sketch, and improv comedian, and community busy body. He teaches improv comedy for the Armed Services Arts Partnership, serves as a Board Member for Washington Improv Theater, and is the Founder of the East River Dog Park Group. He most often performs improv comedy with his troupe, Baggage Claim, and sketch comedy with his team, The RENS. He is a proud alumnus of Prince George’s Community College, The University of Maryland at College Park, Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law, and The George Washington University School of Business.
Suggested Donation: We at HumanitiesDC believe that the humanities should be accessible to all. If you are able, help ensure our approach to programming remains sustainable with a suggested donation. Your donation will help offset the operational costs of this program.
Please note: RSVPs guarantee entry up to 10 minutes prior to the event start time, at which point unclaimed tickets will be released to the public. Donations are not refundable.
Accessibility: For reasonable accommodation requests regarding access and inclusion, including ASL interpretation, please contact Jimmy Watkins (jwatkins@humanitiesdc.org) no later than five business days before the start of this event.
