Shawn Hollenbach

Shawn Hollenbach (born March 6, 1981 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania) is an American comedian, writer and actor, based in New York City.[2] He worked at Comedy Central in the programming department.[2] As a comic and actor he has performed around the country and throughout New York.[2] He is an energetic and upbeat performer and self-deprecating humorist focusing on LGBT subjects and a "style that capitalizes on the myriad incidents and accidents that befall us all in the midst of our human existence".[3][4] He currently works at Logo, Viacom's channel that appeals to the LGBT community and their allies as the social media manager for the channel and its most popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race.[5]

Shawn Hollenbach
Born (1981-03-06) March 6, 1981
Lebanon, Pennsylvania, US
OccupationActor, comedian, writer
Years active1999–present[1]
WebsiteShawnHollenbach.com

Personal life

He has a twin brother, Eric and a sister, Kristen.[2] He studied Musical Theater at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University. He is openly gay and his act often incorporates comedy about LGBT subjects.[2][6] He lives in Washington Heights.[7] His mother died in 2004.[8]

Career

One of his first performances was when he was eighteen, "I told a Pantene [a glamour hair product] joke to a bunch of Amish folks at a picnic. That's when I first learned, "Know Your Audience.""[1] He had been doing improv comedy for several years and stand-up seemed the next progression.[7] 2003 saw his first stand-up performance at "Comedy Social" at the Sin Sin club, "I fell in love with the show and they asked us to perform stand up. It was a very warm room and the perfect first time."[9] He has appeared on two episodes of here! TV's Hot Gay Comics as a featured comedian and here! TV's celebrity news webshow Busted as the host.[2][10][11]

On December 1, 2007 he appeared at "Saturday Night Underground" a talk/variety evening for World AIDS Day with Michael Arden and Todd Buonopane at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.[12][13] In March 2008 he was a featured comic at Bill Augustin's "Big Gay Variety Show", a benefit for the N.Y. Civil Liberties Union.[14]

In 2008 he performed nearly every night and was co-producing five shows including "The Back Room", a gay-themed comedy show at Ochi's Lounge in Comix, "The Kevin Murphy Show", a "Straight Bostonian/Japanese/Gay variety show" and "Meat and Potatoes", a show where folks who grew up poor share their experiences with Carolyn Castiglia.[9]

In June 2009 he was a co-host on Logo (TV channel) NewNowNext.com's Gayest Week Ever.[2][11][15] He did an episode of here! TV's Hot Gay Comics.[1] He has also appeared on The Frank DeCaro Show and Derek and Romaine on Sirius/XM OutQ Radio,[2] The Joey Reynold's Show and Daniel Nardicio's DList Radio.[16] He regularly performs at other New York venues including Comix comedy club, The People's Improv Theater, Therapy, Stonewall Inn, New York Comedy Club, and Stand-Up NY.[1][17] He also travels in the Under the Gaydar Comedy Tour with Jackie Monahan, Claudia Cogan and Dave Rubin.[18]

Hollenbach has created and co-produced the first annual Miss Fag Hag Pageant on May 17, 2009 featuring Caroline Rhea, Michael Musto, Hedda Lettuce, Shayna Steele and Frank DeCaro as a benefit for the Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of The Harvey Milk School.[19][20][21][22][23] The second annual event took place May 2, 2010, again at the Comix Comedy Club.[24][25]

In June 2009, he did a reading of Matthew Sheridan's Unfinished with Tricia Alexandro and Jim Weitzer.[26] He also performed at "Funny Gays Are Here Again – A Night of Comedy", a benefit for Bob Zuckerman's campaign for city council, if elected Zuckerman would become the first openly LGBT legislator ever elected from Brooklyn.[27] In August 2009 he was part of Robert Keller's inaugural comedy tour "The Manhattan Comedy Project" with Wendy Ho and Paul Case touring Canada and northern US.[11]

In September 2009 he created "Closet Cases," a monthly show at New York City's The Tank where LGBT performers tell their coming out stories on stage.[28][29][30] The series became a Time Out NY critic's pick and a "Homo Must" for HX Magazine.[2]

As an actor, he starred with Kathleen Chalfant in the film Second Guessing Grandma,[2][31] directed by Bob Giraldi based on Eddie Sarfaty's short story.

In January 2010, Hollenbach and the other MintyFresh producers put together "Beverly's Bake Off!", a show of "song, comedy, burlesque and bakegoods", as a benefit for the National LGBT Cancer Network.[32][33]

In July 2010 he appeared on "[Gay] Comedy Show".[1] In August 2010 he was a featured comedian in "Laugh Out Proud VI" as part of Ottawa's Pride 2010.[34][35]

In 2011, Shawn started as a contributing writer for gay news and advice blog, 365gay writing the Wednesday Water Cooler and then 365gay's Ask the Wedding Expert.[36] Shawn later joined Rihanna's 777 Tour with other 150 journalists going to 7 countries to play 7 concerts in 7 days for Logo and NewNowNext starting on November 14, 2012[37] carrying a cardboard cut out of drag queen celebrity, RuPaul to all 7 countries.

References
  1. Dan Avery, "Getting Personal With Shawn Hollenbach", Next Magazine, July 9, 2010.
  2. "NYC comedians will bring home the laughs", Lebanon Daily News, March 27, 2010.
  3. Daniel Marsche, "Shawn Hollenbach: Comedic Therapy", The SOP, January 28, 2010.
  4. Larry Nichols "NYC comics bring the laughs to New Hope", Philadelphia Gay News, February 2009.
  5. Lopez, Rich (November 19, 2012). "On Tour with Rihanna: Gays on the Plane". Queerty. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  6. Michael Demarsico, "Punch Lines & Prejudice", Next Magazine, August 20, 2010.
  7. Nichelle Stephens, "Ten Money Questions for Shawn Hollenbach", Queercents, June 19, 2009.
  8. Mary M. Hollenbach, Lebanon Daily News, October 30, 2004.
  9. Andrew Singer, "Inside With: Shawn Hollenbach, Showman and Control Freak", The Apiary, August 21, 2008 .
  10. IMDB (November 14, 2008). ""Hot Gay Comics" (2008)". IMDB.com. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  11. "The Manhattan Comedy Project Comes To Montreal", Broadway World News, August 14, 2009.
  12. "Marshall, Arden & Buonopane Join 'Underground' 12/1", Broadway World News, November 27, 2007.
  13. "Photo Flash: 'Saturday Night Underground' Dec.1", Broadway World News, December 7, 2007.
  14. "Side Dish: Much ado for Beyonce's 'do", New York Daily News, March 19, 2008.
  15. Berlin, Ben (June 9, 2009). "Episode 8: Tyra! Dick Cheney! Those Jersey Housewives!". NewNowNext.com. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  16. Musto, Michael. "Siegfried, Roy, and Glory Holes!". La Dolce Musto. The Village Voice. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
  17. "Proud Ally Lauches [sic?] at The Stonewall Inn", Broadway World News, August 24, 2010.
  18. "Comedy: Under the Gaydar Comedy", The Virginian-Pilot, September 10, 2009.
  19. Musto, Michael (April 29, 2009). "Miss California Banned From Competing in Miss Fag Hag Pageant". Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  20. "9 TO 5's Kathy Fitzgerald Added To Miss Fag Hag Benefit Peagent Lineup", Broadway World News, May 11, 2009.
  21. "Bdwy's Nick Adams Set to Guest at 'Miss Fag Hag Pageant'", Broadway World News, May 13, 2009.
  22. "Heather Shields Wins Miss Fag Hag Pageant", Broadway World News, June 1, 2009.
  23. Sharyn Jackson, "Miss California wouldn't bring her saline implants near this pageant", New York Daily News, May 6, 2009.
  24. "Mintyfresh Comedy Productions Presents Miss Fag Hag 2010", Broadway World News, April 5, 2010.
  25. "Darius de Haas and Bailey Hanks Set For 2nd Annual Miss Fag Hag Pageant", Broadway World News, April 12, 2010.
  26. Andrew Gans, "Alexandro, Hollenbach and Weitzer Set for Free Reading of Sheridan's Unfinished", Playbill, June 18, 2009 .
  27. "Funny Gays Are Here Again", New York Press, June 2009.
  28. Stiffler, Scott (November 12, 2009). "Closet Cases :: Out of the closet and onto the stage". The Edge. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  29. "Shawn Hollenbach Hosts Closet Cases at The Tank", Broadway World News, February 16, 2010.
  30. "Closet Cases", New York Daily News, September 9, 2009.
  31. Giraldi, Bob (June 25, 2009). "Second Guessing Grandma". Giraldi.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2009.
  32. "Beverly's Bake Off!: A Silent Bake Goods Auction & Benefit for the National LGBT Cancer Network", Broadway World News, January 15, 2010.
  33. "Jeff Blumenkrantz Added to Beverly's Bake Off Benefit at Comix", Broadway World News, January 19, 2010.
  34. Shauna Lewis, "Gay comic Darcy Michael draws inspiration from drag queens", Xtra, August 12, 2010.
  35. "Xtra's Ultimate Pride Guide", Xtra, August 2010.
  36. Shawn Hollenbach, "Ask the Expert: ‘We only have $100 for a makeup artist’", 365gay', April 14, 2011.
  37. Hollenbach, Shawn (November 14, 2012). "Behind the Scenes of Rihanna's 777 Tour with Logo and #CardboardRuPaul". NewNowNext. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
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