A Comedy Homecoming: Alums, Students Show Off Chops at Emerson LA

Generations of Emersonians came together for a night of comedy, connection, and community at the inaugural Emerson Laughs Aloud on Friday, March 21 at Emerson College Los Angeles (ELA).

The show, a combination of stand-up, sketch, and improv, was hosted by comedian Dan Levy ’03 with around 15 ELA students and 15 alumni taking the stage to perform. 

“Blending the aspiring comedy people like myself with the professionals, people who are doing it multiple nights a week, people who are touring the country doing this, is really cool because it showcases the fact that Emerson has produced a ton of comedic talent,” said Jack Reisman ’25. 

Reisman, along with Ethan Dale ’25 and W. Cooper Smith ’25, produced the show under the guidance of Glenn Meehan ’83, ELA’s Comedic Arts Coordinator. Dale and Smith first met Meehan when they participated in the inaugural Comedic Arts Comedy Conservatory program, where juniors spend a semester at Emerson LA studying comedy writing, performance, and production, all while tapping into the vast network of industry resources and professionals unique to LA. 

While participating in the Conservatory, Dale, Smith, and Meehan discussed putting on the comedy show when they returned to ELA senior year. Reisman connected with Meehan over Zoom before starting his ELA semester. At the start of the Spring 2025 semester, producers and Meehan began planning the show, which was produced with support from the Center for Comedic Arts.

“There was a student comedy show that was here when we were doing the Conservatory, but it was smaller,” said Smith. “We wanted to give ourselves and all the other students here an opportunity to have a big audience and a high-energy crowd.”

The Bill Bordy Media Conference Center was packed with students, alumni, and friends to watch the show. Students auditioned for a chance to be featured in the show while alumni were recruited with the help of Meehan and producers.

“Everyone that has their hand in this is an alum or student from Emerson,” said Reisman. “Everything for the show, from the performers to the person who designed the poster, to the person who designed the set — everything is Emerson.”

Levy previously served as a mentor for Dale, Smith, and other students in the Fall 2023 Comedy Conservatory. Art Director Joe Celli ’97 contributed event signs. Creative Producer Justin Allen ’13 played the piano in between sets. Actress Arasha Lalani ’21 was one of the first to take the stage, performing a sketch with her friend, Lily Abha Cratsley.  

“I didn’t get to be in Emerson LA because it was during COVID, so I didn’t actually get this experience, but for some reason it just feels like home being here,” said Lalani. “It’s pretty exciting to be performing with students. I remember when I was a student doing that too. It’s a good feeling and inspiring.”

Reisman performed stand-up along with alums Julie Goldman ’94, Ben Zieper ’20, Max Charbonneau ’23, and students Jamie Elder ’25, Ben Lampert ’25, and Saskia Penning ’25. For Penning, the show represented an opportunity to have one last performance with people she’s gotten to know over the past few years at Emerson. 

“It was a lot of fun. It felt like a very fostering environment. Everybody wanted the best for each other,” said Penning.

Several comedy troupes were represented on stage, including alumni from Same Great Taste, who performed a sketch to close out the evening. Groups of students performed improv. Charbonneau’s stand-up set was one of Dale’s favorites of the night. Charbonneau crowd surfed around the room during his set to raucous applause. 

“It went even better than I thought. It’s really good energy all around,” said Dale. “I hope it’s a tradition for years to come.”

At the end of the evening, students and alumni continued to network and build connections. 

“Comedy is something that is so innately tied to Emerson, when you look at people like Jennifer Coolidge [‘85], Bill Burr [‘93], Norman Lear [’44, LHD ’68], Denis Leary [‘79], Dan Levy, the list just goes on and on,” said Reisman. “There’s a lot of funny happening at this school.”

“It went beyond my expectations. Every single student up there I’m so proud of. I forgot I was working because it was so fun to watch. It was a special evening,” added Meehan.