The Liar Show

Capital Idea

2009-04-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

On April 30th, The Liar Show will be at The Improv in Washington DC. This performance is being being presented by the wonderful storytelling organization, SpeakEasy DC. It will be a great lineup at a great place, and it will be great to see you there.

Featuring stories by

OPHIRA EISENBERG
Comedy Central; “Marvelous.” The Scotsman
MARK KATZ
“The reigning king of humor speechwriters.” The New York Times
FAYE LANE
“She had them eating out of her hand.” New York Magazine
JIM O’GRADY
The New York Times; The Moth Urban Storytelling GrandSlam Champion

THURSDAY, APRIL 30 @ 8:30 PM

Presented by SPEAKEASY DC
at THE IMPROV
1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC
ORDER ADVANCE TICKETS ONLINE

Liar On The Upper West Side

2009-04-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our first show at beautiful Triad Theater is on Tax Day, when America celebrates the flexibility of truth. Perfect! Its a great lineup at a great place and it would be great to see you there.

A cop, an actress, a comedian and a political speechwriter walk into a bar....

TOM SHILLUE “Inspired and Subversive.” - New York Times
MARK KATZ “The reigning king of humor speechwriters.” -New York Times
FAYE LANE “She had them eating out of her hand.” - New York Magazine
STEVE OSBORNE - NYPD Gang Squad Commanding Officer
and host ANDY CHRISTIE NY Times; "I Wasn't Kidding"

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 @ 8:00 PM
TRIAD THEATER
158 West 72nd Street (Bet Broadway & Columbus)
$12 admission - plus 2-drink minimum.

RESERVATIONS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
http://www.triadnyc.com/reservations.php

March 18, 2009: We're Back at Comix

2009-03-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Please come to our expanded Big Fat Liar. Click here for more info and to order discount tickets.

We've Moved

2009-01-13T08:29:00.001-08:00

Hi. For info on the show, please visit our site: www.TheLiarShow.com.
Thanks & see you there.
Andy

Jim O'Grady In Today's NY Times

2008-11-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

One of the good guys, and a frequent Liar Show performer, has written a very nice piece for the New York Times about the NYC storytelling scene. It chronicles his rise from lowly competitor to Champion at The Moth:

From the article:
Songs of Themselves
YOU know that dream where it’s February 2007 and you’re pacing outside the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, the cavelike bar with stage on the Lower East Side... read on.

Repent. I guess?

2008-10-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Scottish advertisement from the 50s.

Be a Flim Flam Fan

2008-10-02T15:26:00.001-07:00

Visit our Fan Page on Facebook. Then tell me, what's a Fan Page?

They Liked Us. They Really Liked Us.

2008-08-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, we're back home after a genuinely remarkable month. Ophira, Peter and I had a blast. But we couldn't have done it without the enormous talent, humor, good will and bullshit of Martin Dockery, Steve (The Cop) Osborne and Faye Lane. I'm presently too disoriented to arrange any more thoughts in coherent order, but here are some kind words from the Edinburgh press.

4 stars from THREE WEEKS:
"Four fabulous comedians, four fantastical stories, three of which are true. What's more, the acts rotate every night, so this is also a wonderful way to see some fresh comedic talent that you might not otherwise have known about. It was an unbelievably enjoyable and engrossing hour of fun, the anecdotal tales ranging from a disastrous flight fiasco to a too-good-to-be-true camping adventure, and from a New York gun crime cop, 'The Sopranos'' style, to a lovely bloke who's recently discovered he's a brother again. All are as touching as they are personal, and as hilarious as they are incredible. Get along and test your interrogative powers; if you can spot the lie you might win a T-shirt."

4 stars from THE SCOTSMAN
"...happier times are to be had in the hands of stand-up professionals at The Liar Show, telling gripping personal stories. Three are true, one entirely fabricated. The audience is invited to grill them on the specifics and then vote. Guess correctly you win a prize! My crew consisted of adorable Carey Marx, describing an unusual date; wonderful Ophira Eisenberg confessing to sex with a mad collector; Peter Lubell's wry tale of celeb spotting; and Jason John Whitehead's rambling saga about his trip to an American theme park. Some story-tellers return, but the tales are always different, so the show's never stale and can be revisited.

The audience was a hoot, as well, ganging up on Whitehead, who had us in stitches trying to defend his stoner's inability to remember detail. Clever us, we did spot the liar, and it was satisfying hurling our abuse. In short: good premise, fun show, great execution, and a chance to sample comedic talents you might not know about, so it also functions as a highly effective sampler for future fringe picks. A winner."

BROADWAY BABY:
"Next to breathing and eating, lying is man's greatest survival tactic. I should include some percentile fact about deceit but that won't add anything to the review. Instead I shall recommend The Liar Show, a one hour detective-comedy extravaganza where you sift through the stories of individuals and spot the fibber.

Its an easy game to grasp. Four stories. Three of them are true. You listen, interrogate and then through the powers of deduction work out which is the liar. This time we had a New York cop story, a story about Madonna, a story about a thousand pieces of origami and one about cut price prawns. Of course they all were equally extravagant and fairly unbelievable and no-one quite wanted to call the big cop who ran over drug dealers a liar.

Great premise and a fun show. Unfortunately you always get one foppish annoying pubescent know-it-all in the audience trying to dominate the show – thankfully the compare dealt with him swiftly. A night of solid wholesome fun that, due to story tellers changing nightly, has a lot of re-watch value. And of course no one leaves empty handed – badges and t-shirts are handed out at the end."

Week Three: Day Six

2008-08-16T16:30:00.001-07:00

Nothing much to report. Snails and birds are under control. I'm sleeping better. I have to say, things are getting a little...oh, wait.. our Saturday show sold out. I'm no showbiz genius but I hear that's supposed to be a good sign. Also, I had some haggis pie and..what else? Oh, we were live on BBC Scotland, performing to a great crowd in the Spiegel Tent. Like I said, nothing much to report. Also like I said, our Saturday show SOLD OUT.

Week Three: Day One

2008-08-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

The seagull situation remains under control but now the snail population seems to be multiplying exponentially. Happily, unlike birds, snails are quiet creatures, except when you step on them accidentally in the dark as I did last night. When that happens they emit a sound similar to the sound a giant armor-clad water bug might make while being crushed under the heel of a beet-and-sausage-fed Slavic housekeeper in the basement laundry room.

Being so extremely quiet and so extremely slow makes the humble snail -- despite its thick protective shell -- extremely easy to kill. Sad. I imagine one slithering along, whistling to itself, secure in the knowledge that Darwin has fitted it with a movable bomb shelter, an impenetrable body-helmet that nobody, not even the most dangerous "Oooh, I'm sooo scary and predatory" hawk or eagle, or whatever, could .... and then, crunch. Just like that. Gone. Poof, mid snail-thought and while whistling Singin' In The Rain. It's all over. Pulverized under the heel of an Ugly American out for a smoke in front of the rental flat.

Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this, while we sit, safe and warm, typing on our laptop, happy and bloated with self-confidence, after a great Liar show, say, staring at our 4 stars, sipping wine and feeling that all's well with the wor...

Week Two: So Far, So Good

2008-08-06T03:57:00.001-07:00

Two pieces of good news.
1: Look over there to the left. Need I say more?
2: The seagull situation has cleared up mysteriously.

Week One: Must Sleep

2008-08-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

Monday: Woke up early this morning, having the living piss scared out of me by one of Edinburgh’s picturesque and loud as fuck seagulls. Snapped from a dead sleep to heart-poundingly alert at 5:10 by a sound eerily like that of a shrieking baby crash-landing on my window sill, possibly a flaming baby, possibly being torn apart by demons. But no, just a bird. "Tweet tweet." Also, went leafleting on Royal Mile.

Tuesday: See “Monday”

Wednesday: See “Tuesday”
Also, had a lovely breakfast of mature cheddar and eggs with piping hot coffee. I prefer to wait until at least sunrise before having my morning meal, nevertheless it was quite nice sipping a cup by my bedroom window and staring out through the pre-dawn murk, watching the graceful swoop and soar of the gulls, listening to their musical “Caw! C-A-W!!”
Also, downloaded PDF of UK Firearms Form 107: “Application for a Visitor's Shot Gun Permit.”

Thursday: Discovered firearm possession requirements are substantially more stringent here than in the U.S., where checking the “I Promise I Am Not Angry At Anyone” box will usually suffice.

Friday: See “Monday,” “Tuesday,” “Wednesday”
Also, neighbours across the road insisted I remove the web of taught razor wire I had strung up during the night between our buildings, baited with rotting bits of fish.

Saturday: Leafleting mainly, but found time to shop for a net, plastic bags and a hammer.

Sunday: Slept soundly. Woke up refreshed. Rinsed off hammer. Took out trash. Mopped bathroom floor. Coffee and toast at noon. Also, leafleted Victoria Street. Lovely city.

You Take The High Road. We'll Fly Continental.

2008-07-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

It's the Scottish flag. Beautiful, isn't it? Simple & elegant. Like our show. And the reason it's here is that this Sunday, July 27, we head to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the entire month of August. Check in here to see how things are going for us across the pond. You know, no offense to anyone, but I hate that expression; nevertheless people seem to use it a lot, and now so will I. (Wait till you hear the insufferable accent I come back with.)

Update 1 (NYC, Sunday): Our 10:15 PM flight is delayed almost 3 hours, until 1:03 AM (288 minutes, stated in the airline's delay-minimization-speak.) The optimist in me can deal with that. As long as it's not delayed for an entire month (43,200 minutes) we will arrive in Edinburgh in time to do a couple of shows. Look out world, here we come. Pretty soon. Fingers crossed.

Update 2 (NYC, Sunday): Delayed till 2:10 AM. Look out world, here we come!

Comix: Eight For The Price Of Four

2008-07-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is our last show before leaving for the Edinburgh Festival. Please come see us off with a bang...and with a few extra dollars in our pockets. (Have you seen the exchange rates lately?) This is our special big fat Liar with little white lies. Eight rapid fire 3-minute stories. Six are true, two are baloney. Expose either lie to win.

Wednesday, July 23 - 8PM (doors open 7:00)

353 West 14th Street
(just east of 9th Avenue)
212-524-2500
Advance tickets: $15 Day of show: $20
Save $5 with promotional code: LIARVIP
Advance tickets highly recommended. ORDER TICKETS ONLINE

with
Jeffery Rudell (NBC's "The Apprentice")
Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central; Backstage's "Ten Standout Comics")
Peter Lubell (NPR; Independent Film Channel)
Ed Gavagan (The Moth GrandSlam Champion)
Faye Lane ("Beauty Shop Stories")
Jim O'Grady (NY Times)
Juliet Wayne (The Moth Finalist)
Steve Osborne (NYPD Gang Squad Detective)

July 11 & 12: Duplex At The Triplex

2008-07-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we're back in the beautiful Berkshires with two new shows - each with entirely different stories and lies. So come to both, nail two frauds, win two T-shirts. Are you feeling smart--or at least lucky?

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JULY 11 & 12 @ 9 PM

Triplex Cinema

70 Railroad St. Great Barrington Map
413 528 8885 - $20 Admission

Advance tickets recommended. Purchase online.

July 11

Jim O'Grady, Ophira Eisenberg, Tracy Rowland, Andy Christie

July 12

Ophira Eisenberg, Darlene White, Andy Christie, , Tracy Rowland

July 2nd at Bryant Park

2008-06-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself in Midtown on Wednesday, The Liar Show will in Bryant Park as part of the park's popular "Word For Word" series. Spend your lunch hour trying to pick out the fraud in this bunch. Eat, drink & be gullible.

ALIX STRAUSS
"Have I Got a Guy for You: What Really Happens When Mom Fixes You Up"
OPHIRA EISENBERG
"I Killed: True Stories of the Road from American’s Top Comics"

JAMES BRALY

"Life in a Martial Institution"

EVE LEDERMAN

"Letters From My Sister"

Wednesday, July 2 at 12:30pm
Bryant Park Reading Room
(In the park behind the NY Public Library)
Free Admission

Rain Venue:
The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen
20 West 44th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues)

June 28: We're Back At The Triplex

2008-06-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 28 @ 9:00 pm
Triplex Cinema
70 Railroad St. Great Barrington Map
413 528 8885 - $20 Admission
Purchase tickets online

Andy Christie's "I Wasn't Kidding: How To Commit Suicide So They'll Never Forget It" was published by Random House here and in the UK. Consequently, people have never heard of him on two continents. His writing has appeared in The NY Times, in literary journals and online. He is host of The Liar Show and tonight he will tell a story himself.

Ophira Eisenberg has appeared on Comedy Central, VH-1, The E! Channel, Oxygen, and The Discovery Channel. She is a regular at stand-up clubs around New York and has performed stories on the Moth Mainstage. She is also a contributing writer to US Weekly's Fashion Police and is currently appearing in the off-Broadway show "Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad." www.OphiraEisenberg.com

Peter Lubell has written, produced and directed for National Public Radio and Independent Film Channel. He has covered film festivals, worked as a jazz DJ in radio and told his stories on many NYC stages.

Darlene White's stories and essays have been heard on National Public Radio, WAMC Northeast Public Radio and onstage with The Moth at The Bitter End and The Roxy. She presented her own storytelling show in the Berkshires called Jupiter Supersized.

Seeing Isn't Believing

2008-06-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

From now on, please go to our new site: www.TheLiarShow.com for all your Liar needs.

Meanwhile, if you've been curious about what goes on at Liar, here's how it works.

June 7: Strings Attached

2008-05-27T16:25:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here trying to justify that headline. I don't know why I wrote it, but now I'm stuck with it. How's this? One performer toured with De La Guarda, that show where people flew around dangling from straps, or strings, if you will. Number two in the lineup is a string bean. I'm not kidding. Wait'll you see him. The female to his right must have a string bikini lying around somewhere. And lastly, the guy in the glasses is a journalist, so he may be, or will be at some point, a stringer for some newspaper. Anyway, come to the show and guess which one of them is stringing you along. By the way, TimeOut NY made our May 24 show a "City Pick" and we had an insanely jam-packed house, so call for reservations - it could happen again.

Saturday, June 7 @ 6:00 pm
CORNELIA STREET CAFE
29 Cornelia Street (bet W 4th and Bleeker)
$12 - includes one drink.
Eat, drink and be gullible.
Reservations recommended: 212-989-9319

Joanne Solomon (De La Guarda; The Moth)
Ryan Britt (Nerve.com)
Michele Carlo (Mr. Beller's Neighborhood)
Jim O'Grady (journalist; dance king)

May 24: Forgive Me For Being So Selfish

2008-05-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Finally, summer is right around the corner. It's a time for walks in the park, biking along the river and quiet weekends in the country. Umm... You know what? Why don't you just pray for rain, stay in the city where you belong and join us at beautiful Cornelia Street Cafe? Forgive me for being so selfish! Happy Spring!

Saturday, May 24 @ 6:00 pm
CORNELIA STREET CAFE
29 Cornelia Street (bet W 4th and Bleeker)
$12 - includes one drink.
Reservations recommended: 212-989-9319

Peter Aguero has appeared on MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." He's a member of the Chicago City Limits National Touring Company. His storytelling CD, graphicvulgarlunacy vol. II: Jacoby Appliance Parts is available on iTunes.

Cyndi Freeman produces “Hotsy Totsy Burlesque” in and “Story Telling at Coraline Cafe.” She has performed her one-woman shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and New York International Fringe Festivals. Ms Freeman is a recipient of a grand prize play writing fellowship award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (with collaborator Ellen Groves). Other credits include HBO, Comedy Central and Showtime. www.myspace.com/cyndifreeman

Tracy Rowland is a TV editor and writer. She has appeared onstage at many New York storytelling series, including The Moth and SpeakEasy.

Terence Mickey is a writer and frequent storyteller at the Moth. He was born in New Jersey and raised by Irish-Catholic wolves. He is working on "King Garbage," a novel based on his family's carting company in the West Village. He teaches fiction in Johns Hopkins University's CTY program.

Andy Christie is creator and host of The Liar Show. His writing has appeared in The NY Times, in snooty literary journals and online. His book, "I Wasn’t Kidding" was published by Random House here and in the UK.

Cornelia St. Cafe: Make them eat their words...

2008-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

...while you devour a nice Boudin Blanc. Stop by this Saturday to guess which one of these people is feeding you a line.

Saturday, May 3 @ 6:00 pm
CORNELIA STREET CAFE
29 Cornelia Street (bet W 4th and Bleeker)
$12 - includes one drink.
Reservations recommended: 212-989-9319

Ritch Duncan is a comedian, writer and broadcaster who has been living and working in New York City since 1996. He has written for Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and was a writer and featured performer on Public Radio International's Fair Game, a comedic public affairs program syndicated on National Public Radio stations around the country. His cat is named Grapes.

Martin Dockery's one-person show "Wanderlust" is enjoying a sold out run at The Barrow Group Studio Theatre in Manhattan. He is a seven-time finalist in The Moth’s bi-annual Grandslam Storytelling Championship. His play "Oh, That Wily Snake!" is included in the McGraw-Hill anthology textbook on literature. Martin's work has been called "fantastic" (NY Times), “deliciously enjoyable,” (Backstage West) and "divinely inspired” ( L.A. Weekly)

Tara Clancy was born and raised in Queens, NY. Her solo show, Channel Rat, was developed at The Tank and presented at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival. She currently writes monologues and tends bar.

Jim O'Grady was a reporter for The City section of The New York Times and is now research director at the Center for an Urban Future, a think tank in Lower Manhattan. O'Grady, like every other drunken narcissist in New York, tells stories at The Moth.

April 26: Cornelia Street Cafe

2008-04-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Stop by this Saturday for a drink and a bite while you figure out which of these unbelievable people you can believe:

Saturday, April 26th @ 6:00 pm
CORNELIA STREET CAFE
29 Cornelia Street (bet W 4th and Bleeker)
$12 - includes one drink.
Reservations recommended: 212-989-9319

Peter Aguero has appeared on MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He's a member of the Chicago City Limits National Touring Company. His storytelling CD "graphicvulgarlunacy vol. II: Jacoby Appliance Parts" is available on iTunes.

Jennifer DeMeritt takes first-person navel-gazing one chakra lower with her louche and literate stories. She’s published in nerve.com, BUST Magazine and Glamour, and performed in NYC’s finest venues including KGB, Gotham Comedy Club, HERE Arts Center and, of course, the sack.

Peter Lubell has written, produced and directed for National Public Radio and Independent Film Channel. He has covered film festivals, worked as a jazz DJ in radio and told his stories on many NYC stages.

Andy Christie's "I Wasn't Kidding: How To Commit Suicide So They'll Never Forget It" was published by Random House here and in the UK. Consequently, people have never heard of him on two continents. His writing has appeared in The NY Times, in literary journals and online. He is host of The Liar Show and tonight he will tell a story himself.

April 12: The Wrongs of Spring

2008-04-07T04:59:00.000-07:00

There is some logic behind that headline...I think. I just got up and the coffee is still dripping. But I am sure that we'll be returning to the Berkshires this Saturday with four more fast talkers looking to put one over on you. Please come expose the fraud and win a stylish T-shirt to top off your Spring wardrobe.

Saturday, April 12 @ 8:30pm
Triplex Cinema
70 Railroad St. Great Barrington Map
413 528 8885 - $20 Admission
Purchase tickets online

Ophira Eisenberg has appeared on Comedy Central, VH-1, The E! Channel, Oxygen, and The Discovery Channel. She is a regular at stand-up clubs around New York and has performed stories on the Moth Mainstage. She is also a contributing writer to US Weekly's Fashion Police and is currently appearing in the off-Broadway show "Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad." www.OphiraEisenberg.com

James Braly has performed his stories on NPR and on the Moth National Story Tour. The New York Times said of his monologue, Life in a Marital Institution "You really should report the man, except you are laughing too hard!" It just finished a sold-out run at 59 E 59 Theaters in NYC. www.JamesBraly.com

April 5: A game show host, a comedian, a producer/director and a technical illustrator specializing in scientific infographics walk into a bar...

2008-04-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

Never mind. You've probably heard that one already. But while I have you, come to beautiful Cornelia Street Cafe this Saturday to figure out which one of these nice people is serving up baloney. Eat, drink and be gullible. And this time, what's-his-name will host AND tell a story. Lucky you.

Saturday, April 5th @ 6:00 pm
CORNELIA STREET CAFE
29 Cornelia Street (bet W 4th and Bleeker)
$12 - includes one drink.
Reservations highly recommended: 212-989-9319

J.Keith van Straaten can be seen as the host of Yahoo! Answers On The Street, a talking head on VH1's Best Week Ever and on E! countdown shows like Celebrity Feuds and Guilty Pleasures. He hosted Comedy Central’s game show Beat The Geeks. His live game show, What's My Line? - Live On Stage is currently running at The Barrow Street Theater in New York City.

Peter Lubell has written, produced and directed for TV and National Public Radio. He's covered film festivals, worked as a jazz DJ in radio and told his stories on many NYC stages.

April Fools: The Aftermath.

2008-03-22T07:37:00.001-07:00

Don't ask me what that means. Anyway, believe it or not, The Liar Show is coming back to Comix with four big-time fast talkers. Eat, drink, enjoy the stories, smoke out the Liar, win a T-shirt and give me some decent headline ideas.

Wednesday, April 2 @ 8PM
(doors 7PM)
COMIX
353 West 14th Street
Advance tickets $15
($10 with discount code: "LIARVIP")
Purchase tickets online
or call the box office: 212-524-2500
Day of show: $20.
Advance tickets highly recommended.

MARK KATZ , "The reigning king of humor speechwriters” (New York Times) has careened though journalism, politics, advertising and comedy, to land in the corridors of power as a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. He is the author of Clinton & Me (Hyperion Books) www.SoundBiteInstitute.com

OPHIRA EISENBERG has appeared on Comedy Central, VH-1 and The Discovery Channel. She is included in I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America’s Top Comics (Random House,) along with Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Joan Rivers. She is a contributing writer to US Weekly's Fashion Police and is currently appearing off-Broadway in "Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad." www.OphiraEisenberg.com

PETER LUBELL has written, produced and directed for TV and National Public Radio. He's covered film festivals, worked as a jazz DJ in radio and told his stories on many NYC stages.

SARA BARRON was called "A tour-de-force performer." by The New Yorker's Andy Borowittz. She has made her mark on the NYC cultural scene with her writing, solo performance and comedy. She was a finalist in the Connecticut Comedy Festival. www.SaraBarron.com

ANDY CHRISTIE (host) His writing has appeared in The New York Times, in literary journals and online. His humor book, I Wasn’t Kidding, was published by Random House here and in the United Kingdom.