Letter writer: Another view of comedy-show incident

Graphic by Lori Deaton

As the producer of Slice of Life Comedy at PULP, I would like to respond to the June 29 letter “Hatred is Not Comedy,” [Xpress].

We have held over 112 Slice of Life Comedy shows at PULP and rarely have we had incidents like the one at the [recent] show. The comedians who were performing at that show have performed many, many times at our Slice shows and are regulars in the local comedy scene. While audience “participation” certainly occurs at comedy shows, this heckling sometimes crosses the line and disrupts the performances at the expense of the comedians and the audience who have come to enjoy them.

On the night in question, the couple from Mississippi were continuously disruptive to several of the comedians. The host and several comics handled the situation with grace, humor and restraint, encouraging them to quiet down. They were asked by the comedians and members of the audience several times to please quiet down and let the comedians perform. Audience members even asked that they be told to leave. As the audience became more and more frustrated by the couple’s continued outbursts, the comedians used their stage time to finally ask them to leave, which they eventually did.

At no time did anything “nearly incite violence” or rise anywhere a level of “lynch-mob-like” atmosphere, and once they were gone, the show was, as always, fantastic. After the show, several longtime regular audience members thanked us for asking the disruptive couple to leave.

We wish the Mountain Xpress had contacted us to hear our side of this before publishing the letter without checking, but wanted to set the record straight even if two weeks later. …

— Michele Scheve
Producer, Slice of Life Comedy
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Letter writer: Another view of comedy-show incident

  1. boatrocker

    See my comment for the whiner with his LTE published earlier today on this day July Wed 13

    I concur.

Leave a Reply to boatrocker ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.