{"id":1859,"date":"2021-10-14T11:21:16","date_gmt":"2021-10-14T15:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/?p=1859"},"modified":"2021-10-14T12:43:24","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T16:43:24","slug":"make-em-laugh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/","title":{"rendered":"Make ‘Em Laugh"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kim Levone. Photo by Andrea Rodway Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kim Levone understands the importance of laughter. A licensed social worker, Levone has spent more than two decades working one-on-one with individuals who have anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and other mental health issues. \u201cFeeling joy is often a therapeutic goal, and laughter is a great way to connect,\u201d she says. \u201cMany clients and therapists use humor in therapy. I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although her current job is decidedly serious \u2014 Levone, 49, is the director of an outpatient behavioral health clinic in Silver Spring that serves refugees, disabled persons, non-native English speakers and individuals impacted by poverty \u2014 she still works hard to make people laugh.<\/p>\n

As founder of Improbable Comedy, Levone produces stand-up comedy shows across the Washington metro area that showcase homegrown talent, plus the occasional out-of-towner. Since its first show at Vicino\u2019s in Silver Spring nearly a decade ago \u2014 the manager didn\u2019t think anyone would come, so the restaurant ran out of food \u2014 Improbable Comedy has hosted more than 100 live shows, most of them in Montgomery County. Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it kept the laughs coming with virtual comedy club-style shows; audience members were encourage to keep their microphones on so the comics could hear their responses to jokes.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing the shows feeds a different part of me but still comes from a focus on people connecting,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople need to laugh, and they need to be with other people; that came into sharp clarity this past 18 months. It just feels good to be with other people, laughing together.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a producer, Levone seeks out underrepresented comedians \u2014 women, minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ-plus people and individuals with disabilities \u2014 in an effort to amplify voices not typically heard at the mic. She is also working to support the next generation of female producers who will be booking the next generation of comics. Levone explains that women comics are often bullied by male producers, but if they complain about it, they risk losing gigs.<\/p>\n

While stand-up comic Natalie McGill has not personally been shut out of a show, she does feel like she has to prove herself faster than her male counterparts. \u201cThere\u2019s already a lot of pressure on women [comics] to be funny right out of the gate,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t know why that\u2019s accepted, but you feel more pressure to perform well if you\u2019re the only woman or only Black woman on the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

A large part of Improbable Comedy\u2019s growth and success \u2014 aside from booking very funny people such as McGill \u2014 is the way that Levone engages with her audiences. She always welcomes them at the beginning of each show and thanks them for coming at the end. \u201cI try to talk to everybody,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to make sure everyone\u2019s taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKim has been a breath of fresh air in the scene,\u201d says McGill. \u201cI was excited to see somebody bring stand-up comedy to Montgomery County.\u201d Performing close to home has even allowed McGill to connect with neighbors. \u201cI open [my shows] with where I live, and I\u2019ve had people shout out that they live in the same building,\u201d says the Silver Spring-based comedian.<\/p>\n

While she\u2019s committed to presenting comedy that looks like the diverse demographics of the county, Levone is quick to note that her comedy shows are not public service announcements. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to please anyone or make them feel guilty. I just want to open people\u2019s eyes to new things,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen people come to a comedy show, of course, it\u2019s a relief and a release. But if they walk away having discovered something that feeds their curiosity, they feel smart because they learned something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Improbable Comedy puts on monthly \u201cStand Up Silver Spring\u201d shows as well as special themed shows. \u201cThe Mother of All Comedy Shows,\u201d for example, features only female and non-binary performers while \u201cComedy as a Second Language\u201d shines a spotlight on immigrant and first-generation performers. In a new one-woman show, \u201cBlaire Postman: Struggling Chartist,\u201d local comedian Postman explores her adult-diagnosed ADHD using her signature flip-chart comedy.<\/p>\n

As for expanding beyond the D.C. area, Levone says she\u2019s happy producing shows in and around Montgomery County. \u201cI\u2019m fine with being the queen of comedy for Silver Spring.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kim Levone understands the importance of laughter. A licensed social worker, Levone has spent more than two decades working one-on-one with individuals who have anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and other mental health issues. \u201cFeeling joy is often a therapeutic goal, and laughter is a great way to connect,\u201d she says. \u201cMany clients and therapists use humor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":1870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[268,271,270,269],"yoast_head":"\nMake 'Em Laugh - Montgomery Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Make 'Em Laugh - Montgomery Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kim Levone understands the importance of laughter. A licensed social worker, Levone has spent more than two decades working one-on-one with individuals who have anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and other mental health issues. \u201cFeeling joy is often a therapeutic goal, and laughter is a great way to connect,\u201d she says. \u201cMany clients and therapists use humor […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Montgomery Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-14T15:21:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-10-14T16:43:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Kim-headshot-Andrea-Rodway-scaled-e1634225260432.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"899\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"597\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lisa Traiger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Traiger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/\",\"name\":\"Make 'Em Laugh - Montgomery Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Kim-headshot-Andrea-Rodway-scaled-e1634225260432.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-14T15:21:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-14T16:43:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/#\/schema\/person\/89fb510b0c372e9c576da7378ad98964\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/make-em-laugh\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Kim-headshot-Andrea-Rodway-scaled-e1634225260432.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Kim-headshot-Andrea-Rodway-scaled-e1634225260432.jpg\",\"width\":899,\"height\":597,\"caption\":\"Kim Levone. 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