These are a few of the things I am passionate about (in no particular order): my family, stand-up comedy, day trips, and seeing others immerse themselves in what makes them happy. Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson, together known as comedy duo Sorry About Last Night, weave those things together brilliantly with their 2018 Bridget Bishop Tour. (Not to mention, another favorite thing, the added bonus of a bit of Salem Witch Trials history they provide).

Having performed together since 2011 and since gaining major traction with their brazen and authentic podcast Guys We F#@$!D: The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast, the duo set out on their most recent tour to deliver individualized stand-up comedy sets without the structure of the podcast dictating the performance.  (Last year, they were on a tour titled Guys We F#@S!D: The Experience that included live podcast recordings).  

Upon arriving at Bananas Comedy Club in New Jersey for the 7:30 March 10th performance, my sisters and I actually bumped into the pair in the parking lot. They were cordial, shaking our hands and introducing themselves while telling us they had to eat a quick dinner before the show that they hoped we enjoyed.

Fisher and Hutchinson are cool. They are comfortable on stage and comfortable with themselves, poking fun at their celebrity status after the announcer flubbed a last name in their call to stage.  “We’re two very important and famous comedians, as you can tell by that introduction,” Fisher (who is from Jersey and was sporting jeggings from Target “because it felt right”) said.

The only call to their podcast existed at the top of the show.  As Hutchinson explained, the girls usually read emails from listeners and dispense advice each episode, but because this was a live setting, they invited audience members to get up and have a conversation about their issues face-to-face.  Though a general sense of nervousness was initially palpable, some brave individuals did get up to seek guidance from the hosts.  Conversations to follow included advice on how to make a Tinder profile more marketable, how to get your high school peers to mind their business, what your friend should do when her boyfriend is too nice, and how to make sure your mom’s cult mentality doesn’t affect your son but also doesn’t ruin the free baby-sitter gig you’ve got going on.

After their introduction (and failed attempt at teaching a man seated in the front how to insert a tampon), the pair split up for solo stand-up sessions.  Corinne, whose set was characterized by this brooding and nuanced humor, talked candidly about her weight gain (and blaming the body positivity movement for its happening), cat-calling, and how concerned she is for Lady Gaga aka Joanne aka the Anna Nicole Smith of the music industry.  She had the crowd in stitches as she described the confusion she experiences when witnessing tourists take selfies at the Guggenheim (as if a masterful painting was missing just one thing).

Corinne’s subtle style is a perfect foil to Krystyna’s physical humor.  During her set, Krystyna jokes with the audience about her mother’s mental illness and what it meant to be growing up with a “mommy who was different than other mommies”, how much she hates engagement photos  (hers will involve sexually compromising positions, clown paint, and eating shoes just so you can feel the same confusion she does when looking at a rustic barn photo shoot), and the fake spiritual Instagram archetype we’ve all come to know (and love?).

At the end of the show, the pair reunites to talk to the audience about their interest in Bridget Bishop, the namesake of the tour.  Bridget Bishop was the first person executed during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.  Suspicion arose regarding her alleged dark affiliations because she was “eccentric”, having been known to dress in vibrant colors and was too outspoken.  The duo points out the ridiculousness of the nature of these “crimes”, reasoning that surely for similar (and worse) infractions, they too would have been put to death for being a witch.  They again invite participants to come up to the stage to talk about what sort of mishaps would have made them a witch in the eyes of the court.

Fisher and Hutchinson rely a lot on audience interaction during their performance, and they are better story tellers for it.  Through these instances, they are developing real-time organic interactions, making no two shows even remotely similar.  The atmosphere during the show was free and comfortable. A lot of spaces  dub their institutions as “judgement free zones”, but with this pair you actually believe it.

bridget