ADMISSION:
Admission is free. RSVP beginning Tuesday, September 2, at 10 a.m.

DESCRIPTION:
A showcase of Los Angeles’s queer comedy scene is coming to USC! Sets by River Butcher, Solomon Georgio, and Roz Hernandez will be followed by a spirited Q&A about the life and art of professional stand-up comedians, the role of humor in queer culture and history, and more.

This showcase is part of Standing Out with the Queers of Comedy, a three-part series that also includes a screening of the documentary Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution and a stand-up comedy workshop.

Bios:

River Butcher is a Los Angeles–based stand-up comic, actor, and writer. His first half-hour special, A Different Kind of Dude, debuted on Comedy Central’s YouTube channel and was called “a masterclass in culture war commentary” on esquire.com. Butcher’s writing credits include A League of Their Own and the FX pilot Belated, and he also created, starred in, and wrote the critically acclaimed and GLAAD Award–nominated TV show Take My Wife. Acting credits include Good Trouble, Adam Ruins Everything, and Friendsgiving. Butcher has done stand-up all over the country, the globe, and the screen, including Ellen, Conan, Comedy Central, and HBO. Butcher was named one of Vanity Fair’s Ten Comics to Watch at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal in 2017, and his first hourlong special, Someone’s Boyfriend, made its debut on YouTube in 2023. He is currently touring the country telling jokes about being trans in 2025.

Masterfully connecting the dots between cultures, observations, and absurdity with his bold and incisive voice, Solomon Georgio is redefining the comedy landscape. Georgio made his television debut in 2015 as a featured comedian on Conan, and followed up with appearances on Drunk History, The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail, This Is Not Happening, Viceland’s Flophouse, Last Call with Carson Daly, 2 Dope Queens, and a second appearance on Conan. In 2017, Georgio’s first half-hour comedy special premiered on Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, and Homonégro Superior, his debut album with Comedy Central Records, was also released. His writing credits include Shrill, High Fidelity, HBO’s Crashing, Adam Ruins Everything, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Roz Hernandez (she/her) is a transgender stand-up comedian based in Los Angeles. In 2023, she starred in an 8-episode TV series on Hulu called Living for the Dead with Kristen Stewart. In 2024, she was the opening act for Bob the Drag Queen’s U.S. tour, and New York Magazine’s Vulture named her one of the “Comedians You Should and Will Know.” Apple Podcasts named her comedy podcast Ghosted! their Pick of the Month, and she was featured in the Netflix documentary Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution. Hernandez performs all over the world in comedy venues and as a regular comedian on Atlantis Gay Cruises. In 2025, Queerty nominated her for Comedian of the Year at their annual award show. While in L.A., she frequents the stages of venues including Largo at the Coronet Theater and Dynasty Typewriter.

Related Events:
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution—Screening and Conversation
Wednesday, October 1, 2025, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Ray Stark Family Theatre
For more info, click HERE.

Standing Out with the Queers of Comedy Workshop 
Friday, October 3, 2025, from 2 to 3:50 p.m.
Dick Wolf Drama Center, Stop Gap Theatre
For more info, click HERE.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Chris Belcher (Writing, Gender and Sexuality), Judith Shelton (Dramatic Arts), and Kirstin Eggers (Dramatic Arts). Co-sponsored by the USC Consortium for Gender, Sexuality, Race, and Public Culture; the USC Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment (SAGE); and USC’s Theatre Students Association.

Photo (River Butcher): Jim McCambridge
Photo (Solomon Georgio): Alex Thomas
Photo (Roz Hernandez): Elisabeth Caren