ADMISSION: 
Admission is free and open to current USC students only. RSVP beginning Monday, September 1, at 10 a.m. 

DESCRIPTION: 
Learn how to write a joke! An intimate workshop for USC students led by professional comics River Butcher and Solomon Georgio will help participants understand the form and performance of stand-up comedy, as well as explore comedy’s role in queer culture. 

This workshop 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 showcase.

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. 

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: Showcase with River Butcher, Solomon Georgio, and Roz Hernandez 
Friday, October 3, 2025, from 7 to 9 p.m.  
Tommy’s Place 
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.