UPDATES
Twenty years later... What is up with the ladies of Bevy?
Twenty years later... What is up with the ladies of Bevy?
Shelly Gossman
Shelly Gossman
Shelly Gossman is an accomplished comedian, writer, and improviser with an impressive career spanning television and live comedy. She has been nominated for two Primetime Emmys and two Writers Guild of America awards, highlighting her significant contributions to the industry. Shelly began her career in Chicago, training and performing at The Second City before joining Saturday Night Live as a writer from 2010 to 2014. Her extensive writing credits include shows like Sullivan & Son, Raising Hope, and Alone Together. She is currently a writer and producer on A.P. Bio, which is now in its fourth season. Shelly lives in Los Angeles with her husband Ben and their two rescue mutts, feeling lucky to be surrounded by many friends from the Chicago comedy community.
Shelly Gossman is an accomplished comedian, writer, and improviser with an impressive career spanning television and live comedy. She has been nominated for two Primetime Emmys and two Writers Guild of America awards, highlighting her significant contributions to the industry. Shelly began her career in Chicago, training and performing at The Second City before joining Saturday Night Live as a writer from 2010 to 2014. Her extensive writing credits include shows like Sullivan & Son, Raising Hope, and Alone Together. She is currently a writer and producer on A.P. Bio, which is now in its fourth season. Shelly lives in Los Angeles with her husband Ben and their two rescue mutts, feeling lucky to be surrounded by many friends from the Chicago comedy community.
Carrie Barrett
Carrie Barrett
Carrie Barrett is a Los Angeles-based playwright, actor, artist, and comedian. As an actor, she is widely recognized for her portrayal of the quirky news anchor Mary Gaperman on Nickelodeon’s longest-running live-action show, Henry Danger. Her other television credits include Single Parents (ABC), Uncle Buck (CBS), and United We Fall (ABC). She is also known for her roles in The Big Door Prize, Corporate, and Chowder. Carrie grew up in a small town in southern Virginia and studied fine art at the University of Illinois at Chicago before transitioning into comedy. She trained at iO Chicago, where she performed, directed, and taught long-form improv and sketch comedy. Her passion for writing led her to earn an MFA in Writing for the Screen & Stage from Northwestern University. As a playwright, Carrie’s work has been produced and developed at notable institutions such as The National Playwrights Conference at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, and Skylight Theatre Company in LA. Her plays, including Colonel's Chicken: A Fairy Tale and Focus Group Play, have received critical acclaim, with the latter being named LAWeekly’s “Pick of the Week” and praised as “a real-time gem” by LA Stage Times.
Carrie Barrett is a Los Angeles-based playwright, actor, artist, and comedian. As an actor, she is widely recognized for her portrayal of the quirky news anchor Mary Gaperman on Nickelodeon’s longest-running live-action show, Henry Danger. Her other television credits include Single Parents (ABC), Uncle Buck (CBS), and United We Fall (ABC). She is also known for her roles in The Big Door Prize, Corporate, and Chowder. Carrie grew up in a small town in southern Virginia and studied fine art at the University of Illinois at Chicago before transitioning into comedy. She trained at iO Chicago, where she performed, directed, and taught long-form improv and sketch comedy. Her passion for writing led her to earn an MFA in Writing for the Screen & Stage from Northwestern University. As a playwright, Carrie’s work has been produced and developed at notable institutions such as The National Playwrights Conference at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, and Skylight Theatre Company in LA. Her plays, including Colonel's Chicken: A Fairy Tale and Focus Group Play, have received critical acclaim, with the latter being named LAWeekly’s “Pick of the Week” and praised as “a real-time gem” by LA Stage Times.
Lisa Nagatomo
Lisa Nagatomo
Lisa Nagatomo and her husband Marz Timms celebrated the grand opening of their comedy club, Comedy Plex, in January 2024. Located in downtown Oak Park, Comedy Plex is the first comedy club in the area, offering both a performance venue and a training center for up-and-coming comedians. The club features a 150-seat showroom designed to create an intimate atmosphere, making it a great spot for both local talent and big-name comedians to drop in for sets. In addition to regular shows, the club hosts open mics and classes for aspiring comics. Lisa’s long-standing dream of owning an improv theater, mentioned in her 2003 bio, has now become a reality! Congratulations!
Lisa Nagatomo and her husband Marz Timms celebrated the grand opening of their comedy club, Comedy Plex, in January 2024. Located in downtown Oak Park, Comedy Plex is the first comedy club in the area, offering both a performance venue and a training center for up-and-coming comedians. The club features a 150-seat showroom designed to create an intimate atmosphere, making it a great spot for both local talent and big-name comedians to drop in for sets. In addition to regular shows, the club hosts open mics and classes for aspiring comics. Lisa’s long-standing dream of owning an improv theater, mentioned in her 2003 bio, has now become a reality! Congratulations!
Read more about the grand opening:
Historic New Comedy Club
Grand Opening with headliner Warren B. Hall
Read more about the grand opening:
Historic New Comedy Club
Grand Opening with headliner Warren B. Hall
Find upcoming shows at Comedy Plex
www.comedyplex.com
Holly Laurent
Holly Laurent
Holly Laurent is an LA based writer and performer. She is the creator and host of the hit podcast MEGA, and co-host and producer of It's a Wonderful Lie (audiochuck). Formerly, Holly was a featured contributor and writer on the nationally syndicated radio variety show Live From Here (NPR) and the Onion News Network. She is an alumnus of the Second City mainstage in Chicago where she wrote and performed three critically acclaimed revues. She toured with the Second City national touring company and was a featured performer at the TBS Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. Holly holds an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College and is a founding member of the longstanding improv group The Reckoning. Her film and television credits include A.P. Bio (NBC), All Rise (CBS All Access), Tacoma FD (truTV), Drunk History (Comedy Central), Food: The Source of Life (Adult Swim), Key & Peele (Comedy Central), Barely Famous (VH1), Funny or Die: Exclusives, The Nosebleeds (UFC), The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS) and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Max). Holly wrote and directed the short film Brought to You by Satan. Her writing has been featured in Defenestration Magazine and Mayday Magazine. Her essay, Villain, was Nominated for a 2021 Pushcart Prize.
Holly Laurent is an LA based writer and performer. She is the creator and host of the hit podcast MEGA, and co-host and producer of It's a Wonderful Lie (audiochuck). Formerly, Holly was a featured contributor and writer on the nationally syndicated radio variety show Live From Here (NPR) and the Onion News Network. She is an alumnus of the Second City mainstage in Chicago where she wrote and performed three critically acclaimed revues. She toured with the Second City national touring company and was a featured performer at the TBS Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. Holly holds an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College and is a founding member of the longstanding improv group The Reckoning. Her film and television credits include A.P. Bio (NBC), All Rise (CBS All Access), Tacoma FD (truTV), Drunk History (Comedy Central), Food: The Source of Life (Adult Swim), Key & Peele (Comedy Central), Barely Famous (VH1), Funny or Die: Exclusives, The Nosebleeds (UFC), The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS) and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Max). Holly wrote and directed the short film Brought to You by Satan. Her writing has been featured in Defenestration Magazine and Mayday Magazine. Her essay, Villain, was Nominated for a 2021 Pushcart Prize.
Katie Nahnsen
Katie Nahnsen
Katie Nahnsen is an actress and comedian best known for her starring role on the hit improvised comedy series Sports Action Team. The show, which aired from 2006 to 2007, followed a team of bumbling sports reporters as they hilariously interviewed real-life athletes and coaches. Nahnsen’s quick wit, sharp comedic timing, and fearless improvisation made her a standout in the ensemble cast, helping to deliver unforgettable moments throughout the series.
In addition to Sports Action Team, Nahnsen also starred in The Venue, an independent film that featured an ensemble cast led by Niki Lindgren. Known for her versatility in both improv and scripted roles, Nahnsen has continued to perform in a variety of comedy projects, consistently bringing character-driven humor to the stage and screen.
For more information, visit Katie Nahnsen on IMDB.
Jennifer Cargill
Jennifer Cargill
Jennifer Cargill never stopped improvising. After training in Chicago at the iO Theater, Annoyance & The Second City along with her husband Erin, she moved to the Pacific Northwest. She resides in Seattle and has performed with Jet City Improv, Unexpected Productions & Seattle ComedySportz. For the past 15 years she and her husband Erin have performed their two person show “Carskee” in and around Seattle.
Jennifer Cargill never stopped improvising. After training in Chicago at the iO Theater, Annoyance & The Second City along with her husband Erin, she moved to the Pacific Northwest. She resides in Seattle and has performed with Jet City Improv, Unexpected Productions & Seattle ComedySportz. For the past 15 years she and her husband Erin have performed their two person show “Carskee” in and around Seattle.
Erika May McNichol
Erika May McNichol
Erika May McNichol resides outside Philadelphia with a fellow improviser, Bob and their two kids. Since Bevy, she’s helped found two comedy theaters: Coldtowne Theater (Austin) and the Lab (Ambler, PA), both of which still run shows and classes and spread the gospel of improv and human connection. (One time, she was teaching the invocation to a group of students in Austin and an older hippie came in and said “Is this the Invocation? I was in the Committee.” ) She gets back to Chicago a few times a year to visit her sister in Portage Park and prove that she can still manage public transportation. Erika is forever changed and grateful to have made something between art and comedy.
Erika May McNichol resides outside Philadelphia with a fellow improviser, Bob and their two kids. Since Bevy, she’s helped found two comedy theaters: Coldtowne Theater (Austin) and the Lab (Ambler, PA), both of which still run shows and classes and spread the gospel of improv and human connection. (One time, she was teaching the invocation to a group of students in Austin and an older hippie came in and said “Is this the Invocation? I was in the Committee.” ) She gets back to Chicago a few times a year to visit her sister in Portage Park and prove that she can still manage public transportation. Erika is forever changed and grateful to have made something between art and comedy.
Clair Clairmont
Clair Clairmont
Clair Clairmont became a wife and blossomed as a mother to two. All the improv wisdom she gained on stage with Bevy turned into excellent parenting techniques for managing toddler shenanigans. For the past seven years, she’s been a cool girl boss at an agency that serves arts organizations and nonprofits and does meaningful work. She strives to do voiceovers—mostly for fun or charity. Every now and then, you might find her joining an improv jam at Second City or iO, but more often, she’s in the audience cheering on her husband or enjoying the work of fellow comedians. Much of her creativity is channeled into researching passions, and not enough of her energy goes into the creative writing she aspires to do. She still makes up silly stories, songs, bits, and dances. She loves birds and has a squawky little friend named Feathers. Her greatest joys are seeing her teenage son thrive in his creative endeavors and nurturing a meaningful adult relationship with her daughter. Being part of the incredible ensemble Bevy was an immense privilege and accomplishment that continues to inspire her to this day.
Clair Clairmont became a wife and blossomed as a mother to two. All the improv wisdom she gained on stage with Bevy turned into excellent parenting techniques for managing toddler shenanigans. For the past seven years, she’s been a cool girl boss at an agency that serves arts organizations and nonprofits and does meaningful work. She strives to do voiceovers—mostly for fun or charity. Every now and then, you might find her joining an improv jam at Second City or iO, but more often, she’s in the audience cheering on her husband or enjoying the work of fellow comedians. Much of her creativity is channeled into researching passions, and not enough of her energy goes into the creative writing she aspires to do. She still makes up silly stories, songs, bits, and dances. She loves birds and has a squawky little friend named Feathers. Her greatest joys are seeing her teenage son thrive in his creative endeavors and nurturing a meaningful adult relationship with her daughter. Being part of the incredible ensemble Bevy was an immense privilege and accomplishment that continues to inspire her to this day.
