Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Sousa.
Megan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The journey begins in the year 2017. What began as an idea grew into a full-blown vision. As co-founder and Executive Producer, I knew I wanted to start a stand-up comedy show of some sort. It was at Flappers Comedy Club I would meet Jamel Dotson at the open mics. I approached him to join forces with me to start this show that was merely an idea. The mission was simple: develop a diverse comedy show that represented truth and the human connection where we could feel a little more united. Seemed easy enough. I was simultaneously producing a variety comedy show at Upright Citizen’s Brigade with my sketch team Cornbread Kitchen. I was able to push myself with the momentum I was in. Our Black Twitter show ran for three consecutive years until the pandemic hit in 2020 and is currently on hiatus.
Taking on a new production was something that happened naturally in the need to create a space to work and support the stand-up comedy community. I learned after developing my sketch show I would want to do the same to feed the stand-up beast. After taking the time to organize a plan, developing the brand name and look, it was then time to find a home.
We have humble beginnings at The Cellar in Hollywood, which was home to Taste of the Caribbean, in Hollywood California off of Cahuenga Blvd. An oddly shaped bar and restaurant, we made it work! Moody lighting, simple stage setup, and asses in seats. Our first show launched Nov. 8, 2017. We would host a booked show with 6 comedians and after the booked show would run our “Got Bars?” open mic that would allow people to work regardless if they were booked on the main show or not. We had a wonderful system that developed. I introduced my producing skill sets to book the shows, promote the shows and ultimately create a plan for future shows.
After the natural progression and growth of the show, at a certain point it was on auto-pilot. We began running a weekly show, then bi-weekly until gentrification subjected our comedy home to eviction notices. In 2019 we had to recalibrate the next move. It was a difficult pill to swallow as we were truly in a groove making enough noise to build the community. We knew we couldn’t set up shop anywhere. It had to be special!
Enter 2020 and the pandemic, we hadn’t locked anything but had some leads and naturally had to wait for the right alignment. Lucky for us, the Hollywood Improv loved what we had built and opened the doors to continue the LYT Comedy Show legacy! Currently, we run a monthly show at the Hollywood Improv Lab, a weekly Friday Open Mic at The Comedy Nook and releasing regular content on our YouTube Channel. We maintained booking 6 comedians per show with an opener and special-guest drop in.
The vision continues to expand as we lay one brick at a time. It’s been a fun and enlightening journey so far and we are just excited to see where things go next. We have been fortunate to still be around thanks to the support of our peers, Hollywood Improv and The Comedy Bureau keeping the streets in the know. Exciting announcements are soon to come. Stay tuned!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This has been a “forge your own path” type of road. There are natural challenges in running a business as well as producing a live show. As you can imagine, things such as scheduling, technical difficulties, or eviction notices will always find a way to challenge your patience and formidable toughness. Sometimes obstacles can look like protecting your brand legally or financially, investing in the production, or executive decisions to expand the business or changing the lineup on the fly. There’s also balancing being working comedians and our own careers along with representing the brand and vision. There is definitely balance at play here. One brick at a time. We are always learning. Each thing thrown this way we have managed to handle it with the help of advisors and trusted circles that encourage us to keep forward. We appreciate all of that support. At a certain point, we came to realize LYT Comedy belongs to all of us. So, as you can imagine, comics and fan bases take it personal if they witness any foul play of any kind. I can honestly say it is very comforting to know we have that type of support. It makes the challenges seem less lonely. We truly care about our comedians, supporters and the overall brand and mission of Laugh Your Truth Comedy.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Laugh Your Truth Productions, LLC?
Laugh Your Truth Productions, LLC was established in 2017. We serve certified funny shows with a mission to connect people via a human connection – truth. Comedy and laughter heals, we want to serve communities with medicinal laughter and an experience to remember. Laugh Your Truth, better known as LYT Comedy Show, is an interactive show where the audience uses frameless candles to connect with comedian’s material. We make it a priority to curate a diverse lineup with up-and-comers as well as premium comedians from all over the world. It is important that our audience sees someone that represents them on that stage. We are most proud of the growth over the years and watching comedians careers explode. We are the hottest thing smoking in the Lab!
Our new segment “Comedian Spotlight” shines a light on some of your favorite comedians right here on our YouTube channel. We are witnessing an unbelievable amount of raw talent on these stages and would be doing a disservice by not presenting them to you. Stay in touch with these up-and-coming comedians on the rise to stardom. The show has featured comedians seen on HBO, Netflix, Showtime, NBC, Nickelodeon, All Def Digital, Comedy Central, MTV Wild N’ Out & more!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We love to work with motivated peeps across the board! We are always looking to grow our team.
Sponsors and Partnerships can contact us directly at [email protected]
Comedians who would like to book our show and be considered for opportunities, please submit to our show here: https://lytcomedyshow.com/comedians
Comedians interested in production services for comedy specials / albums please use our contact form https://lytcomedyshow.com/contact
All donations can be sent here https://lytcomedyshow.com/contact
Contact Info:
- Website: Lytcomedyshow.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lytcomedy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lytcomedy
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Lytcomedy
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/lyt-comedy-show-17110347856
Image Credits
Shary Junco
