Erin Foley Plays Arch City Comedy Festival

Winnie McCroy READ TIME: 4 MIN.

Arch City Comedy Festival is proud to announce the incredible Erin Foley will be joining comedians Beth Stelling, Al Jackson, Henry Phillips, Joe List and Stewart Huff as a headliner of its inaugural year, taking place September 3-5 in the historic Short North Arts District of Columbus, OH.

Foley is a seasoned lesbian comedian with her own Comedy Central Presents, appearances on "Conan," "Craig Ferguson," "Arsenio Hall," "Chelsea Lately," LOGO and at festivals such as The Dinah Shore Festival and Just For Laughs.

"She offers smart comedy on politics, culture, sports and commercialism that can appeal to anyone in an urban area or with a college degree, regardless of sexual preference," writes Huffington Post.

Arch City will also present a live taping of Foley's podcast "Sports Without Balls." The podcast is a hilarious extension of Foley's obsession with sports and is distributed by All Things Comedy podcast network.

Foley will be joined at Arch City by fellow LGBTQ comedians Brooke Cartus, Vincent Holliday, Jaye McBride, Alex Seligsohn and Cody Melcher.

Originally from New York, Brooke Cartus currently lives in Columbus and hobbies include eating chicken wings and anonymously sending skinny women cheese steak sandwiches at 3 in the morning (because that's when they are the weakest.) Her blog "Size L for Lady" has been featured on Outlook Columbus and Huffington Post: Gay Voices.

Vincent Holiday's unique style of comedy is all about defying expectations. Yes, he's a nerd. Yes, he's gay. He's also a sharp writer who enjoys tipping over sacred cows without talking down to audiences or sacrificing laughs. He's a talented performer whose hard work earned him a spot at the 2012 Laughing Skull Festival in Atlanta, and his album, "Too Soon!" debuted in the top 10 on iTunes. Most importantly, he's a fiercely funny comedian who
embraces his intelligence instead of running from it.

Holiday delivers killer sets at comedy clubs and comic book conventions, using his improvisational skills to create memorable characters that are relatable to everyone. Get a couple of drinks in him and he will out-dance everyone in
the club.

An upstate New York comedian who's been featured all across the capital district as well as New York, Vegas and LA, Jaye McBride has appeared in the Boston Comedy festival and She Devil comedy festival. Being transgender doesn't just make her a great target at roasts; it has also given her a uniquely dark and dry sense of humor that will leave you laughing when you know you really shouldn't.

Alex Seligsohn is a comedian with very strong opinions that she can't wait to share with you, on topics ranging from haunted house feminism to how Mark Rothko ruined everything. She began her stand?up career shortly after moving to Chicago from Florida, in what she describes as "the greatest decision [she] ever made only second to buying [her] cat a onesie."

In the past couple of years, Seligsohn has been extremely active in the Chicago scene and beyond. She is a writer and producer for the monthly comedy variety show "Secrets, Lies & Alibis" in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, performed in the Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival, appears at the Fort Lauderdale Improv, and at her Second City Conservatory graduation this year, performed a heartfelt song that she wrote about the JFK assassination/the truth.

A wit, wanton and literary gentleman who weaves a tapestry of obscure observations and personal proclivities designed to delight and enlighten, Cody Melcher is based in Chicago, where he is the producer of 100 Proof Comedy at ComedySportz and host of the critically?acclaimed podcast "Tomefoolery." In 2013, he was a finalist in The Advocate's National Queer Comedy Search. The Chicago Tribune has called him "ridiculously zesty."

Arch City Comedy Festival: a three?day stand?up comedy and podcast festival in the historic Short North Arts District area of Columbus, OH. Our inaugural year will take place September 3?5 via multiple shows at the Garden Theatre, The Green Room, AXIS and surrounding venues. The festival is sponsored by Stonewall Columbus, The Craft Show, Columbus Alive, Columbus Underground, Showclix, Crowne Plaza and Now It's Dark!

Festival Badges are now on sale through the festival website. These badges allow the purchaser to set their personal festival schedule, and secure upfront seating at shows of their choice. VIP badge holders not only receive this, but also attendance to two live podcast tapings exclusive to VIP badge holders, entrance to ACCF after parties, and ACCF inaugural year poster autographed by headliners.


by Winnie McCroy , EDGE Editor

Winnie McCroy is the Women on the EDGE Editor, HIV/Health Editor, and Assistant Entertainment Editor for EDGE Media Network, handling all women's news, HIV health stories and theater reviews throughout the U.S. She has contributed to other publications, including The Village Voice, Gay City News, Chelsea Now and The Advocate, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Read These Next