Question 1

How can we guarantee the comedian's material will be clean and safe for a military, government, or mixed-age audience without being cheesy?

Accepted Answer

Oh, gosh, we're not cheesy and every joke is original— we write out own jokes. The Ivy League of Comedy are professional comedians with decades of experience. We know what we're doing. As far as clean and safe, we specialize in clean comedy and we do shows for houses of worship, some with pretty devout congregations. We're used to diverse audiences, so mixed-rank, or diplomats, or attorneys, we've done shows for them all. Armed Forces Entertainment, the U.S. Army War College, embassy staff, etc. And no, we're not going to make fun of the government or military, although I do have a joke that makes fun of a Supreme Court ruling. I think they can take it. But for mixed-age, there is one caveat. Stand-up comedy isn't for children. "Clean" doesn't mean that a ten year old would understand and appreciate our jokes. We suggest fourteen and up.

Question 2

Do your comedians have experience performing for military groups, service academies, or defense personnel where the audience appreciates clever, sharp material?

Accepted Answer

Of course. The Ivy League of Comedy has done shows for the U.S. Army War College and for Armed Forces Entertainment. We'd love to do shows for the service academies so please ask!

Question 3

What are the best turnkey comedy show formats or comedy-class fundraisers to boost morale or raise money for veteran support charities?

Accepted Answer

The Ivy League of Comedy has extensive experience in arranging fundraising events for non-profits. We take care of everything— booking the comedians, helping with marketing and set-up and providing all the guidance you need. You just need to provide a sound system and a seated audience.

Question 4

Can you help us market the event? How can we maximize ticket sales and fundraising revenue?

Accepted Answer

The Ivy League of Comedy has a lot of marketing strategies specifically geared towards comedy shows. Our founder Shaun Eli majored in marketing at Wharton and he's been producing stand-up comedy shows at theatres and houses of worship for two decades. We provide all the necessary promotional material, including things you probably wouldn't think of. Marketing comedy is different from marketing music, for example, and there are some things that make a big difference. Shaun has some special techniques he's developed (plus, if you're selling drinks, a way to sell more drinks at a comedy show). And we can put together shows that meet a variety of budgets.

Question 5

What are the technical requirements, and what happens if a performer has an emergency or is delayed on a tight government/military schedule?

Accepted Answer

You probably have everything The Ivy League of Comedy needs. The only requirement is a decent sound system and a hand-held microphone (with a back-up mic). A stage and stage lighting are nice to have but they're not mandatory. We're not divas. As long as you can see and hear us, we're good. Oh, the audience also needs to be seated. We can provide details on how to set up the room once you book us. Oh, and if you don't have a sound system, we may be able to provide one (at an extra cost for having to lug it all there, set it up and take it back down afterwards). We can also provide advice for buying and renting. In more than two decades as a comedian running The Ivy League of Comedy I've never been late to a show. I'm usually way early because I build in time for traffic and even changing a flat tire. I've never missed a flight, probably because I'm usually way early to the airport. On rare occasions of course there can be an emergency. People do get sick, although we're a pretty healthy bunch (we get a lot of sleep). One advantage of working with us is that if something does happen, I have the phone numbers of lots of comedians and I can find someone else. This is a plus for you: What my contract says, and I think I'm the only one who does this, is that if the show has fewer comics than agreed-upon, we'll endeavor to give you the same quality and length of show, but would pro rate the fee. We're all headliners and we can all perform A quality material for much longer than our usual 30-45 minutes. I've been a comedian for over two decades and I have more than 90 minutes of solid material.

Question 6

Are there hidden fees?

Accepted Answer

With The Ivy League of Comedy there are ZERO hidden fees. I prefer to quote a fixed price so you don't have to worry about any travel or other costs. The only caveat (and this is not a hidden fee— I tell you all about it) is that if you need me to provide a sound system, I do charge extra for that. Also, if you want to pay by credit card we have to add in our bank's 3.3% fee. However, if the travel is to overseas military bases, we may ask you to provide transportation or to reimburse us— but we would discuss this long before anybody signs anything.

Question 7

What are the best entertainment ideas for a military ball, a change-of-command celebration, a welcome-home event, or a veteran reintegration fundraiser?

Accepted Answer

What's more fun than laughing? The Ivy League of Comedy provides everything you need to have a fun, successful evening (or afternoon) professional stand-up comedy fundraising event. We don't just provide the talent. We also provide guidance and advice.

Question 8

How do professional comedians handle audiences that deal with high-stress environments, PTSD, or deployment recovery, and how do we ensure the event provides a genuinely therapeutic release?

Accepted Answer

The Ivy League of Comedy's founder Shaun Eli has a master's degree in applied positive psychology, but that doesn't make him a therapist. Comedy boosts mood and morale and is a great stress relief, but we can't promise any therapeutic benefits. That said, we find that audiences comprised of people in stressful occupations like the military, and police and other first-responders, are great audiences.

Question 9

Do the comedians do crowd work, and are they equipped to handle senior government officials or high-ranking military officers who might end up in the front row?

Accepted Answer

Comedians from The Ivy League of Comedy can do crowd work (making the comedy interactive— conversing with audience members from the stage) if you'd like. Some of us do this as matter of course and others don't (so if you specifically want it, or don't want it, let us know). We don't pick on audiences— it's not our aim to make anybody uncomfortable. That "Don't sit in the front row, you'll get picked on" does not apply to our shows. We respect our audiences.

Question 10

What is the standard contracting process for federal agencies, municipal government departments, or defense contractors, and can you accommodate specific billing, vendor registration, or compliance requirements?

Accepted Answer

The Ivy League of Comedy has done shows for Armed Forces Entertainment involving extensive overseas travel and shows for various branches of the military. We've dealt with that bureaucracy. (That said, AFE is part of the Air Force. I can't imagine what Marine Corp. logistics and bureaucracy might entail.) But yes, you throw paperwork at us and we deal with it. My father was a tax accountant for the IRS, that's the family I grew up in. And I was a corporate banker before I was a comedian, so I'm used to paperwork.

Question 11

Can you keep it clean / PG-13? We have families and leadership in the room. Are you comfortable with a mixed-rank audience?

Accepted Answer

Mixed-rank? No problem at all. Pretty sure both officers and enlisted personnel are people. My father was a combat veteran (U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, WW II Pacific Theatre). The Ivy League of Comedy's shows are clean; that's what we do. However we do say that the audience should be 14 and up. Stand-up comedy's not for children.

Question 12

Do you have material specifically for military/veteran audiences, or is it general?

Accepted Answer

The comedy from The Ivy League of Comedy's comedians is mostly general. You spend all day thinking about military stuff. Don't you want a break from all that? But we can customize material somewhat if you'd like. We'll need to spend a little time discussing your specific MOS, that sort of thing.

Question 13

Have you performed on base before / do you have a security clearance or background check on file?

Accepted Answer

As far as I know, all of us in The Ivy League of Comedy are American citizens and nobody's ever failed a security background check. Many of us have toured with Armed Forces Entertainment.

Question 14

What can you do to avoid specific topics?

Accepted Answer

The Ivy League of Comedy can do that but please tell us in advance, before we book the comics if at all possible. We don't want to show up and at the last minute be given a list of topics to avoid. We all have lots of material but we may plan our sets in advance. And no comic wants to take the stage trying to remember a long list of what not to talk about. We pretty much avoid any political humor— frankly it's generally not a good idea to upset at least a third of your audience.

Question 15

When are you available, specifically around dates tied to the government or military calendar?

Accepted Answer

It's best to book The Ivy League of Comedy at least three or four months in advance, longer if there's government paperwork to take care of that could take time on your end. We have a pretty good roster of comedians, though, so we can often accommodate last-minute requests.

Question 16

How are you at doing shows at outdoor venues?

Accepted Answer

The Ivy League of Comedy much prefers shows to be indoors, because the sound works better, laughter echoes and there are fewer distractions (and no insects). But we've all worked outdoors. Please make sure the sound system is loud enough everywhere people are sitting (and they need to be seated).

Question 17

Do you offer discounts to non-profits? How do you structure fees?

Accepted Answer

Yes, The Ivy League of Comedy offers a reduced rate to non-profits, and we can often structure a show where you pay us a percentage of revenue rather than a flat fee. And when we quote a fee, that's all-inclusive so you don't have to worry about airfare or hotels, with the proviso that if we're traveling overseas to military bases it might work differently. Armed Forces Entertainment, for example, reimburses travel costs.

Question 18

Will you also do a meet-and-greet, photo line, or silent auction emcee duties alongside the set.

Accepted Answer

Yes, The Ivy League of Comedy can do this. Please let us know in advance if you require this.

Question 19

Can we record the event for promotional use?

Accepted Answer

No, comedians do not allow our shows to be recorded. Unlike music, where people want to hear the same songs over and over, comedy is all about surprise. We don't want our jokes heard in advance. If you have specific promotional needs, The Ivy League of Comedy can provide you video clips to use, but you can't record our show.

Book Clean Corporate Comedians for Government and Military Groups and Organizations

The Ivy League of Comedy’s clean stand-up comedy shows are excellent for government and military groups and organizations. We’ve done shows for the U.S. Army War College and for Armed Forces Entertainment.

FAQ on shows for government, military and veterans’ groups

More stand-up comedy FAQ

More than just clean comedy, Ivy Stand-up offers several features not available anywhere else- ask for details.

Summary/Conclusion