NO BONES:
A COMEDY FESTIVAL OF HUMERUS PROPORTIONS

presented by Abby Bender Schmantze Theatre and Circuit Arts

MAY 6–10, 2026

Abby Bender Schmantze Theatre joins forces with Circuit Arts to present a curated festival of the weird, the wired, and the wonderful. Featuring an eclectic lineup of talent from Martha’s Vineyard, New York City, and beyond, this showcase dives deep into outside-the-box comedy. From clowning, improv, and sketch to stand-up, storytelling, and comic dance, we’re serving up enough rib-tickling performance to keep the demons at bay, at least for a while.

In addition to the variety and improv showcases at Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, the festival features two evenings of stand-up at Oak Bluffs’ Strand Theatre, headlined by two powerhouse comedians with national platforms: NPR personality and true comic’s comic Ophira Eisenberg, and the Grand Dame of Comedy, Susan Rice.

Tickets are sold individually, or…buy a Festival Pass!

The No Bones Festival Pass is your all-access ticket to the full comedy lineup, including our two headlining stand-up shows and five variety and improv showcases. It’s the best way to take in the festival’s range, discover and support new favorites, and settle in for a full weekend of laughs at a great value.

Please note that the pass does not include the clowning workshop.

Festival passes are $150 and are limited, so snag one while you can!

Purchase a Festival Pass

Festival Lineup

  • TBD IMPROV

    Wednesday, May 6 | 7:30 PM
    Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse

    The comedy is To Be Determined...by you!

    Unscripted and spontaneous, this nevertheless polished and expertly hosted show will have you rolling on the floor! Vineyard-based improvisers from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and beyond compete for your laughs by using their wits and suggestions from the audience. These performers create scenes right on the spot, in a highly interactive and highly entertaining night of fast, smart, and hilarious comedy.

    Tickets for this performance are Pay-What-You-Can.

    GET TICKETS

  • VARIETY SHOW

    Thursday, May 7 | 7:30 PM
    Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse

    This show brings together a rotating cast of Vineyard artists, both year-round and seasonal, for an unpredictable evening of comedy in many forms. Expect bold performances, unexpected pairings, and plenty of laughs. 

    On Tonight’s Bill:
    • Molly Purves
    • Camp Hippocampus
    • Betty Bootleg
    • The Electric Kool-Aid Comedy Show
    • Abby Bender & Katie Federowicz-Perez

    Tickets for this performance are Pay-What-You-Can.

    GET TICKETS

  • AN EVENING OF STAND-UP with SUSAN RICE

    Friday, May 8 | 7:30 PM
    Strand Theatre

    Susan Rice has been making audiences laugh for over four decades. After training and working as a professional actress, she launched her stand-up career in the 1980s, performing at top comedy clubs across the country. In recent years, her sharp, no-holds-barred perspective on aging has sparked a major late-career resurgence, including a viral Don’t Tell Comedy set, an invitation to perform for the judges on America’s Got Talent, and the release of her debut comedy special, Silver Alert. She has appeared on Hulu, HBO, Showtime, ABC, NBC, and Comedy Central; opened for legends including Jerry Seinfeld, Paula Poundstone, and Maria Bamford; and competed on the 2026 Netflix reboot of Star Search. Susan continues to deliver smart, fearless comedy that resonates across generations, while supporting her community through initiatives like the St. Johns Comedy Festival in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.

    Tickets for this performance are $45.

    GET TICKETS

  • CLOWNING WORKSHOP

    Lead by Jeff & Buttons and Tallie
    Saturday, May 9 | 1–3:30 PM
    Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse

    The clown’s job is to look inside themselves and share it with the world, creating connection along the way. In this playful session, NYC clown teachers Chris Manley, Tallie Medel, and Jeff Seal lead warm-ups, group and solo games, and exercises with hats, tennis balls, and imagination. You’ll return to a childlike state full of curiosity and possibility, meet new friends, and explore presence, play, and seeing yourself in others. Active, fun, and full of surprises, this workshop proves that when we let ourselves play the fool, we set the whole world free.

    Price: $100 | Ages: 18+

    REGISTER

  • VARIETY SHOW

    Saturday, May 9 | 6 PM
    Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse

    This show brings together a rotating cast of New York-based festival artists.

    On Tonight’s Bill: 
    • Cass Tunick & Heather Harpham
    • Jeff & Buttons and Tallie
    • LOHSE X MARQUIS
    • Harrington & Kauffman

    Tickets for this performance are Pay-What-You-Can.

    GET TICKETS

  • VARIETY SHOW

    Saturday, May 9 | 8 PM
    Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse

    This show brings together a rotating cast of festival artists.

    On Tonight’s Bill:
    • Abby Bender & Katie Federowicz-Perez
    • Jeff & Buttons and Tallie
    • Mike Albo
    • TruDee
    • The Electric Kool-Aid Comedy Show

    Tickets for this performance are Pay-What-You-Can.

    GET TICKETS

  • VARIETY SHOW

    Sunday, May 10 | 2 PM
    Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse

    This show brings together a rotating cast of festival artists.

    On Today’s Bill:
    • Harrington & Kauffman
    • Betty Bootleg
    • Cass Tunick & Heather Harpham
    • Camp Hippocampus
    • LOHSE X MARQUIS

    Tickets for this performance are Pay-What-You-Can.

    GET TICKETS

  • AN EVENING OF STAND-UP with OPHIRA EISENBERG

    & Opener Mike Albo
    Sunday, May 10 | 7 PM
    Strand Theatre

    Ophira Eisenberg is a stand-up comedian, writer, and podcast host whose smart, personal comedy has been featured on NPR, HBO, Comedy Central, CBS, and The Moth. A longtime host of NPR’s Ask Me Another, she headlines theaters worldwide, tours regularly with The Moth Mainstage, and hosts the Webbie-finalist parenting comedy podcast Parenting Is a Joke. Ophira is the author of the memoir Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, creator of the award-winning solo show Leaving a Mark: A Comedy About Scars, and has released multiple acclaimed comedy specials, with a new special produced by Lewis Black and set to stream in spring 2026. Known for her warmth, intelligence, and fearless honesty, she brings deep storytelling chops and big laughs to every stage she steps on.

    Opener Mike Albo is an author, performer, and cultural commentator whose work spans novels, essays, and acclaimed solo stage shows presented across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Europe. He is the author of Hornito, The Underminer (co-written with Virginia Heffernan), The Junket, Spermhood: Diary of a Donor, and Another Dimension of Us, and his writing has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Magazine, GQ, and The New York Times. A founding member of the queer comedy trio Unitard and one of the original hosts of The Moth, Albo is known for blending satire, speculative storytelling, and sharp cultural observation with deeply personal narratives about identity, connection, and belonging.

    Tickets for this performance are $45.

    GET TICKETS

Meet the Performers

  • Abby Bender & Katie Federowicz-Perez

    An idiosyncratic dance duo who perform with abandon and humor.

  • Betty Bootleg

    Andy Jacobs’ high-glam, razor-smart drag alter ego delivers comedy for when it’s finally safe to get back in the water.

  • Camp Hippocampus

    A joyfully over-the-top ensemble performance where peak camp meets dance, storytelling, and badge-earning badassery, featuring Abby Bender, Laura Hall, Katie Federowicz-Perez, and Libby Stackhouse.

  • Cass Tunick & Heather Harpham

    Riveting Action Theater featuring fully embodied, high-stakes improvisation.

  • Electric Kool-Aid Comedy Show

    A rotating cast of local performers, including Travis Tack, Heather Beeman, Abby Bender, Molly Coogan, and Shelagh Hackett, serves up original sketch comedy with a distinctly Vineyard vibe.

  • Harrington & Kauffman

    A strange and poignant two-man theatrical adventure brought to you by Richard Harrington and Chris Kauffman that defies easy description and expectation.

  • Jeff & Buttons and Tallie

    Off-kilter clowning from Jeff Seal, Chris Manley, and Tallie Medel collides with madcap sketch comedy in a wildly playful trio performance.

  • LOHSE X MARQUIS

    Deborah Lohse and Cori Marquis blend quirky, physical dance theater with movement, humor, and surprise.

  • Mike Albo

    Story-driven comedy monologues that are sharp, original, and different each night.

  • Molly Purves

    Hilariously relatable monologues that turn everyday moments into laugh-out-loud comedy.

  • Ophira Eisenberg

    Smart, irreverent, and brutally honest stand-up from a master of observational comedy.

  • Susan Rice

    Sharp, conversational stand-up that takes on aging with wit, warmth, and zero filters.

  • TBD Improv

    Fast-paced, audience-driven comedy made up on the spot by Martha’s Vineyard’s local troupe, featuring Sean Roach, Heather Dyas-Fried, Chris Roberts, Heather Beeman, Elle Lash, Leif Moore, and Abby Bender.

  • TruDee

    A larger-than-life vocal icon, TruDee, a.k.a Deborah Lohse, sings, dances, and battles her inner demons live on stage.

Thank you to our No Bones’ Sponsors

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.