Ashland Sarcasm Festival @ Angus Bowmer Theatre - Aparna Nancherla - Early

Epic Ashland and Storytown Ashland Present: The festival kicks off Friday night with a local host Carl Lee welcoming a night that wastes absolutely no time getting good. Taking the stage first as our featured act: Fast Ronald. A Texas native, Fast Ronald is a can't-miss talent whose comedic material is spreading fast — a rising voice with a knack for owning the room. His layered background — culinary school and years grinding LA open mics — feeds directly into his deeply personal comedy style, and a pandemic-era deep dive into storytelling helped him unlock a natural deadpan voice all his own.

Then, headlining Friday night: Aparna Nancherla - one of the most distinctive comic voices working today. Nancherla has built a remarkable career spanning standup, television, and writing — with recurring roles on BoJack Horseman and Corporate, and staff writing credits on Late Night with Seth Meyers. She has appeared on Conan and Comedy Central's The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, and Variety named her to its "Top 10 Comics to Watch" list.

What can you expect? The New York Times described her as having "quirky, relatable and punchy humor". Aparna doesn't just tell jokes; she invites you into her quietly hilarious way of seeing the world. An ideal way to open a festival built on wit.