Runnin’ on Empty is a monthly stand-up show with nothing to lose! The show features a mix of pros and up-and-comers, from people who last performed on Conan to people who last performed to three tumbleweeds. To be fair, those tumbleweeds hadn’t laughed that hard in years. Join us at the show critics are calling “Best comedy in the city, I am so proud” (Lisa’s Mom) and “My baby is going to Hollywood!” (Yotam’s Mom).

Hosts/soul-siblings Yotam Tubul and Lisa Franklin first met in a college stand-up group, where Yotam told Lisa “I think your joke is more cute than funny,” and she replied “You’re probably right.” Since then, they’ve been thick as thieves.

Charla Lauriston official site

Charla Lauriston has written for Why? with Hannibal Buress and the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the Tina Fey-produced Netflix comedy. She’s been listed as one of 8 Black Women Ready for SNL by Essence Magazine, was Joke of the Week in Time Out New York, was featured on MTV (Other)’s Truth or Dare, and has performed stand-up and at the New York Comedy Festival, the She-Devil Festival, and the Chicago Women’s Funny Festival. Charla is the creator of the critically acclaimed webseries Clench & Release, performs stand-up all over the country, and one time she was briefly mentioned in Time Out Chicago as being “real good.” 

Peter Smith

Peter is a non-binary trans person making their way through showbiz. 

Shalewa Sharpe on Twitter | Shalewa Sharpe Official Website

Shalewa Sharpe tells jokes. She developed her sly yet goofy style in Atlanta, where she was raised. Currently based in Brooklyn, she has joked on so many shows, festivals, and podcasts that in 2017 Time Out NY labeled her a “local fixture.” She has joked on HBO’s “2 Dope Queens” and Comedy Central’s “The New Negroes.” She got serious while playing the role of Yvonne in John Cameron Mitchell’s musical podcast “Anthem: Homunculus,” but then she went right back to joking in her solo show, “Don’t Reach In The Bag.” She has two albums of jokes: “Stay Eating Cookies” (2016) and “So You Just Out Here?” (2019).

Lindsay Boling on Twitter

Lindsay Boling is a comedian, writer, and the lesbian in residence on most podcasts. She hosts the monthly show Late Late Breakfast at The Creek & The Cave and the biweekly show Downward Spiral at Oliver’s in Astoria.

Ryan Cruise is a Providence-based comedian who has worked, studied and performed at UCB in both New York and Los Angeles. Currently working at Reductress, Ryan has opened for Nick Thune, Kate Berlant and Brent Weinbach.