Feature Friday - Abby Stonehouse

Name
Abby Stonehouse

Pronouns
She/Her

Bio
Abby Stonehouse (@abbypstonecomedy) is a stand-up comedian/writer/producer/podcaster. Her storytelling comedy style juxtaposes her hopeful and honest approach to life with the horrific nitty-gritty of reality. Abby made her JFL debut in the summer of 2018 and is now a JFL vet appearing in the 2022, 2023 & 2025 festivals. In May 2019, she performed and co-produced Montreal’s first fully accessible comedy show, Comedy for a Cause: Accessibility for All. This show happened again in September 2022 and at Zoofest in 2023, now called Access Comedy. As a comedian with hearing loss, this show is near and dear to her heart. Some other highlights include opening for Fern Brady and performing at the LA Laugh Riot festival. If that isn't enough, she is the creator and co-producer of Comedy on Demand and podcast host of House of Stone (as seen at Gigglefest, Ladyfest and Just for Laughs) and A Horrific Evening Podcast.

This September, she is taking her accessibility work one step further with a passion project called Access Granted. This is a live-recorded, fully accessible comedy show, showcasing comedians with disabilities.

Instagram
@abbypstonecomedy

Website
https://abbystonehouse.carrd.co/

Where in Montreal are you located?
NDG

What do you love about that neighborhood?
I love the accessibility to Downtown and the proximity to bougie Westmount. I can be downtown in 10 minutes and cosplay as a rich person at Cafe Olympia within 5 minutes. The parks are great, too.

What’s your favourite art space in Montreal and why?
Probably not considered an art space to some, but I am loving the vibe of a poorly lit pub to perform stand up comedy. Like, Hurley's Irish pub (Shows every Monday and Wednesday) and McKibbon’s (shows Monday and Tuesday). There's something so rustic and real about spaces like that.

What do you do on stage? Tell us about your work!
I perform stand up comedy. I have been a comedian for 9 years, however it feels like I've been chasing a laugh all my life.

Describe your art in your own words.
My stand up is very autobiographical. I write about my life and the absurdity of it all. I love telling a story, so I lean into that as much as possible.

What have you been working on recently?
This September I am producing and hosting a fully accessible comedy show album recording. This show will have a full line up of comedians with disabilities (both visible and invisible) and we’ll have closed captioning, ASL interpreters, and the venue is wheelchair accessible. I am excited to dive into accessible art again. I love creating art that is barrier free.

What drew you to the stage?
I became deeply obsessed with stand up comedy about 15 years ago. I began deep diving into the LA comedy art scene, listening to many podcast and clips and specials. I consumed as much of the art as I could. Eventually that led to me writing. Once my notes app got full enough I was convinced by a friend to go to an open mic night. Those 5 minutes on stage changed the trajectory of my life.

Who are some of your favourite stage performers?
Montreal: John Cotrocois, Eve Parker Finley and Joey Elias.
Beyond: Mark Forward, Steph Tolev, and new fave Ian Fidance.

Tell us about your BEST or WORST performance.
One of my best performances was opening for Fern Brady about a year ago. The crowd was HOT from the moment I stepped on the stage to the moment I got off. It was truly a dream to open for such an inspirational artist. I still can't believe I was asked to do it. It was the type of performance really makes a stand up comedian like me believe that I have what it takes. Coincidentally one of my worst performances, happened the DAY AFTER this show. The universe really has a way of humbling me. Every. Time. It was a Friday night at the Comedy Nest. I heard crickets for ALL 8 minutes. Devastating. But this comes with the art of stand up comedy.

What’s your favorite Montreal stage and why?
I love any stage with a microphone. However I miss DEEPLY the stage at the Dive Bell Social Club. It was such a fun room to perform in.