GREAT AMERICAN COMEDY FESTIVAL COMEDY SHOWCASE TO FEATURE ONE-MAN IMPROV SHOW

(NORFOLK, Neb.) - In an effort to continually bring new and exciting comedy acts to northeast  Nebraska, the 2026 Great American Comedy Festival will feature a first for Norfolk - a one-man  improvised comedy show!  
Comedian Brian James O’Connell will be opening the festival’s show on Friday, June 19th, with  a show that features just him on stage performing comedy that’s completely improvised in the moment.  
“Brian is one of the most beloved figures in all of improv,” said GACF Executive Director Pat  Janssen. “He's trained so many of the best comedic voices, and he himself is a treat to watch on stage.  His one-man improv show is truly a feat.”  
Brian is a filmmaker and teacher based in Los Angeles. His directing credits include Killer View,  
and Angry White Man starring Matt Berry. BOC (as his friends call him) also wrote Killer View.  
His other writing credits include: the SYFY animated series Hell Den starring Maria Bamford  
and Matthew Lillard, MOCKpockalypse starring Sam Richardson and Brendan Hunt and Pitchslap 
starring comedy festival alum Joel McHale.  
“Brian has worked with everyone from Matthew Lillard to Scoot McNairy to Pedro Pascal,”  
Janssen said. “He's such an accomplished writer, actor, and performer, I'm excited to just have his  
presence in Norfolk, let alone see his show. He's going to be such a fantastic addition to our improv  
night.”  
Brian will be followed on the Johnny Carson Theatre Stage by Bluebird Improv, featuring  
comedians Matt Walsh, Marc Evan Jackson, Brad Morris, and Joe Canale, along with other comics yet  to be named!  
The festival kicks off Thursday, June 18th, with the traditional family Comedy Magic Show, and  
wraps up Saturday the 20th with the annual GACF Gala featuring Charlie Berens.  
 All three shows are at 7 p.m. at the Johnny Carson Theatre.  
The Great American Comedy Festival is also made possible with the support of the Nebraska  
Arts Council, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and Midwest Acutech.  
The annual festival opened in 2008 to honor the legacy of Norfolk’s favorite son, Johnny Carson,  
who was host of NBC’s “Late Night Show Starring Johnny Carson” for over 25 years.  
Tickets for the festival are on sale now!

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