NATIONALLY-KNOWN COMICS FROM ALL OVER TO BE FEATURED ACTS AT GREAT AMERICAN COMEDY FESTIVAL

(NORFOLK, Neb.) - Once again, the Great American Festival is bringing a variety of hilarity  
from all over the nation to northeast Nebraska!  
Comedians Ian Abramson, Tommy Bechtold, Dwayne Kennedy, and Elyssa Phillips are coming  
to Norfolk to fill out the Saturday Comedy Gala lineup headlined by Charlie Berens on June 20th and to  perform in the Friday night adults-only late show on June 19th.  
“One of the things we really take pride in is creating a full lineup of amazing talent,” Festival  
Executive Director Pat Janssen said. “We've had so many feature acts who have been incredibly  
accomplished when they came here, and even bigger deals after they left. This is a group of comedians  that Norfolk can look back on and say 'Holy cow, remember when they were here?'” 
Tommy Bechtold is an actor and comedian from Rochester, NY. Tommy has appeared in over 50  
TV shows and films. For five years Tommy played Kenny on ABC’s “The Middle”. Tommy has also  
appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! More than 20 times. Tommy has also worked with Christopher Guest  and his troop of improvisers on several projects. Other credits include Abbott Elementary, GLEE! And  Hunters. As a comedian, Tommy has performed for crowds all over the country as a solo act and with  many touring sketch and improv groups including “iOWest” and “The Second City”.  
“Tommy is a gem of a human being and a ridiculously talented performer,” Janssen said. “He's  
been on TV so much that I feel like he lives in my living room. He brings so much great energy, and he's  still so incredibly relatable.”  
Elyssa Phillips is a nationally and internationally touring stand-up clean comedienne, actress, and  
writer whose energy has made her a festival favorite and club headliner. Most recently, she’s been seen opening for Iliza Shlesinger and Jay Leno, along with headlining some of the most infamous comedy clubs across the U.S. and Europe. On screen, her quick one-liners have appeared in fan-favorite series  including Hacks, Silicon Valley, Fresh Off the Boat, The Mindy Project, and Leanne.  
“Elyssa is one of those comics who works clean, but She's got you cracking up the whole time,”  
said Janssen. “She's someone who's constantly working and is never satisfied with what she's done.”  
Ian Abramson co-created The Pitch and Talent Scout’s Honor, both web series for Tom Snyder  
(of Dr. Katz fame). Ian also voiced an episode of the producer/writer’s Explosion Bus, featured alongside Daryl Hall of “Hall and Oates.” He is also a regular contributor for The Onion. Ian also created the  Comedy Central web series, 7 Minutes in Purgatory, during which comedians are given noise-canceling  headphones and forced to perform in a room separated from their audience.  
“I'm so excited to meet Ian at this year's festival because I've admired his work from afar for  
years,” Janssen said. “He's kind of an abstract artist. He's so goofy and weird in all the best ways, but his  comedy is always so accessible to every crowd.” 
Dwayne Kennedy is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer, who won a 2019 Emmy Award  
Winner for the original series United Shades of America. Winner of Best Comedian at the 2002 HBO US  Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Dwayne has performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late  Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and has both a Comedy Central  
Presents and Showtime special. Dwayne has also written for The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS) and The  
Orlando Jones Show (FX). Dwayne’s acting credits include roles on such classic series  
as Seinfeld, Martin, 227, Amen and the upcoming indie-film Thin Skin.  
“Dwayne has such a unique perspective on life, and his material reflects that,” Janssen said.  
“Beneath his goofy and strange on-stage persona is someone who's an incredibly accomplished writer  and producer. Basically, he's a mad scientist who knows how to pull laughter out of a crowd."  
The festival kicks off Thursday, June 18th, with the traditional family Comedy Magic Show. All  
three shows are at 7 p.m. at the Johnny Carson Theatre. The Friday Night Late Show starts at 10:30 p.m.  at the District Event Center in Norfolk.  
The Great American Comedy Festival is also made possible with the support of the Nebraska  
Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. 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. The festival is made possible thanks to the support of the Nebraska  Arts Council and Midwest Acutech.  
Tickets for the festival are on sale now! For tickets and information, visit  
www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com