Stratton Smith will host a comedy show Aug. 2 with several fellow comedians.
Editor’s note: Local comedian Stratton Smith will be hosting a free comedy show this Friday in downtown Greenfield. Smith, 29, is also a customer service representative and tennis instructor. He graduated from New Palestine High School in 2013 and currently lives in Greenfield with his 6-year-old Aussie/Collie Matilda. Here, the Daily Reporter catches up with his career.
Daily Reporter: Explain your comedy career and what you’ve been up to the last few years.
Stratton Smith: I began my career in comedy in 2014 with my college’s improv troupe, Academic Probation. Ten years later, after transitioning to stand up, I have a comedy EP on Spotify and Apple Music, and released my first, full comedy special in 2023. I’ve been hosting, featuring, and headlining shows throughout the state of Indiana for the last couple of years; I’ve opened for musicians, emceed weddings, regularly performed at Helium Comedy Club, and have met a lot of great people in towns I couldn’t pronounce.
DR: Why are you hosting a comedy show Aug. 2?
I coached middle school tennis at New Palestine Junior High School for two seasons. In April, I was forced to resign by the administration because of differing opinions about my comedy career. After the outpouring of love and support that I got from the Hancock County/Central Indiana communities after sharing an open letter on Facebook about my experience, my team and I decided we wanted to give that love back. It’s also worth mentioning that The Ricks is an amazing venue that everyone should experience in this lifetime.
DR: How is this a free event?
SS: This is a show supporting local comedians in the Indianapolis/Central Indiana comedy scene. The comedians I chose are some of the funniest, hard-working performers that I’ve crossed paths with. I want to give back to them. Any type of donation to the performers is encouraged (even if it’s just social media support), but we want everyone to have the opportunity to experience live comedy, even if the budget is tight. Bring some dollars and change, but only if you’ve got it to give.
Gwen Sunkel
Nate Robinson
Val Werner
I want to partner with local businesses in Hancock/Marion County to highlight what they bring to our community. We’re hoping to fill The Ricks as much as we can, and to put a spotlight on businesses that are making a difference in our neighborhoods. Inquiries can be email to [email protected].
DR: How would you describe this show?
SS: This comedy show is an adult showcase! Especially with school starting back up soon, we want to bring a night of laughter that is just for the adults; let the kids enjoy being kids and let the adults enjoy being adults. 18 and up only August 2. This is a diverse lineup of comics that come from all different walks of life, so I think the audience will get a little bit of everything. The show features Gwen Sunkel, Nate Robinson, Ari Swartz, Bradley Lister, Asia Chardonay, Terry Shepard, Val Werner and Kile Bates. It’s at 8 p.m. Aug. 2 at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main St, Greenfield.
Being a comedy fan has been a beautiful therapy in my life. For an hour or two, you watch someone that distracts you from all the unpleasantness in your life; they give you a little break. Come hang out with us on August 2 at The Ricks, and let’s not think about it too much.
For more, visit facebook.com/stratton.smith or read a 2022 Daily Reporter piece about Smith.
