The massacre in Paris weighs heavily on my mind.

I am diligently trying to shake this pervasive mood of gloom and doom, falling back on humor which is often the best way to guide one through dark, trying times.

So I logically reached out to someone synonymous with laughter…the hilarious stand up comedian and writer, Monica Piper. 

I spoke to Monica on the one year anniversary of the uproarious and poignant show, Not That Jewish.

I can vouch for the the title…the show it is not that Jewish.

If you can’t relate to the subject matter which is as expansive and inclusive as dealing with breast cancer, adoption, divorce, compassion, acceptance, humor and family matters then you  are dead and shouldn’t be enjoying an evening of divinely relatable entertainment.

Monica is beyond thrilled that Not That Jewish has resonated with a diverse audience, playing to a year’s worth of sold-out audiences.

I love her spirit even though these days she is on comedy IR after foot surgery.

Being a trooper, she refrained from giving the production a temporary boot and is still front and center at the Braid.

Despite the fashion faux pas she is still kicking it every week even coercing the one in a million laugh gifted audiences into eventual boisterous laugher.

She is able to fall back on her stand up expertise and cast them under her comedic spell.

I could relate, having spent years trying to elicit laughter out of rock ‘n roll journalists. Many were as exciting as an endless drum solo, but I digress.

Unknowingly, the show was conceived eight years ago when Ronda Spivak, the artistic director of Jewish Women’s Theatre, approached Monica about writing for the organization.

Monica hesitated, telling Ronda that she just was not that Jewish to write for the theater group.

Ronda, responded, “Your heart is Jewish.” and a monologue was born.

Monica wrote a plethora of funny performance pieces for Jewish Women’s Theater. Eventually, she was commissioned for a one woman show which took over a year to compile.

Not That Jewish is the riotously funny end result.

Monica’s delivery is pitch perfect, reflecting her 30 year’s as a stand up.

Back story:

Piper studied improv with Second City in Chicago and then, going solo, she became one of Showtime’s Comedy All-Stars and landed her own Ace Award-winning special, “No Monica…Just You.”

After being nominated for an American Comedy Award as one of the top five female comedians in the country, Piper went on to write for Roseanne Barr on the mega hit series, Roseanne, as well as writing for Mad About You and Veronica’s Closet.

Add an Emmy for the #1 children’s animated series, Rugrats, to her long list of accomplishments.

Piper also developed and wrote series for Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network.

Which brings us back to the present.

Not That Jewish runs through December so get off the fuckin’ couch and head to Santa Monica.

If this a geographic impossibility, hopefully the Pied Piper of comedy will take Not That Jewish on the road and continue to spread laughter.

Not That Jewish The Braid  2912 Colorado Boulevard Santa Monica, California. Performances are Thursday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm and 7:30pm. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or go to www.jewishwomenstheatre.org.

Check out my original Not That Jewish review at: http://wp.me/p3Yngf-2G7‎