Bio
“Downtown NYC Comedy’s It-girl” – Go2 Media
“The funniest woman on the internet” – Abomb-nation.com
“Definitely one to watch” -TimeOutNY.com
Respectable writer (quietly farting).
Eliza Skinner is a producer, writer, performer, lover and fighter in New York City. She has appeared on TBS’ Are we There Yet?, Showtime’s PopTudors, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, MTV’s Damage Control, and opposite Cheri Oteri in AMC’s LifeCoach. Her writing has been featured in Glamour, Cracked, CollegeHumor, Pop Tudors, and PRI’s Fair Game With Faith Salie. Her solo show, Eliza Skinner is: SHAMELESS ran for over a year at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in NY and LA, and at the Comedy Central Stage in LA. She has written and directed numerous digital shorts which have quickly become viral favorites on Digg, Funny Or Die, and College Humor. Her films have also won many festival awards including Audience Favorite awards from the 48-Hour Film Project and Iron Mule Film Series.
Eliza is also one half of the award-winning Off-Broadway musical improv group I Eat Pandas (ECNY Award for Best Improv Group) and a cast member of Baby Wants Candy. Other favorite roles include Spizzaz in Gem! A Truly Outrageous Parody, Kitty Pryde in Astonishing Xmen on Marvel.com, and “the girl” in many, many Greg and Lou short films. As an actor she has won multiple awards from the NYC Fringe Festival, DC Short Film Festival, and 48 Film Project.
Currently, Eliza is working on a collection of comedic essays, and performing stand-up when- & wherever she can.
Most importantly, though – she’s a drummer and singer in an awesome band called Stickerbook.
Email – skinner.eliza@gmail.com
Review of solo show, Eliza Skinner is:SHAMELESS!, in Time Out NY.
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. By Eliza Skinner. Dir. Greg Burke. With Skinner. 30mins.
Lingering onstage during most theatrical performances is the silent scream of actors begging, “Look at me! I’m pretty! Love me!” Eliza Skinner Is: Shameless succeeds where other one-person comedies wouldn’t even go: Instead of simply concealing it, Skinner puts raw, repellent desperation front and center. Through a collection of stand-alone scenes, she portrays three attention-hungry women recklessly manipulating those around them.
The tragedy makes for vivid comedy. Both in her writing and in her nuanced performance, Skinner wrenches humor from awkward circumstances and cringe-inducing comments. Karen, an overbearing modern-day mom, hopes to impress her daughter’s new African-American college roommate by letting her feel her boob job. After giving up on the venture, Karen suffers through several moments of silence before offering, “I loved Martin Luther King—so sad about that. You know what happened, right?” Then Debra, a young mother in search of her youth, seduces a 14-year-old neighborhood boy in her minivan. After slowly, erotically and hilariously consuming a Go-Gurt, she suddenly spins around to scream, “Shut up, Amber!,” revealing the toddler who’s been in the car seat all along.
Rather than simply mocking these poor souls, Skinner imbues them with pathos and roots out the sources of their sadness—at times, to touching effect. Still, as the actions of Amy, the boy-crazy party girl, suggest in the show’s final moments, these women will never find resolution; no amount of love could ever be enough. It’s the process of asking for it they feed on—ah, actors. In other words, do look at Eliza. She is pretty. And you will love her.—Jane Borden