Happy Hannukah! Emmy Award-winning comedy writer and comedian Monica Piper (bio below) joins Lisa and Maureen for a very special holiday episode of the JWT Podcast, giving listeners a tantalizing preview of her incredible one woman show, Not That Jewish, now playing at The Braid in Santa Monica after a triumphant run Off Broadway. Ever wonder what it means to have a Jewish heart? Or how about how did Monica go from English teacher to award-winning comedy writer/performer/producer? Have a listen and find out…

Click here for more info on Not That Jewish

MONICA PIPER was a Campfire Girl … in the Bronx.  “You sense your life isn’t normal when you’re sitting on the D train with a bag of marshmallows and a twig.”

Monica began her career as a high school English teacher. While finding it rewarding, she had to move on. “I couldn’t handle the money and prestige.” Realizing her passion was making people laugh, she studied improv with Second City in Chicago and performed with the Wing and Papaya Juice in San Francisco. She then went solo as a stand-up and soon became one of Showtime Network’s Comedy All Stars. It wasn’t long before she landed her own Cable Ace Award–winning Showtime special, No, Monica, Just You, and was nominated for an American Comedy Award as one of the top five female comedians in the country. Monica was recruited by Ms. Barr herself to write on Roseanne, after which she went on to write for Mad About You and Veronica’s Closet. 

Monica was now a mother, and sitcom hours meant too much time away from her son, so she turned to animation. After writing for the adult cult favorite Duckman, she became head writer of the #1 children’s animated series Rugrats, for which she won an Emmy. She then developed and wrote series for Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network.

Monica returned to her first love, performing. As a stand-up, she headlines fundraising events for organizations including the City of Hope, the Jewish Federation, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Brandeis Committee, and the Premiere Oncology Foundation, as well as Jewish groups nationwide. 

Monica also works in the corporate world as a motivational comedian. As a breast cancer survivor, she inspires audiences everywhere to lose the stress and Find the Funny in their personal and professional lives.

An artist-in-residence with Jewish Women’s Theatre, Monica performs original pieces for their At-Homes Salon Theatre Series and is eternally grateful to JWT and Gail Solo for commissioning her critically acclaimed one-woman play, Not That Jewish, which earned an LA Drama Critics Circle nomination for Best Solo Performance of 2015. Monica is thrilled to bring Not That Jewish back to LA after its hit seven-month run off-Broadway.

Monica recently enjoyed playing the role of Bess Myerson in Barra Grant’s Miss America’s Ugly Daughter at the Broad Stage Edye Theater in Santa Monica.

Monica lives in Santa Monica with her dog, cat, and son, Jake, whom she loves and adores “almost every day.”