The Buckeye Standup Comedy Club poses on stage at Club D after their BUCK-Y2K welcome-back event. Credit: Courtesy of Julian Rodgers
The Buckeye Standup Comedy Club is taking its humor off campus, partnering with the Short North’s Hashtag Comedy Company for a night of laughs.
The show, set for 9 p.m. Saturday at The Hashtag Comedy Club — located at 1253 N. High St. — is a collaboration between the student-run comedy club and the Columbus-based professional organization, blending Ohio State creativity with the city’s comedy scene.
Natalee Townsend, a member of Buckeye Standup Comedy Club, said the event gives students an opportunity to perform in a professional space, bringing their material to a broader audience.
“It feels different because the venue and the environment feel more official,” Townsend said. “It makes it a little bit more nerve-wracking, but also makes you want to work harder.”
Audience members can expect to hear from 10 student comedians, each performing about 10 minutes of stand-up material. The performers will tackle a wide range of topics, from everyday life to more personal experiences, with each comedian bringing their unique perspective to the stage, Julian Rodgers, another club member, said.
Rodgers said writing a routine for the stage involves a lot of trial and error when figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
“Writing comedy takes a lot of editing, making sure the word economy works,” Rodgers said. “We don’t really exist without the audience. We have final say on what we say on stage, but if the audience doesn’t react to it, we kind of fail in our role.”
Townsend said for many student comedians, this event is an opportunity to test new material and see how it resonates with a fresh crowd.
Short North comedy club, The Hashtag Comedy Club, to host The Buckeye Standup Comedy Club event at 1253 N High St. Credit: Jackson Hall | Social Media Editor
“There are a lot of talented people that you don’t know about, especially in comedy,” Townsend said. “People might not realize all of what it takes to do stand-up comedy and how many funny people they are surrounded by every day.”
Hannah Romes, co-owner of The Hashtag Comedy Club, said the event is a chance for the company to highlight emerging talent while engaging with Ohio State’s student body.
“The audience is normally younger, so sometimes the people in the crowd might be attending a comedy show for the first time, which is really exciting to us,” Romes said. “People are really excited to be there, and the energy is contagious.”
Romes said this is the second collaboration between Buckeye Standup Comedy Club and The Hashtag Comedy Company. She said the first partnership took place in May 2024, and its success prompted the two groups to seek out another opportunity to work together.
“I’m an [Ohio State] alum myself, and part of my experience was getting involved in the local comedy scene,” Romes said. “I’m really passionate about tapping into OSU students and supporting them. I think opening these pathways is really critical for people to open up doors they don’t even realize exist.”
Tickets for the event are $15 online or $18 at the door. For more information, visit Hashtag Comedy Club’s website.
