FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livermore Valley Arts
Contact: Andrew Kracht (925) 583-2314
A LOL-Full Start to the New LVA Season, This Fall at The Bankhead
Livermore, CA – (August 20, 2026) – The perfect cure for those summer-has-passed blues, Livermore Valley Arts is thrilled to kick off its new season full of laughs from both new and returning comedians. The season of comedy hits the ground running with the celebrated return of a very familiar face, comic genius Paula Poundstone, back in Livermore on Saturday, September 5, followed by forever Bankhead hot sellers, the best up-and-coming comedians on the West Coast at the San Francisco Comedy Competition on Friday, September 18, and an anticipated Bankhead debut with comic sensation Gabriel Rutledge and his Don’t Read the Comments show on Saturday, October 17. All of these hilarious performances will play at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore this September and October.
One of the first shows in the new season on September 5, The Bankhead will be presenting humorist, author, and comedian Paula Poundstone in an exciting return to the Tri-Valley. Iconic comedian Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and legendary spontaneous wit. Paula is the star of several HBO specials, including Cats, Cops and Stuff, and Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard. Paula is a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, and she is heard weekly on her successful comedy podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone. As an author, Paula’s second book, The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness (Algonquin), was one of eight semi-finalists for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, the highest recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The audiobook was one of five finalists in all genres for the Audio Book of the Year AUDIE award. Paula was the first female comic in its then 73rd year to perform standup at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Her HBO special, Cats, Cops and Stuff, marked the first time a female comedian won Best Comedy Special in the then 5th year of the Cable Ace Awards. Paula’s awards and accolades make a long list, and she is included in innumerable documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential comedians of our time. Livermore Valley Arts is elated to have one of comedy’s best grace the Bankhead Stage once again. (Tickets are selling fast for Paula Poundstone. Interested patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets sooner than later for this show.)
Thirty-two Comics. Twenty Shows. One Champion. Celebrating 50 Years of Bay Area Comedy! Having been a perennial stop on the 20-show circuit that comprises the annual competition, the San Francisco Comedy Competition is a unique elimination-style contest, differing from many other competitions in prestige and time commitment. Running over a four-week timeline during the month of September, the legendary San Francisco Comedy Competition attracts hundreds of qualified comedians from around the world, with only 32 comedians being chosen. Now in its iconic 50th anniversary year, the San Francisco Comedy Competition has helped launch a Who’s Who of comic champions. Over the years, legends such as Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Sinbad, and Ellen DeGeneres have emerged from this renowned stand-up comedy contest to become stars. This September engagement during the semi-finals at The Bankhead will be hosted by Mike E. Winfield, the man who’s synonymous with comedy and is currently on a hot streak. With the “E” for Jokes, Winfield has been touring the country and abroad, riding a huge wave from the Simon Cowell Golden Buzzer, and various appearances on America’s Got Talent having lit a flame. You might know him as the warehouse worker in Season 8 of NBC’s The Office or the loyal friend to Keke Palmer in the movie Pimp. He’s been on the Late Show with David Letterman, Arsenio Hall Show, and he has toured and performed with the Troops. He also has several videos going viral all over social media, alongside standup comedy specials on YouTube and Amazon Prime. The Bankhead looks forward to welcoming and discovering the next comedy greats before they hit it big, as well as Mike E. Winfield, during semi-finals week in Downtown Livermore on September 18.
A month later, October will continue with much laughing out loud with the Bankhead debut of the hilarious Gabriel Rutledge and his show Don’t Read the Comments! A past winner of both the Seattle International Comedy Competition and The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta, Gabriel has made numerous television appearances including Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Nickelodeon’s Nickmom Night Out, Laughs on FOX, and Inside Joke streaming on Amazon Prime Video. His Dry Bar Comedy special “A Third of the Room,” as well as his YouTube special “Nectarine” have garnered millions of views online. He is also the author of the book Happiness Isn’t Funny: True Stories of a Road Comic. Don’t miss out on this side-splitting Tri-Valley performance from this stand-up comic sensation, author, and podcast host known for his sharp observational comedy and relatable stories about family, life, and everything in between, at The Bankhead on October 17.
Tickets for shows in the 2026—2027 Bankhead Presents season are available online, by calling 925-373-6800, or at the box office windows. For a complete list of events, visit LivermoreArts.org.
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Livermore Valley Arts is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit offering wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. The Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center are home to eight resident performing arts companies, over 40 studio artists, and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org
Show: Paula Poundstone
Date/Time: Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 8:00pm Selling Fast
Tickets: $45—$75 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: San Francisco Comedy Competition
Date/Time: Friday, September 18, 2026, at 8:00pm
Tickets: $30—$60 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: Gabriel Rutledge: Don’t Read the Comments
Date/Time: Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 8:00pm
Tickets: $30—$60 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts
