The Laughing Impact Project

Inaugural Event

Everything Is Great! A Town Hall For The People

A civic satire event using the Laughing Impact framework

The first event produced under the Laughing Impact framework was held in Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama and featured the debut of a new performance titled Everything Is Great! A Town Hall For The People. Designed as both a satirical work and a participatory civic experience, the event brought together grassroots organizers, artists, and attendees for an evening that exceeded our expectations.

Held on a Wednesday night, the event was near capacity with attendees from across a wide demographic spectrum. The audience included longtime activists, newcomers to civic engagement, and community members drawn in by the promise of humor and dialogue in an unfamiliar format.

this is an image of comedian/improviser/theatre makers, Eunice Elliott, Rich Mansfield, Christopher Davis, and Matt Davis performing at the debut of Everything is Great town hall comedy show event produced by Laughing Impact.

L to R: Eunice Elliott, Rich Mansfield, Christopher Davis, and Matt Davis perform at Inaugural 'Everything Is Great!' produced by Laughing Impact Project

Structure and Format

“Everything Is Great!” is a satirical reimagining of the town hall format—long a site of democratic intent, yet often subverted by performative bureaucracy and rhetorical stonewalling. The show plays on this tension by staging a deliberately absurd version of a civic forum where issues are heard, distorted, and gamified by fictional political figures competing for fictional dark money contributions.

this is an image of comedian and improviser Dave Perry performing at the debut Everything Is Great! Town Hall comedy event produced by Laughing Impact.

David Perry (one of the many players representing attendees) performs attendee-submitted questions at the inaugural 'Everything Is Great!' town hall event produced by Laughing Impact Project

In the hour before and after the performance, participating grassroots organizations were invited to share space with attendees, answer questions, and distribute literature. These engagements took place both in designated areas and informally throughout the venue. Submitted questions and concerns—gathered in advance online and on-site—were interpreted and performed by a cast of “citizen-players,” who embodied the voices of the community. A second group of players, cast as politicians, responded to these concerns within the exaggerated game show conceit.

this is an image of comedian/improviser/theatre makers, Eunice Elliott, Rich Mansfield, Christopher Davis,performing at the debut of Everything is Great town hall comedy show event produced by Laughing Impact.

L to R: Eunice Elliott, Rich Mansfield, and Christoper Davis at their podiums jeerig the crowd at the inaugural 'Everything Is Great!' town hall event produced by Laughing Impact Project

The visual identity of the show—bright, playful, and slightly dissonant—used printed materials and stage design to emphasize the crap-saccharine aesthetic: a term for surfaces that appear cheerful while concealing dysfunction beneath.

Audience Reactions

The post-show event was full of attendees inquiring about the next one; wanting more; and asking about next plans. Attendees met and spoke with each other, and with organizers on hand for a quite awhile afterward. 'We needed this!,' 'A relief to be reminded I'm not the only one who cares,' and 'It felt amazing to laugh about things for a change', were encouraging and frequent.

Outcomes & Next Steps

Following the event, we received invitations to bring the project to several other U.S. cities, as well as early-stage interest from international collaborators. Multiple theatre collectives have expressed interest in adapting the framework locally, and audience members have begun submitting grassroots organizations they hope to see involved in future events. Plans are underway for an encore performance at our debut venue in late July.

New Cities

We are currently planning events in additional cities. Interested in bringing one to your region?