Our guide to stand-up, improv and variety shows.
‘BEAUTIFUL/ANONYMOUS’ at the Bell House (Feb. 7, 8 p.m.). The comedian Chris Gethard, of the eponymous truTV live variety talk show and of “Broad City,” has a podcast wherein strangers call in anonymously and share stories, spill secrets or debate philosophy, and the rule is that Gethard can’t be the one to hang up first. At this taping of the podcast, Gethard, a compassionate listener with an earnest curiosity, will engage with his callers in front of a live audience.
718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com
‘FIFTY/CINCUENTA’ at the Upright Citizens Brigade East Village (Feb. 7, 10:15 p.m.). This improv show is performed in both Spanish and English by a bilingual team. It takes its lead from an interview with an audience member about an experience they’ve had in a Spanish-speaking country or with a Spanish-speaking person, building an improv set around the story. As the event description reads, “Enjoy una noche filled with comedia para everyone!”
212-366-9176, east.ucbtheatre.com
‘THE HARD TIMES LIVE’ at Tender Trap (Feb. 2, 8 p.m.). The punk satire website Hard Times, known for headlines like “Nobody Sure if Post Rock Band Has Started Playing Yet” and “I Think America Would Be Safer if Every Adult Owned a Cinder Block on a Chain You Swing Around All Crazy,” hosts this stand-up comedy showcase featuring writers for the Hard Times and others.
tendertrapbk.com
‘LITERATI: A COMEDY SHOW ABOUT BOOKS AND THE IDIOTS WHO WRITE THEM’ at Caveat (Feb. 2, 9 p.m.). At this monthly event, a cast of comedians reads a selection of literature, real or imagined, in character and sometimes in costume. This time, performers from the Upright Citizens Brigade and Annoyance Theater join the spooky children’s story writer R.L. Stine and the hosts, Colin O’Brien and Michael Wolf.
212-228-2100, caveat.nyc
GEORGE SAUNDERS WITH DANA SPIOTTA at Murmrr (Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m.). This new regular literary and cultural series launches with a reading from the satirist and Man Booker Prize-winning author of “Lincoln in the Bardo,” George Saunders, as well as a reading from and conversation with the author Dana Spiotta. Both will be available to sign books following the event.
murmrr.com
‘YELLOW TAPE: A TRUE CRIME TRIVIA SHOW!’ at Q.E.D. (Feb. 7, 9 p.m.). With countless podcasts, television shows and full-length documentaries devoted to the topic of true crime, fans of the genre are finding no shortage of ways to prove their devotion. At this true-crime trivia show, knowledge of unsolved mysteries, serial killers and criminal justice facts — normally not the kind of topics generally considered appropriate for casual dinner-party fodder — will serve teams well. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the Innocence Project, which aims to exonerate those wrongly convicted.
347-451-3873, qedastoria.com