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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

At the Bitter End

Isabel Hagen

Veeps · 2026

Deadpan stand-up and classical viola in a Greenwich Village club.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Released , on Veeps.

A comic bringing a musical instrument onto a stand-up stage usually signals parody songs or cabaret timing. Isabel Hagen avoids the trap by ignoring her viola entirely for the first twenty-five minutes, sticking to monotone jokes about chronic anxiety, open relationships, and the logistical failure of trying to sleep one’s way to the top.

When she finally picks up the instrument, she uses it to play legitimate J.S. Bach phrases between dry reflections on conservatory discipline and repetitive strain injuries. The music serves as deadpan punctuation rather than a novelty gimmick.

Filmed at The Bitter End in New York’s Greenwich Village, the hour caught Hagen balancing two very different careers. By the time it hit YouTube in 2026, the Juilliard graduate had played Broadway pits, toured with Vampire Weekend, and debuted her indie feature On a String. The low-ceilinged music club gives the set the feel of an intimate recital that went slightly sideways.

Notable bits & set list

7 bits

  1. Playing the viola and graduating from Juilliard

    Describes the viola as an instrument nobody cares about and explains how she pretends to be modest when telling people she went to Juilliard.

  2. The walk of shame with a viola

    Contrasts carrying a viola after a one-night stand with carrying a cool guitar, noting it looks like a nerdy girl getting laid after a symphony.

  3. Sleeping one's way to the top

    Defends women accused of sleeping their way to the top, arguing it is exceptionally difficult to get a man to write a recommendation letter when it is already hard to get a text back.

  4. Hooking up with a guy in an open relationship

    Views sleeping with someone else's partner as a form of community service that brings the primary couple closer together.

  5. Straight men identifying as feminists

    Notes that while male feminists might claim feminism to get laid, non-feminist men brag about bench pressing for the same exact reason.

  6. Hating camping and outdoor activities

    Argues camping is stupid because people drag supplies outside just to simulate being indoors, suggesting people could instead stay home, let squirrels in, and avoid showering.

  7. Soccer camp sportsmanship award

    Believed losing constantly with a good attitude made her a lock for the sportsmanship award, only to lose it to a quiet camper named Jenny.

How it plays

Tone
Deadpan, dark, raunchy, and existential.
On stage
Deadpan, witty, off-beat, self-deprecating, and authentically weird.
Pace
Unpredictable tempo blending one-liners and longer narrative stories with classical viola interludes.
About
being a classical musician and violist, anxiety, death and accidents, dating, hookups, and marriage, feminism, camping and sports

What the critics said

Applauded by reviewers for her superb deadpan delivery, unpredictable mix of one-liners and personal stories, and the creative integration of classical viola playing with dirty, existential stand-up.

In the room: Engaged and responsive club audience with frequent laughter and applause.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: deadline.com, veeps.com, imdb.com, letterboxd.com.

Backstory

Trained as a classical violist with Bachelors and Masters degrees from The Juilliard School, Hagen turned to stand-up comedy following a repetitive stress injury to her wrist; she actively tours as a musician (including with Vampire Weekend) and weaves classical viola playing into her comedy.

Details

Released
Taped
The Bitter End, New York City
Where
Veeps
Director
Isabel Hagen
Topics

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