XI YRS

Handren Seavey has a deliberate, low-key style that makes his most provocative punchlines feel like casual conversation. Recorded at Third Wheel Comedy in Los Angeles, XI YRS is a short debut that gets much of its mileage from the contrast between Seavey’s calm delivery and his cynical premises. He leans heavily into his upbringing on a farm in Maine, treating his childhood chores as a form of unpaid labor that only ended when his parents replaced him with modern farm machinery. His transition to fatherhood in Los Angeles forms the backbone of the set, where he details the strategic choice to name his daughter Wilde (spelled with an “e” like Oscar Wilde) as a preventative measure to keep her off the stripper pole, and jokes about looking forward to stealing her future prescription ADHD medication. A standout bit involves a historical footnote about Portland, Maine, where six of the 9/11 hijackers spent their final night at a local strip club. Seavey uses this to point out that even local dancers could not derail the plot or make the hijackers late for their early morning flight. Filmed inside the historic space of the old Charlie Chaplin Studios, XI YRS was released in May 2023 by production company Four By Three, capturing the comedian during his time working as a door guy at The Comedy Store while establishing himself as a regular at the Hollywood Improv.