Line-Up | planocomedyfestival

Official 2026 Festival Line-Up

We have over 100 comics performing on this year's Plano Comedy Festival! And our talent line-up is bigger and better than ever!

Ainsley Bailey is an LA-based stand-up comedian, actress, and creative artist. She was recently selected as a New Face of Comedy at the prestigious 2026 Montreal Just For Laughs comedy festival, which earned her a coveted spot on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", which further earned her the #1 spot on Vulture's list of top highlights from late night that week. She was also named by the Los Angeles Times as one of their 15 L.A. comics you need to know now, according to club bookers. Ainsley performs regularly at The Comedy Store, The Hollywood Improv, and The Crow.

Amy Miller might look familiar from After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson, Comics Unleashed, her viral Don't Tell Comedy Sets, her podcast The Basement Tapes with the Osbournes, or from doing standup comedy in so many places right in front of your goddamn face. Amy is a paid regular at both the World Famous Comedy Store and New York's Comedy Cellar. In August 2026 she became the first comedian in history to film a comedy special at legendary punk venue 924 Gilman St. She was one of Comedy Central’s “Up Next" comics, and has a Half Hour Special called Ham Mouth on the Comedy Central YouTube channel. As a brand new comic she was a breakout favorite in the final season of Last Comic Standing. Amy has a half hour comedy special on Epix's Unprotected Sets and her Comedy Central Presents set has been viewed many millions of times on Youtube and Facebook. She was also a featured comic on Viceland's Flophouse. On Last Comic Standing, Keenen Ivory Wayans said she had one of the “fiercest jokes he had ever heard.” Originally from the East Bay, Amy found her comedy chops in Oakland and is still a regular at the SF Punch Line and Cobb’s Comedy Club. Her material is personal, political, and 100% authentic. The Laugh Button says “She found a wildly creative way to find empowerment while simultaneously sparking laughter” and Courting Comedy says “Miller juxtaposes an unassuming demeanor with unflinching assurance.” After a move to Portland OR, Amy quickly rose to the top of the Pacific Northwest comedy scene, winning Portland’s Funniest in Helium Comedy Club's contest, as well as being voted Portland’s Funniest Comedian in the Willamette Week. She was the first woman to win each position and the only one to win both. Amy has been a regular opener for so many of her heroes including Tom Segura, Nicole Byer, Arsenio Hall and Wanda Sykes.

Barry Whitewater is a suburban dad from Dallas, Texas. A married, father of two children, who say they love him, but act quite the opposite. Want to know what insight a middle aged father of two can bring today's world, he's got it. Born just North of the border, he'll compare and contrast both.
Winner of the 2026 “Texas Funny” stand up comedy competition. TV credit includes “Shed G and Friends” on CW33 and has worked with comedians Nate Bargatze, Jon Lovitz and Tom Arnold. He’s headlined at the State Fair of Texas and the Plano Comedy Festival. He’s featured at Hyena’s, The Improv, Mic Drop, Loony Bin and other comedy clubs as well as The Star owned by the Dallas Cowboys.

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Cathy Chao is an English-Mandarin bilingual standup comedian based in San Francisco. She blends history, politics, pop culture, and technology trends with her immigrant experience, crafting a unique comedy style.

She won Second Place in East Bay Comedy Competition and North America Standup Comedy Competition in Chinese Mandarin, a finalist in Rooster Feathers Comedy Competition. She performed at the San Jose Improv, Chicago Laugh Factory, Las Vegas Jimmy Kimmel’s, Denver Comedy Works, Atlanta Laughing Skull, SF Punchline, Cobb's, SF Comedy Day, SF Sketchfest, SF Fringe, Gotham Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club, Detroit Women Comedy Festival, Don’t Tell Comedy.

She has opened for Bobby Lee, Margaret Cho, Natasha Leggero, and many famous comedians muptiple times, and performed all over America, Europe, and China. She’s co-founded a non-profit Laughitouthub.org to empower underprivileged teenagers with humor in the format of stand-up comedy and improvisation.

Paul Varghese is an American comedian and actor of Indian descent who appeared on the hit reality show Last Comic Standing. He taped his first full set for national television on March 8, 2007 for Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Paul Varghese's act includes a number of observations about being Indian, providing outsider-looking-in and insider-looking-out commentary, while also exploring an array of topics and issues outside that realm. He was named by the Dallas Observer in 2007 as the "Best Stand-up Comic in Dallas" and then won the 2009 "Funniest Comic in Dallas" competition. Varghese has performed at the HBO Comedy Festival, the Montreal and Toronto's Just For Laughs Festivals and the TBS Comedy Festival. His TV credits include Telemundo 2's "Loco Comedy Jam", NBC's "Last Comic Standing," Comedy Central's "Live At Gotham" and he can be seen on Showtime's "Russell Peters Presents". His latest special "As I Was Saying" is out on YouTube.

His album, Paul and Oates, was recorded via Comedy Central Records and hit #1 on iTunes.

The Magic of Eric Eaton has performed all over the United States and can be seen on the hit TV Show Masters of Illusion. Eric has won a Merlin Award (Oscar’s of Magic) for Outstanding Comedy and Magic. Eric has had the opportunity amaze celebrities such as; George Lopez, Lou Ferrigno, Russell Peters, Desiigner, and many more in which you can find on his social media platforms; @themagicofericeaton. Eric puts on a great show that earns him high praise with his unique blend of magic, charm and comedic wit. People referred to his amazing comedic tendencies and his ability with magic to being the perfect combination for a compelling and entertaining show. All of Eric’s tricks include audience members. From the show’s start to the incredible finish, audience members find themselves on stage trading barbs with Eric and having the time of their lives! The interchange is classic entertainment at its best. Be prepared to sit back and laugh at the hilarious and incredible Comedy and Magic of Eric Eaton!

Dana Gould is a comedy writer, actor, comedian, show creator and producer. He is best known for creating, writing, and executive producing IFC’s comedy horror series STAN AGAINST EVIL, in which he also starred as “Kevin.” Dana served as Consulting Producer and guest starred on Peacock’s TED prequel series created by Seth MacFarlane. He is also voicing multiple characters in the upcoming TED animated series.

On the development side, he sold his feature about Martha Mitchell to Sister Pictures and also developed an hour-long series based on Steve Niles’ comic book series THE OCTOBER FACTION for Netflix.

Other television writing credits include THE SIMPSONS, where he served as a Co-Executive Producer for six seasons, SEINFELD, PARKS & RECREATION, MARON, SUPER ADVENTURE TEAM, and many more.

His graphic novel adaptation of Rod Serling’s original draft of the screenplay for PLANET OF THE APES was published by Boom! Comics.

Dana also hosts his monthly podcast “The Dana Gould Hour”, which frequently resides in iTunes’ Top Ten Comedy.

Jason Salmon is a Texas born, NYC based standup whose comedy has been described as “…like getting the best advice you’ve ever gotten…from the dumbest guy you know.”

Jason’s performed all over the world including for the troops in Europe, South America, & Afghanistan and his standup special: BISCUITS and GRAVITY can we watched right now on YouTube

He’s been featured in Red Dead Redemption 2, Orange is the New Black, HBO, Comedy Central, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Hulu’s Wu Tang Clan Series, & 30 Rock, as well as tons of commercials

Philip Lindsay is a Special Education math teacher with a mission to bridge the gap between adults and students. He’s passionate about creating meaningful connections in the classroom and beyond. Known for his unique ability to decipher Gen Alpha slang and his frequent appearances on The Today Show, Philip brings humor and heart to education.

Whether he’s cracking jokes on stage, sharing insightful tips in his videos, or speaking at schools, Philip’s goal is to empower both students and educators. He believes that laughter, storytelling, and genuine connection are essential ingredients for a successful and fulfilling learning experience.

Truth in Comedy, or TiC for short is a storytelling, stand-up comedy, and art show where humanity is the muse. It's a unique experience that's raw and beautiful. Three individuals will tell a very personal story from their life, their truth, where they will be very open, honest, and vulnerable. Afterwards, a comic will perform a set inspired by the story. A the end of the night, a visual artist will present a triptych they created inspired by the stories as well. Join us and for this unique experience to see why no matter what we go through, we can always find something to smile or laugh about.

Hosted by Byron Stamps, a Mississippi native whose laid-back delivery about tales of family life, observations, and being a thug trapped in a nerd’s body thoroughly engages audiences. There is never a dull moment during this peek behind the curtain into his wild and hilariously twisted mind. Byron has performed his act at the Dallas Comedy House, Chicago’s Snubfest, and the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas. He can be seen performing stand-up regularly around the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as improv with The Hammock District.

Spinderella’s Comedy Jam brings together some of her favorite stand-up comedians for a night packed with laughs, energy, and good vibes. It’s like a party at a comedy show!

A pioneering icon in hip-hop, Grammy Award winning DJ Spinderella rose to fame as the DJ for the groundbreaking group Salt-N-Pepa.In 2025, she made history as the first female DJ inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Salt-N-Pepa. She is currently on the It’s Iconic Tour, a 35-city North American tour co-headlined by TLC and Salt-N-Pepa, with special guests En Vogue.

With decades of experience in music, radio, and live entertainment, she’s no stranger to the stage or to comedy. She previously toured with Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Jam, bringing her signature energy to one of the biggest comedy tours in the country.