DEI Plants Do Comedy: Proving law students can be funny
Those out on the town enjoying the fine weather this weekend may have noticed an unusually high density of law students at FIREFLY Restaurant + Game Room [1]. Law ’Hoos seeking an ounce of joy in their lives joined Charlotteville locals in the arcade-slash-pub-slash-restaurant on Saturday night for a much-anticipated (and much-advertised) event. The draw? “DEI Plants Do Comedy”—a sold-out show featuring a real who’s-who of the Central Virginia comedy scene.
DEI Plants Do Comedy, a series of comedy shows at venues around Charlottesville, is hosted by one of the Law School’s very own S.J.D. candidates, Marilyn Hajj LL.M. ’20 [2]. Taking a break from authoring innovative pieces on U.S. tax law, Hajj both delivered the night’s opening set and introduced each subsequent act. Hajj’s material took audience members around the world, providing hilarious insight into her experience as a Lebanese immigrant. From tales of her mistaken identity as a French national in wine bars to her list of all-time favorite Arabic insults, audience members didn’t just come out of Hajj’s set laughing—they also left more informed.
Taylor Knight [3] followed Hajj’s performance with a more local flavor. A Charlottesville native, Knight’s material covered the epic highs and lows of life, death, love, and rivalry in Central Virginia. Knight’s set had a little something for everyone; the cat owner, the work-from-homer, and even the highly vengeful pickleballer could find something in Knight’s material to elicit an emphatic “wow, that’s so me.”
The next comic in the lineup was none other than first-year law student Zan Haq ’28 [4]. Haq, whose comedy career began long before he ever set foot in Charlottesville, tackled the evergreen trials and tribulations of modern dating and politics with his autobiographical style of comedy. He also took a turn for the seasonal, featuring some Ramadan-centric material. Haq characterized the energy in the sold-out venue as “hot and feisty,” emphasizing the great responsiveness of the crowd.
“You can really make the show come to life in that traditional [kind of] venue,” said Haq.
He also described the benefits he’s experienced doing comedy while also pursuing a J.D.
“I think it's very easy in law school to get absorbed into everything,” said Haq. “I think having a hobby like stand-up kinda keeps me grounded.”
Esther Bilderback [5] followed Haq’s set. Fans of impressions and self-referential humor will be delighted by Bilderback’s comedic style. Topical, ironic, and unafraid to push boundaries and challenge expectations, Bilderback’s material highlighted her transgender identity and all that comes with it, as well as offering commentary on society and engaging crowd work.
Emile Erbland’s [6] set added more yet more youthful energy to the night. Hailing from Richmond, VA, Erbland wasn’t afraid to get wacky with it in her act. Her performance was both physically and comedically moving, ending with an AI-defeating jig that will likely be stuck in this Law Weekly writer’s mind until the end of time.
The honor of the night’s closing act went to John Rademacher [7]—an established presence in the Charlottesville comedy scene. From beefing with school administrators to describing his mother’s historically-leaning taste in men, Rademacher’s act noticeably got the crowd going at the end of the night. His set finished the show with a bang, leaving audiences howling and red-faced.
If you are feeling heavy FOMO from missing Saturday’s show, fear not. Charlottesville’s active comedy scene is never far away. To stay up-to-date on future shows, be sure to check out Charlottesville Theater’s page [8] and Don’t Tell Comedy’s list of local shows [9]. For upcoming events at FIREFLY, see the restaurant’s website.
Author: Emma Lawson, ’28, hzk2ny@virginia.edu
[1] https://fireflycville.com
[2] https://www.instagram.com/marilynhajj/
[3] https://www.instagram.com/taylortristan13/
[4] https://www.instagram.com/zan_haq/
[5] https://www.instagram.com/esther.bilderback/
[6] https://www.instagram.com/emilieerbland/
[7] https://www.instagram.com/john_rademacher/
[8] https://www.charlottesvilletheater.com/shows/comedy
[9] https://www.donttellcomedy.com/cities/charlottesville-va/