Sonoma sons Brian Posehn and Reed Martin talk comedy on Nov. 14

Brian Posehn looks familiar, and not just because he grew up in Sonoma. The busy actor and comedian has been on TV, film and countless comedy stages.

On Nov. 14, he’ll return to Sonoma as part of the Barn Talk speaker series, where he’ll trade life lessons and laughs with writer, director and performer Reed Martin.

The event, sponsored by the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, is sold out, but the foundation is taking names for a ticket waitlist.

Now in its second year, the Barn Talks speaker series has featured Sonoma Valley High School alumni including quantum physicist Charlie Marcus (‘80), national security and public policy advisor Kori Schake (‘80) and Salesforce executive vice presidents David Havlek (‘83) and Meredith Schmidt (‘93).

Posehn has been at the forefront of off-beat comedy for more than two decades. Most recently, he has been seen on Comedy Central’s “The Sarah Silverman Program” and on tour as one of the original members of the “Comedians of Comedy.”

Besides writing and performing on HBO’s acclaimed “Mr. Show”, he has appeared in sitcoms such as “Seinfeld,” “NewsRadio,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Friends.” He has also appeared in several movies, including “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” and “Surf’s Up.”

In 2006, he released his first graphic novel, “The Last Christmas,” and a comedy album, “Live in Nerd Rage.” He is a regular on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and appeared in the Bob Saget roast on Comedy Central.

Reed Martin is best-known for his work with the Reduced Shakespeare Company - a three person theater troupe that, he says, “takes long, boring topics and turns them into short, sharp comedies.” He has published nine plays, three humorous nonfiction books, and has written for the BBC, NPR, Britain’s Channel Four, TBS, the Washington Post, the Independent UK, and Vogue magazine. Martin has performed twice at the White House as well as in London’s West End, Lincoln Center Theater, Kennedy Center, Seattle Repertory Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, ACT San Francisco, and Madison Square Garden. His work has been nominated for an Olivier Award in London, a Helen Hayes Award in Washington, DC, and a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critic’s Circle Award.

Proceeds from the fall 2018 Barn Talks will benefit SVHS Freshman Teams and the SVHS Drama Department.

The Barn Talk will take place at Broadway Farms at 20675 Broadway.

To be placed on the waitlist, call Sallie at the SVEF at 935-9566.