Statler Auditorium welcomed comedians and actresses Holmes and Wally Baram, who are most commonly known for their roles on the hit Prime series Overcompensating, for an evening packed with liveliness, laughter and wit on Thursday.
“It doesn’t take much to make me laugh, but they did a great job,” said Clara de Long ’27, a student attendee who recently binge-watched Overcompensating.
Holmes, an American actress, comedian and writer, is most widely recognized for her role as Hailee Matthews in A24 Film’s comedy-drama Overcompensating and Kelly Mallet in the sitcom Welcome to the Flatch.
Overcompensating follows Bennito Skinner, a closeted college student who navigates his sexuality as a football player, struggling with friendships, relationships and inauthentic self-presentation.
Holmes opened her set with remarks about the University’s academics and the city of Ithaca, referencing her ACT score of 23 and describing the town as “cute as a button.”
During one skit, the sound system failed to play a song required for the bit. Holmes was quick on her feet, pausing the bit and filling in with fragments of other jokes and then immediately resuming the bit once the audio issue was resolved.
The remainder of her set was marked by high-energy audience interactions, such as asking audience members to discern whether she was reenacting being “f*cked by a guy or riding a rollercoaster,” and roleplay-based sketches.
Her set was followed by Baram, a Mexican-Syrian stand-up actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Carmen Neil in Overcompensating, for which she also serves as the supervising producer. Baram has also written for the Apple TV series Shrinking.
Baram began by sharing her first impressions of the University, retelling her memory of a fraternity member calling her mother a ‘MILF’ while touring the campus. Baram later went on to study at Columbia University. The remainder of her set included various other retellings, from first date stories to eating ant poison.
Prior to Holmes’ set, the audience was warmed up by two Cornell student comedians: The Skits’ Farhan Naquib ’26 and Lucy Jones ’26.
de Long recalls seeing Jones as an interviewer at a Q&A session with comedian Caleb Hearon earlier in the year. de Long described Jones as “confident” and a “great” opener for the show.
Holmes’ and Baram’s appearances were organized by the Cornell University Program Board. Originally scheduled for Dec. 5, the comedy night was postponed two days in advance due to health concerns involving one of the performers.
According to CUPB Selections Chair Josh Martin ’26, the club worked closely with its executive board and advisors to navigate venue availability and scheduling conflicts within the Student Program Council, ultimately rescheduling the event for Thursday, two months later.
CUPB promoted the event “diligently” with social media posts and flyers around campus in hopes of maintaining turnout despite the complications, Martin wrote in a statement to The Sun.
Although the comedy night was rescheduled and held on a weekday, 779 registered to watch the performance in Statler Auditorium.
“After watching Overcompensating, I started watching interviews and saw that they were not only hilarious as characters within the show, but hilarious outside of it as well,” said Izabella Tandlmayer ’26 in an interview with The Sun. “It’s really nice to see these less mainstream comedians and actors come to campus, because they’re exactly the people that students like me are so excited to see.”
Tandlmayer’s enthusiasm echoed the broader goal CUPB aims to achieve with its programming.
“As students ourselves, we know how hectic the day-to-day life of a Cornell student can be,” Martin wrote in a statement to The Sun. “CUPB hopes our shows give the Cornell community a chance to unwind with a night of laughs and a warm-up after a cold day of classes.”
Following the conclusion of the sets, CUPB announced that Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute in The Office, would be their upcoming guest for an evening Q&A. Wilson’s appearance is set to take the stage of Bailey Hall, with doors opening at 6 p.m. on Feb. 28.
Rafaela Gandolfo Bustamante is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is a senior writer for the News department and can be reached at rgandolfobustamante@cornellsun.com.
