Nearly a year after its debut, Brooklyn's homegrown comedy dating show, Do You Still Like Me?, has found a bigger stage.
On a recent Saturday night, over 100 Brooklynites gathered at Littlefield in Gowanus, hoping to witness five single comedians find love. It was the largest show in the event's history, and the first to be held outside of a bar.
The event, deemed by one attendee as bringing "mortification and embarrassment" to the comedians, asks each comic to perform a brief stand-up set in front of three blind dates, pre-matched and seated in the audience. Afterward, the dates publicly tally off their "oohs" and "icks" — a verdict on everything from the comedian's material to their personal quirks.
At the May 9 show, comedian James Mwaura was told that his lack of in-unit laundry was an "ick" by two of his dates — a harsh judgment in today's economy.
In the end, the comedians ask their dates the titular question: Do you still like me?
Co-host Rania Hannan founded the show last June as a solution to an age-old problem: ”Unfortunately, there is a pretty high rate of singleness among comics,” she said. “I think for good reason, respectfully.”
For Hannan, asking her dates to watch her perform stand-up and list out all her red flags would, at the very least, save her and her fellow comedians some time. Soon after the first show, she enlisted fellow creative Estee Daveed, whom she met in sketch comedy class, to co-host with her.
For single Brooklynites of all professions—each of whom face a dating scene dominated by apps—the show has struck a chord. The comedy sets are followed by a free-for-all single mingle, which co-hosts Hannan and Daveed have officially titled the “Meet Market.”
“People wanna meet people in real life,” said Randa Awada, a 31-year-old living in Brooklyn and a first-time attendee.
More than an opportunity to enjoy good comedy, the show has also worked some real magic: at least one comedian-attendee couple wound up dating for several months after meeting on the show, according to Daveed.
“ I love rom-coms,” said Daveed. “That's kind of why I'm part of the show… I just wanna watch a meet-cute whenever I can.”
As the show has grown, Hannan and Daveed have fielded suggestions from friends and producers to bring their show into Manhattan. Their response has been indignant.
“I could never,” Estee said. “I love Brooklyn… It's kind of like the energy of the show: this kind of kooky, quirky, creative, spunky energy that you feel really when you're there.”
Keeping the show in the borough, they said, has allowed them to nourish a strong sense of community. ”We have repeat audience members who have come to nearly every show,” said Hannan.
Jane Kim, a 36-year-old Brooklynite, has attended the show four times. And though she has not found love, she has made friends—not always a small task for young New Yorkers.
Since attending her first show, Kim said she has seen “so many more guests” come into the space, as well as “a wider mix of people in terms of sexuality.”
Both Daveed and Hannan mused about bringing Do You Still Like Me? on tour to other cities in the future. But for the time being, the team is committed to serving a broader network of singles across Brooklyn.
The next show will be held at Littlefield on June 7.
