Is That Right?!

Overview

What if understanding science didn’t mean getting it right? IS THAT RIGHT?! makes getting it wrong the whole point.

In this game show hosted by a real-life scientist, Dr. Kanu Pandey, four improv comedians face the ultimate challenge: explaining research to the mystery scientist who conducted it. The twist? They meet the scientist for the first time live on stage with zero preparation. Will the comedians explain their science successfully, or will they fumble their life’s work?

Watch breakthrough discoveries get brilliantly botched through confident explorations of comedic proportions. From interpreting the field of research to conducting scientific podcasts, contestants use creativity with zero actual expertise to explain studies they’ve never seen before. Meanwhile, our guest scientist watches their life’s work get hilariously reimagined. Imagine if a TED Talk was also a hilarious trainwreck. You’re welcome.

Each show features a leading researcher from the Philadelphia region’s top institutions, including Penn, Temple, Rutgers, and more! Past mystery guests include neuroscientists studying social connection, microbiologists exploring sleep rhythms, genetics researchers investigating gut health, and political scientists analyzing breaking news patterns. This research directly impacts your life – from sleep to social media to nature and wildlife, our scientists will change the way you think about the world!

Whether you’re a comedy fan, science enthusiast, or just looking for a fun night in Rittenhouse Square, IS THAT RIGHT?! delivers laughs, learning, and the occasional moment of accidental brilliance. Come see what happens when scientific rigor meets comedic chaos.

About the Artist

Dr. Prateekshit "Kanu" Pandey is a scholar-comedian, who both studies and performs comedy. As an Assistant Professor of Communication at the Department of Communication at University of California, Santa Barbara, he studies how humor affects the brain and the role it plays in politics. As an improvisational comedian, he has performed in several improv comedy productions at Comedy Sportz Philadelphia, including The Blue Show, Roll Play (now at SideQuest), Muder Manor, Timeprov, Match Game, and Game Night.

Cara Hammer is a Philadelphia-based improviser, producer, and Zoology nerd with a penchant for creating live game shows. In addition to their third run of Is That Right?!, the crack team of Cara & Kanu are proud to debut READ THE SYLLABUS!: A Comedy Game Show Pursuing Academic Excellence in collaboration with Rutgers University this fall. In 2024, Cara co-produced and co-hosted the frenetic game show Think Fast! with dear friend Michael Weingartner. Catch Cara on stage this Fringe at Sawubona Creativity Project, where she's a proud member of The SINsation!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE!!! Our heartfelt, unending gratitude to ComedySportz Philadelphia for signifigant production contributions to Is That Right?!, including but certainly not limited to: Graphic design by Kristin Finger, set and lighting/tech design by Dave Jadico, and company-wide support for casting and workshopping games since Day 1. Thanks also to Jake Lucas, Sarah LeClair, and Alli Soowal for helping our inaugural Fringe run become a reality!

Credits