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Intro


 

 

 

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Intro


 

 

 

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Not The One


 

 

 

 

Not The One


 

 

 

 

REAL QUICK: did you know....

  • You can get updates on my critically acclaimed solo show NOT THE ONE: a love story here.

  • You can book me to perform and speak at colleges and events and find out more here.

  • I’m a published author, my young adult book The Symptoms of My Insanity was called “refreshing” by Publishers Weekly, and was a 10 Top Romance Fiction by Booklist.

  • You can sign up and receive emails that contain storytelling tips,inspiration links, marketing tips and tricks, and sometimes a hair selfie or two.

★★★★ THE EDINBURGH REPORTER "Barrier-breaking...inventive, sexually liberated (and liberating) one-woman show...cleverly conceived and engagingly kooky."

 ★★★★ ED FEST MAGAZINE "... cheeky and infectious. ...intensely loveable, painfully relatable humour. And her dive into the romantic story of how she met her significant other is almost as moving as her powerful message about bisexuality.

"THE SICK OF THE FRINGE “Raf makes a bold case for understanding how we are always all of our identities, and how these identities intersect, inform, challenge and support each other in exciting ways...pointed and important revelations about the challenging and absurd realities of the American healthcare system, Midwestern Jewishness and family, and marginalized sexual identities." 

THEATRE IS EASY Finally someone is bringing humor and—most importantly —normality to parts of the human psychology and emotional life that are far too often romanticized, or even fetishized.” 

NEW YORK TIMES HIGHLIGHTED AS “COMEDY IN NYC THIS WEEK” “modern love…sex, anxiety, coming out, polyamory, self-identity, queer culture and her relationship with the movie “Dirty Dancing.”

★★★★★ TIME OUT NEW YORK “The stand-up queen of self deprecation . . .LGBT Best Bet.”

EFFORT-LEZ "60 minutes of hilarity.”
HY REVIEWS “... a whole new level of comedy greatness. Raf delivers a performance so intimate and in-the-moment that it almost feels as if she’s revealing herself spontaneously...a star talent who demands attention." 

 GO MAGAZINE “In the midst of all of the terrifying political news out there, sometimes you just need to laugh it off. Mindy Raf brings audience members on a hilarious journey through life and death, polyamorous relationship struggles, anxiety, bisexuality, and sex positivity in her 60-minute performance.Raf had the audience in fits of laughter as she smoothly moved through her relatable and witty narrative of trying to figure it all out.”

 Josh Lefkowitz, Author/Poet "I'm still thinking about Not The One days after seeing...it was so funny and well-written and honest and real, and left me with this feeling of resolved incompleteness that the best poems do - thrown back out into the world, not knowing how it all is going to unfold, and somehow being okay with that…"

Mandy Evans Brown, Producer/Actress “So funny and really moving. Coming again, and I'm bringing friends."

Effy Blue, Relationship Coach/Speaker “I laughed and cried, and laughed and cringed, and laughed more, cried a little and then laughed and then it ended. And I was ready to see it again- for the 4the time.”

NoT The One: a love Story

Identity, Sex, Anxiety, Polyamory, Death...Mindy Raf dismantles the romantic comedy one intimate moment at a time.

After sold out runs at the People's Improv Theatre, and Off Broadway at 59e59 Theatre, Not The One made it's international debut at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a 26 show run at the Gilded Balloon. Now running monthly in NYC with shows at Cloud City, The Tank, & a current spring guest production run at TheaterLab.

Written and Performed by Mindy Raf

Directed by Tara Elliott

Produced (UK) Civil Disobedience Productions

Weed lube, throuple therapy, & one life-altering text message. With an open mind, heart, and vagina, Mindy Raf demolishes the romantic comedy and the roles we play in it. As Raf demystifies love, loss, and sexuality, she engages her vulnerable, razor-sharp storytelling style to face the complexities of modern love and leave us asking, “could I ever do that?” 

PAST shows:

Monthly Residency TheaterLab

March/April/May 2018

26 Show Run 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Gilded Ballon, Rose Theatre

Guest Production Cloud City

Novemeber 2018

Winter Guest Production Tank NYC

December- January 2018

Not The One is Raf's first collaboration with director Tara Elliott ('Shugs & Fat', Burq Off).

 
 
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Press


Press

 

 

 

Press


Press

 

 

 

Featured
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Mindy Raf Plans on Keeping Her Kidneys
Mindy Raf Plans on Keeping Her Kidneys

"As a queer woman going to comedy shows in NYC can be risky. You never know if you’re going to hear misogynistic comments, rape jokes or homophobic slurs coming from the stage. “Keeping My Kidneys” was different; Raf used her intersecting identities as a Jewish, bi/pansexual, polyamorous woman to bring the audience together in similar lived experiences like awkward texting, office romances, and nerve-wracking anxiety. Raf had the audience in fits of laughter as she smoothly moved through her relatable and witty narrative of trying to figure it all out."

Mindy Raf Makes Us Think While Making Us Laugh.
Mindy Raf Makes Us Think While Making Us Laugh.

A night that is as hilarious and enjoyable as it is thought-provoking. As we sit there laughing our asses off, we let our guards down and, imperceptibly, let her message in. The show, in turn, becomes appealing for a wide range of audiences. Proof of that being that there were people of all ages and walks of life around me, including my 22-year-old brother, who was laughing just as much as I was and found her extremely entertaining and charismatic, satirizing radical ideals so that they weren't alienating. As a result, we walked out holding on to our ribs from laughing so hard and juggling thoughts about the objectification of women and the enslavement of vanity. No small feat. 

Coverage of LeibyaFair Live

Mindy Raf Isn't A Rye Girl
Mindy Raf Isn't A Rye Girl

In telling her story, she hit on several experiences undoubtedly familiar- But what set her struggles apart from everyone else’s in the moment was the pitch perfect delivery. Everything about it–from her cadence to her facial expressions–made it seem as though she was living that experience for the first time, and our combined incredulousness made her stories even funnier. Many of us queer individuals have experienced awkward parental interactions because of who we are, but I’d wager that few to none were taunted with high pitch shrieks in their ears because “lesbians can hear higher frequencies.” Still, Raf’s utterly bemused expression when she recounts it brings everyone watching into her world, be they queer or not. Laughing at other people’s embarrassing stories is basically a national pastime. Without that shared bond, stand-up comedy wouldn’t exist. But Mindy, like many great comedians before her, doesn’t make herself the butt of the joke or degrade herself just for a cheap laugh... the perils of modern living with a certain universality audiences might not expect from a queer Jewish woman with an Eastern European fiancée and a children’s book under her belt. But Raf’s wit and sincerity immerses listeners in her mindset with impressive speed. Perhaps her biggest break from convention came toward the end when she eschewed a closing joke in favor of a very honest and inspiring reflection on her life, the woman she loves, and not being afraid to be grateful.

via coverage of No Thank You

BOTTOM LINE: Mindy Raf’s Keeping My Kidneys demystifies love, loss, sexuality, and weed-lube while remaining true to the sharp mind and millennial quips of real women.
BOTTOM LINE: Mindy Raf’s Keeping My Kidneys demystifies love, loss, sexuality, and weed-lube while remaining true to the sharp mind and millennial quips of real women.

When Mindy Raf was ten years old, her mom told her that Baby in Dirty Dancing had to get her kidneys removed because she dated someone who didn’t love her. Years later, Mindy realized that this was her mother’s own very special way of avoiding the topic of abortion. This is the Mindy’s ridiculous—but true— world.

Everyone has a million questions and opinions on modern romance, and Mindy Raf has a refreshing set of answers in her new solo show Keeping my Kidneys. Mindy takes on mansplaining, masturbation, polyamory, and weed-lube while remaining hilariously quirky and innocent in her wide-legged overalls and polka dot top. As a standup fan who has seen comics like Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Buress, and John Mulaney perform live sets, I was impressed by the high comedic bar Mindy Raf set for the night. She is refreshingly polished while still being the kick-ass, real woman that you’ve been waiting for. Bravo.

Like her book, her solo show revolves around how her life changed when confronted with the possibility of losing her mother. Raf opens the show by explaining how a jolly folk-singing session by her mother's side in the hospital accidentally led her to promise to get married. Mindy flashes between memories with her mother and current confusion with her fiancée, Antonia. Raf has always struggled with giving over to the “what ifs?” in life, as becomes central to the show. As any audience member can relate to, Raf hits the nail on the head with her personal stories about caring too much and talking too loudly just because of social pressures. Even sexuality comes into play, as Raf opens up about her exploration into bisexuality and polyamory. However, Raf doesn’t approach this in the same way that your peer leaders would run a GSA meeting back in high school. We veer away from the typical, overly PC model of approaching sexuality, and get a refreshing look at what discovering sexuality is really like. As a bonus, there’s no need to sing a musical number about it here.

Long story short, anyone on the spectrum will want to get a drink with Mindy Raf and give her a high-five after seeing her hour-long show.Finally someone is bringing humor and—most importantly —normality to parts of the human psychology and emotional life that are far too often romanticized, or even fetishized. 

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Stand Up


STAND UP 

Stand Up


STAND UP 

Weed LubE

Have you tried weed lube? Mindy has.

 

Not A Rye Girl

Pretending to be someone you're not, never fun.

Active Thruple

Being bisexual is hard, no it's not.

Higher frequencies

Mindy's mom knew she was queer before she did.

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About


ABOUT

About


ABOUT

Mindy Raf is a comedian, actress, writer, musician and published author based in Brooklyn, New York. Mindy has contributed to MTV's GIRL CODE, COLLEGEHUMOR, TNT, VH1, The Daily Comedy Network, and the MY PARENTS WERE AWESOME anthology. Mindy's debut young adult novel THE SYMPTOMS OF MY INSANITY (DIAL/Penguin) is out now. Her comedy and writing have received accolades from BUST MAGAZINE (“we walked out holding on to our ribs from laughing so hard”), PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (“refreshing”), and BCCB (“pitch-perfect”), among others. She has been invited to perform at the Women in Comedy Festival, SketchFestNYC, NY Funny Songs Fest, SOLOCOM Festvial,and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, where she was named a festival highlight performing as her popular musical comedy alter-ego Leibya Rogers. Her critically acclaimed solo comedy show NOT THE ONE: a love story was named an "LBGT Best Bet" by Time OutNew York, “hilariously quirky” by Theatre Is Easy, "Barrier Breaking" by The Edinburgh Reporter, and "cheeky and infectious" by Ed Fest Magazine. Not The One has played to a sold out run Off Broadway at 59E59, garnered 4 star reviews the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and has sold out at Brooklyn's Cloud City, The People's Improv Theater, The Tank NYC, as well as its recent guest production residency at NYC's Theaterlab. Mindy also co-produces a monthly comedy show, Golden Spiral Comedy, the first Tuesday of the month at Dream Baby in the East Village.

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Social


Social

Social


Social

Twitter

Instagram

Oh hey it’s just me, socially social distancing waiting for you to dm. I was told I need to thirst trap my last post and I’m not above that at all. AT ALL. So If you have income now, and have given to causes and those in need and/or wha
If you have income now, and have given to causes and those in need and/or whatever else you want to do with your hard earned money AND you’re still like, I have more to invest and I want to: write a personal essay, work on a story I can’t
SPOOKY CAT GHOST STORY TIME: Last week my dad went bowling and I was very upset. He was planning to go again this week because the alley was STILL OPEN. I called the bowling alley in Michigan and basically told them they are responsible for deaths if
Cancel all your dates and put them in your smoothies. Ha! LOL! Right?! Right?! Stop? I won’t. I can’t. Where y’all from? I’ll be here all month.
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Books


BOOKS

Books


BOOKS

“It’s kind of crazy how you can pay so much attention to yourself and still not see a thing.”

For fans of Louise Rennison, Sarah Mlynowski, and Stephanie Perkins comes The Symptoms of My Insanity, a laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut by Mindy Raf full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine. 


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Podcast Nav


Podcast Nav


 

POLY & a pint

 Poly And A Pint, started as podcast recorded live from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by comedian Mindy Raf during the run of solo comedy show NOT THE ONE: a love story (formally titled Keeping My Kidneys). In these first 10 episodes, Mindy chats with fellow artists and fringe performers about monogamy, relationships, sex, jealousy, and life at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. New POLY & A PINT episodes recorded in NYC will be out January 2018.