About Us
We are passionate about creating, elevating, and celebrating the joyful, diverse, and progressive spirit of the DC area and use humor as a tool for truth-telling, joy-making, and resistance.
Just Kidding Comedy Collective (JKCC) is the brainchild of Dana Fleitman and Reem Seliem, two DC-area comedians/producers by night and professional do-gooders by day.
Our goal is to create spaces for community and laughter that both delight actual locals and make the MAGA crowd so deeply uncomfortable that they leave.
This is a new initiative that we hope will evolve - so stay tuned! At this time, we plan to focus on:
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Very funny shows with a (non-exclusive) focus on gender diversity.
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Classes to empower people who are not cis men to pick up the mic.
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Raising funds, resources, and/or awareness for local organizations doing great work.
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Collaborating (rather than competing) with the incredible comedy and arts scene that already makes the DMV so beautiful.
Though JKCC is a new initiative, Dana and Reem are not new to comedy production -- we bring a combined 25+ years of experience bringing diverse lineups and lots of laughs to the DMV and beyond, with a track record of incredible shows at venues including the DC Improv, Comedy Loft, Hook Hall, Busboys & Poets, and more.
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Meet Dana
Dana Fleitman is a Washington, D.C. area comedienne who brings laughter to the joyless masses of our nation’s capital through her imaginative over-analysis of everyday life. Clever and sarcastic, Dana will merrily pontificate on groundbreaking and original topics like her pug, driving, and eating. Dana comes from a nonprofit background and is excited to lend her voice to less important issues.
Dana is the regular host of PUN DMV (the DC Improv's quarterly pun contest) and created the Standup Comedy Incubator for Underrepresented Genders, an original program empowering new and aspiring non-male comedians to pick up the mic. She's opened for touring comedians including Paul Virzi and Bengt Washburn, joined Zach Sherwin on The Crossword Show, and has performed at the Comedy Loft, Howard Theatre, Arch City Comedy Festival, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Word Museum, and She Devil Comedy Festival.
Meet Reem
Reem Seliem has a name that rhymes and is the comedic love child of Egypt and Philly. Performing around the world, she's been cracking people up since 2011 thanks to a dare gone hilariously right. She’s emceed the Philly Women’s Theatre Festival, starred in the riotous sketch show "Good Morning, New Miami" at Good Good Comedy Theatre, and performed with improv troupes at the Washington Improv Theater - showcasing her range across stand-up, sketch, and improv comedy.
She also opened for Aron Kader and Ramy Youssef at the Yalla Punk Festival. Now based in Washington D.C., Reem is the Founder and Co-Executive Producer of Just Kidding Comedy Collective, where she produces shows that partner with nonprofits to raise money for good causes. She launched her career in this kind of community-centered comedy as the host of the fabulous monthly "Yes Queen!" stand-up comedy showcase at DC Comedy Loft — a regularly sold-out extravaganza spotlighting women, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ performers.
And yes: Reem is the one who once shouted, “I love you, Conan!” at the Mark Twain Prize for Conan O’Brien (now on Netflix) — and Conan did, in fact, fire back, “I love you too, sir.” She is entirely too proud of this.
