Lounge Lizards

Alternative-style stand-up showcase "Drink At Work" finds a new home at Comix's new secondary stage, Ochi's Lounge.

Pictured: "Drink At Work" host Sean Crespo.

The “Drink At Work” show, curated by Sean Crespo and Carol Hartsell, is a great way to see high quality developing stand-up comedy talent. Their show, previously seen at Rififi, has resurfaced at Ochi’s Lounge, the new “underground” venue at Comix in the Meatpacking District of New York.

“Drink At Work” is now Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. Seen December 8, the show featured Jamie Kilstein, Joselyn Hughes, Leo Allen, a set by Hartsell herself and cameos by Neil Padover and Benari Poulten as “newsies” characters interrupting Crespo, who hosted. “Drink At Work” is also well tied together by Crespo and the film shorts he introduced, as well as his banter with the newsies.

Kilstein and Hughes both had some good material, but it’s impossible to tell if their acts extend far beyond the 10 or 15 minutes each had in this show. Kilstein, well, killed, with a bit about rampant homophobia in his family, and Hughes mocks the idea of a rape whistle being any use whatsoever. “How about a rape gun, or a rape knife?” she asks.

And Hartsell had a novel piece, a sing song lament of her love life combined with a dig at beautiful but vapid girls. But the highlight of this edition was the closing spot by Allen, a former SNL writer who, in his storytelling style that avoids jokey punchlines, regaled the audience with tales of finding oneself in McDonald’s in the small hours.

Of the two film shorts screened, the more effective one was a fake commercial for “Rectalieve,” that plays off of the reduced period pill for women, to give men only two major farts a year -- of course, always on January 2 and July 5 -- this piece is that droll. The Drink At Work cast performed in the piece, which was written by Andres du Bouchet.

“Drink At Work” has been running for several years already, and admittedly, this review may be late to the party, but if you haven’t heard of it, you won’t be disappointed.

“Drink At Work” plays the main room of Comix on Wednesday, December 12 with special guest John Oliver of The Daily Show.