The Non-Broccoli Theater of Jolenta Greenberg ’04
by Janna Lopez Imagine for a moment that Amy Schumer and Ira
Glass had a baby girl and named her Jolenta Greenberg. Teir lovechild would be smart, sassy, and above all, sincere. She would grow up to command audiences and impact the world by telling outrageously funny stories. Tis is one scenario that could be used to describe the essence of who Jolenta Greenberg ’04 is today. Greenberg, 30, is a recently wed accomplished woman of many faces, or rather, voices. She’s a familiar sound on New York Public Radio, an actively performing comedian, and a producer for award- winning author, journalist, and media personality Stephen Dubner (of Freakonomics fame). As an advocate for issues related to social justice—
inspired by her time as a University of San Francisco student—Greenberg likes to describe her performance material as “non-broccoli theater.” She explains, “I take issues people should be exposed to because they’re
good for them, but aren’t necessarily entertaining, and make them fun and engaging through laughter. When it comes to topics like feminism, poverty, or racism, my aim is to become the ranch dressing—the funny, entertaining dip for things that are good for you but hard to digest—and get you to like them.” Greenberg continues, “I tell my own stories and connect people through laughter and shared experiences. Storytelling is at the heart of human experience. We’ve been doing this since the beginning of time. I carry on the tradition in a modern way. I share stories about being a woman, shedding light on inequality, and making people laugh in the process.” An OES “Lifer,” Greenberg reflects that there are many aspects of her OES education that directly influence her work today. “OES was such an immersive community. Tere were so many broad, hands-on experiences, such as Pioneer Days and Winterim. OES wanted us out in
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Summer 2016 35
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