Like when I first got to school there were these guys who were like “the cool comedy guys” (pathetic phrase) and I always wanted to make vids with them and then when I finally did they were like mean and not fun to work with

♡: Good day m’lady

RS: Hi queen

♡: You’ve hit the ground running since somewhat recently graduating, which is impressive. Honestly, I didn’t realize you were so young until you had shared that with me.You carry yourself with an older life awareness/flare, like one of those actresses from the 40s with an ambiguous age, that oddly feels quite natural around the said Bogarts of the world. You’re running circles around everyone.

How did you learn to trust your instincts when it came to creative partnerships, at such a young age?

RS: Wow thank u

That’s an ideal compliment bc I spend everyday texting all my friends who are like 3 years older than me like how do I live

I feel like I started working with different ppl on sketches, films, live comedy when I started school and the good ppl just stick

Like when I first got to school there were these guys who were like “the cool comedy guys” (pathetic phrase) and I always wanted to make vids with them and then when I finally did they were like mean and not fun to work with

Versus when I started collaborating with my friends who I still work with now, like emma, it just flowed naturally and felt good

♡: Would you say your youth actually made it - I don’t want to say easier but maybe more organic - finding people that valued your voice without anything to gain off it, but that you could just vibe with? Versus navigating new partnerships now...

You and Emma met in school right?

RS: Totally

Yes ! We met when I auditioned for her thesis film

Ur all just there

And even though there’s stupid hierarchies or whatever in school it’s still pretty low pressure compared to real life

♡: What was the moment you knew you got each other? Or was it more of a slow burn realization?

RS: It was actually after we shot the thesis

Tragically it was at a Dig Inn

♡: Wait what’s the Dig Inn

RS: Ugh it’s like one of those fast casual health food places

I mean don’t get me wrong I love it

It’s just like soulless

Same with sweetgreen

You go and get like a wet bowl of salad and chicken and then jam it down ur throat

I feel like I black out every time I go

Which is Often lol

♡: 🎉 *Rachel adds Haha*

RS: But so we go to dig inn while the short is being edited

And she was telling me all these ideas for projects she had

And we just started talking through them

And landed on this one idea we loved

Which is the feature we’re working on now

And just started meeting up to write it everyday

And that was when we had nothing going on so we cld just work on it a ton

♡: Is this a creative marriage or do you guys see other people

RS: And that’s how we became friends

Hahahah

It’s a marriage but it’s open

♡: Can you send a photo that best represents your collaboration together, can either be literal or figurative...

RS: Oo yes one sec

Ok found it

This is us deeply hungover at the airport on the way back from sxsw

I put the words over my face bc I was breaking out *ILYSM hearts*

It represents us bc one person is always dead and the other person is supporting and encouraging them and we just swap roles

We call each other everyday and we just switch back and forth between who is crying and who is giving the pep talk

♡: Have you heard that Mike Nichols quote about directing? "Directing is like sex, you rarely have a chance to see others do it." *Rachel hearts*

I feel like this is applicable to a lot of creative facets.

Do you guys have wildly different approaches or are you very similar?

RS: Super different

♡: I wanna talk more about your process... Are you a person that thrives in chaos or are you routine oriented when it comes to writing? I feel like I’m possessed and have to just vomit it out as quickly as possible. But I’m always curious how different people approach getting through the work...

RS: We stayed in the same air BnB for a week and every morning Emma wld like slowly, calmly wake up and stretch, meditate and think about the day and I would like jolt out of bed, leave to get a coffee and like drink it till I pooped then race out the door and I feel like that describes who we are creatively

I’m super routine oriented

Oo I love the vomit analogy

♡: I appreciate the transparency of that anecdote

RS: hahaha

Yeah I need to get up early and start right away because once it’s the afternoon I’m just less smart

So I like to get up and go to the coffee shop at 6:30 and then write till 12

And then can do other work stuff/auditions/etc in the afternoon

♡: You’ve built quite the online cult following. Is it weird when people meet you in person and immediately resort to the - I follow you on twitter gateway moment of connection? Or do you not mind, and think your online sense of self translates offline?

RS: I don’t mind as long as the person is nice! One time a guy who follows me on twitter came to a show and like followed me home after and was like “I feel like I really know you! Ur last boyfriend was 30! I’m 30!” And that was like not cool

♡: Oh Jesus

RS: Otherwise it’s been a nice way to reach ppl who aren’t in NY or LA so that I can do shows out there or share my vids

♡: I feel like the Internet is everyone’s chance to have their first day in college and reinvent themselves - if you know what I mean? There are definitely some crafted personas even from a literary perspective not just IG travel shots.

But I feel like that energy I saw online was true when we met

This is a good transition to the whole great on twitter or text - dating world. It’s interesting how much weight we attach to that version of ourselves. Or how disappointing it is when someone gets overly self aware in real life and the wit factor dissipates and you realize that without a phone this person is incredibly boring and doesn’t know how to be a person, only an online peacock if you will... To me it’s like a really attractive person being a horrible kisser. That moment of - wait (beat) huh (rubs eyes)... Isn’t there some sort of universal unspoken taboo law that prohibits this? Why can’t they keep up?!

RS: Omg

I know that kiss thing

It’s like what

The first time it happened to me I was in shock

Yeah I feel like the version of me online is still me it’s just me in a certain structure

Or heightened a little

Like all these strangers reached out to me when I tweeted “I need to get put down like a dog” but it’s like oh no I don’t want to actually be put down that’s just like the tweet version of how I’m feeling

^cant tell if this is psycho of me to say

But yeah I feel like they’re connected and then u have to let it change when u change

Like I can’t still be tweeting about how I’m “addicted to painful non-relationships” when I’m married

♡: This is a good transitional question- One of the things I respect about you is that you’re constantly putting yourself out there, and doing live sets. What was your first standup experience like?

Or improv set*

RS: The first time I did Stand up was at this dingy bar at an open mic

It definitely went badly but I was so excited that I left being like wow I crushed!

ILYSM: Lost Dig Inn opportunity but continue *Rachel adds Haha*

RS: I think I’ll change which jokes I’m doing if the room feels like tense or not open to certain type of stuff

♡: Right

You’re a true Tri State queen. Do you find you have a bit of a different rhythm than other comedians coming up from the west coast?

RS: There was one time I did a show at an ice cream shop and it felt like i wld bomb if I did my jokes about my break up so I just did stuff like a traditional stand up wld do at a club like “whose drinking? We getting fucked up?” But about ice cream

♡:That’s a clip I wanna see

RS: Hmm I think so ! I sometimes feel like I’m still trying to find exactly what My voice/inflection is but sometimes I’ll be listening to a set and be like oh that’s it

We weren’t allowed to watch a ton of tv/movies when I was growing up so I feel like I’ve seen tv/films that’s made me be like “oh that’s the kind of stuff I want to make” more recently

♡: Cadence is key for sure

Is your family funny or is that something distinctively you? —I have to say, and I’ve told you this, I have no soul, and you actually managed to give me a laughing fit while swigging back orange juice. So congratulations, you broke my Claire Danes Igby Goes Down go to of saying, “that’s funny” instead of actually laughing routine.

RS: Hahahaha

Thank u for laughing

This guy I went on a date with one time that I told u about kept being like “oh. funny.” to me and I was like then laugh bitch!!

♡: I’ve heard rumors Lorne Michaels is also one for just saying something is funny without laughing

RS: Same

I guess that makes sense

For him

Less so for the guy I went on a date with hahah

My family’s funny to me! *ILYSM hearts*

No one else is a comedian or performer but they’re funny like situationally

♡: That’s comforting

Who inspired you onto this path? Was there a person or a film etc that made you feel seen like you could do that or that’s what you ideally wanted to be apart of? “YOUR TEAM” if you will...

RS: My family would always go to see the local high school plays when I was a kid and I loved that

And then I started doing plays and writing/directing my own Christmas plays I would force my siblings to be in every year

We weren’t allowed to watch a ton of tv/movies when I was growing up so I feel like I’ve seen tv/films that’s made me be like “oh that’s the kind of stuff I want to make” more recently *ILYSM thumbs up*

♡: If you have anything saved from the early plays I’d eventually love to see

RS: Like death of Stalin I saw a couple years ago and am still excited about

Yeah I think we have recordings somewhere

All the plays were like

Weirdly political

The elves unionizing

Santa gets a cell phone and loves it so much he doesn’t care about Christmas anymore

♡: “A little one act about Watergate.”

RS: Hahahaha

♡: Delivered sublimely by Jason Schwartzman

RS: Just a little light fun before the presents unwrapping!

♡: Love that - I’m forcing you to find the recordings

Do you have any online vexations? I can’t stand the bubble dot on IG that shows someone is online when you are. Sometimes you just want to observe without leaving a digital footprint...

On the other hand I love seeing comedians craft personas and showcase them on IG. Chloe Fineman is someone that comes to mind in that space. It’s like a Cindy Sherman digitized video library of characters. Her impersonations are art to me.

RS: Omg she’s so good

Her jojo Siwa with asbestos in her school is my favorite

Wait there’s a way to turn that off!

I had to because I wld look to see if my ex was online

This interview is just me listing exes but no boyfriends

Sad

♡: Whoa - online epiphany

RS: I hate when it tells u someone I sent a message

*unsent

It’s like cool so I’ll just wonder who that was and what they said for the rest of the day..

♡: I need you to teach me more internet. Which reminds me of this very old Tim & Eric thing about a job interview “and I know internet.”

RS: Is that the one with a big old computer

♡: I think sooo it was on their website like ten years ago!

So maybe

I’m trying to remember

RS: Will do a dive into the archives

Ok yes

♡: I also loved this song they recorded of a fake jingle for Radio Shack

They set it to the Beatles “let it be”

And all it was -

WHEN I FIND MYSELF IN TIMES OF TROUBLE (beat) RADIO SHACCKKKKKKK

RS: Hahahahaha

Going to watch after

Sometimes the funniest stuff is the dumbest

Or simplest

I loved Tim Robinson’s show I think you should leave

♡: Agreed

RS: Some of those sketches are like basic concepts blown out to extremes

♡: If you have to over explain things whether it be a book or a movie or a joke - then

maybe it was never working

We touched a little on this - mid California omelette bite - at our 80s power meeting at MICHAEL’S on 55th not to be confused with Michael’s Craft store - which, now that I’m thinking this thru should actually be our next rendezvous spot of weird collaborations...But can you elaborate more about what comes after the safe space of working with peers and transitioning to working with a group of strangers. How do you learn to partner and lean into a new team of creative dynamics - do you have an internal vetting system?

Sorry not an elegant transition but something I think kind of speaks to this idea of resonating with someone or something intuitively

RS: I think it’s like the same as any relationship where u start slow with little projects or hanging out and then the trust builds and u develop a rhythm
If I do a small thing with someone and they’re hard to work with or schedule with then I don’t move forward

But if I feel like we click and are on the same page about how we work then we just keep doing stuff together

Also i think something always happens where ur in a high pressure scenario and that really bonds you if you can pull it off

Like my friend moss and I write stuff together but I think that trust was built up from running a live show out of his basement (illegal) for 2 years

Because if someone didn’t put their all in to running it the show would go badly

And knowing that we were both working hard on it made us trust each other

And I would love to work on goals and stuff with women who are starting out once I feel like I have any good experience to share with them!

♡: Hard to schedule is a solid note. Definitely so frustrating when a connection is there but it’s impossible to maintain

One of the things that I cherished during our breakfast discussion was your point about how society feels the need to immediately compare women against other women’s work in terms of a creative space or any space really now that I think about it. Genuinely frustrating to exist against a collective grouping versus as an individual... How are you challenging that? Do you confront it head on or is it more of a subtle eye roll?
Sometimes I think it’s very well intentioned but just shows how people have been conditioned culturally when valuing women’s voices.

(I’ve also seen it come from other women)

RS: Ugh it drives me crazy

That thing we were talking about where they have like one movie in their head for any movie with 2 women and then u bring up ur idea and they’re like “oh so it’s girl __”
Like as if every movie is ghostbusters and girl ghostbusters

I think what u were saying is so true where u just have to focus on the work *ILYSM hearts*

And the most supportive ppl are the ones who don’t do it as a performance/show

♡: You have to be the one to show them what’s possible

“So like, what are your hopes and dreams?” To be said in my best Drew Barrymore NBK - Josie Grossy voice. Sidebar- we love Drew. If you’re reading this Drew, you’re invited to our next Michael’s (either) excursion.

RS: Either but esp the craft store!

I want to write and be in movies and have my own show and keep doing live performance

And then one day mentor/invest in the projects of young women *ILYSM hearts*

♡: I believe you will accomplish all of those things *Rachel hearts*

RS: My dad taught me to do one year/3 year goals and break them down into months

and like urgent versus important

And I would love to work on goals and stuff with women who are starting out once I feel like I have any good experience to share with them!

Rn I’m the young girl haha

Whose like help does anyone know anything

But eventually I hope to be smart etc

Thank you! ️ I can’t wait to see all the stuff you do

Ur film that we were talking about a bfast is such a good idea

Won’t reveal

But so good

♡: Last question, where can people find you IRL (insert shameless promotional plug here)?

RS: My insta is @treaclychild twitter is @rachel_sennott and I think my YouTube is just my name !

♡: I appreciate that coming from you 🖤 *Rachel hearts*

RS: And I post about all my shows and stuff there

♡: Rachel, a treat as always. Thank you for chatting, see you at Michaels, Michaels.

RS: Thank u !

Yes can’t wait

U me and drew

—

Oo also just wanted to add a shout out/thank you to Dianna [Agron] for inviting me to the event where I met u !

She is like the perf example of real actual supportive