The Actors Conservatory Ensemble return to the S. Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheatre for marvelous new season of Once Upon A Canyon Night! For over 20 summers, the Actors Conservatory Ensemble has partnered with TreePeople to bring the very best in music, comedy, theater, and more.

Named to honor his father’s birth city, Tehran Von Ghasri is a true comedian of the world. Himself a native of one of the world’s great capitals, Washington D.C., early on Tehran showed hints of his unique future. By 18, he spoke six languages, and today he performs in concert halls in Farsi. Though his goal was to be a performer, he still got his MBA and graduated law school in D.C. while simultaneously starting his Los Angeles comedy career.

Tehran’s comedy tackles the most difficult, divisive topics and can still bring his audiences together in laughter. He is almost without doubt the funniest Black, Iranian, Jewish, Baptist, Muslim, Zoroastiran and agnostic comedian in the world. But if there is one characteristic that separates Tehran from all other performers, it is his unequalled charisma. He oozes it. He lights up every room he enters.

It is that charisma, along with his energy and unadulterated love for pleasing audiences, that makes him one of the world’s best comperes. He has hosted TEHRAN THURSDAYS at the legendary Hollywood Laugh Factory for the last eight years, bringing, among other star guests, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Ray Romano, and Dave Chappelle to his sold-out stage.

Tehran has a unique ability to grab the audience, get them to consider some of society’s biggest issues, and end it with punchlines that create truly explosive laughter. It’s that quality that Omid Djalili noticed, making Tehran his special guest star of his recent BBC-TV pilot; and why Tehran was hired to be part of Kevin Hart’s new game show pilot, and why one of Hollywood’s top production companies is creating an animated TV series from one of Tehran’s ideas.

The Actors Conservatory Ensemble return to the S. Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheatre for marvelous new season of Once Upon A Canyon Night! For over 20 summers, the Actors Conservatory Ensemble has partnered with TreePeople to bring the very best in music, comedy, theater, and more.The Actors Conservatory Ensemble presents a night of Family Fun featuring the Wildlife Learning Center and Michael Rayner the Broken Juggler. Join us for a magical evening under the stars as the Wildlife Learning Center introduces you to their fantastic animals from around the world. and the Broken Juggler amazes with his tricks.

Michael Rayner’s show has been described as “preposterous brilliance” and “wacky jugglement,” a combination of hilarious tricks and stunts with uproarious stand-up. His signature trick is spinning a Burger King cheeseburger on a parasol which garnered him multiple TV appearances. During Covid Michael took full advantage of social media gaining over 100 million views on TikTok and Instagram.

Wildlife Learning and Conservation Center (WLCC) is located in Sylmar, California, nestled in an old olive grove. WLCC was founded in 2007 to give a home and care to animals in need and to provide public education in the life sciences, conservation, and the environment. WLCC is dedicated to giving over 100 displaced, rescued, and zoo-born wild animals a home. WLCC also participates in species conservation efforts called Species Survival Plans (SSP), which are managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSP programs cooperatively manage threatened and endangered species within AZA-accredited Zoos and Aquariums, Certified Related Facilities, and Sustainability Partners. SSP’s preserve species from extinction by maintaining sustainable and genetically diverse populations of species. As part of our conservation mission, Wildlife Learning Center is an active participant in the SSP programs for the two-toed sloth (Cholopous didactylus), 3-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus), and North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum).

Iconic comedian Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and legendary spontaneous wit. Paula is the star of several HBO specials, including Cats, Cops and Stuff, and Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard. Paula is a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! She is heard weekly on her successful comedy podcast. Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.

Also, an author, Paula’s second book, The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness (Algonquin), was one of eight semi-finalists for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, the highest recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The audiobook was one of five finalists in all genres for the Audio Book of the Year AUDIE award.

Paula was the first female comic in its then 73rd year to perform standup at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Her HBO special, Cats, Cops and Stuff, marked the first time a female comedian won Best Comedy Special in the then 5^th year of the Cable Ace Awards. Paula’s awards and accolades make a long list, and she is included in innumerable documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential comedians of our time.