Where are you headed? How are your dreams going?
What if the dream you’ve been chasing isn’t the thing that actually makes you happy?
Subhah Agarwal is asking herself these questions nearly two decades into a stand-up career that began at age seventeen. For the answers, you have to catch the sneak preview of her new special, Dream Elephant this Saturday night, April 25, at Lincoln Lodge.
From the outside, it looks like things are going very right. This Mundelein native is a nationally touring headliner, now based in New York, who’s written for Netflix’s Arsenio! Live and Comedy Central’s Jim Jefferies Show. You’ve seen her on General Hospital, HBO’s Westworld, truTV’s sketch show Friends of the People, and as the unforgettable Maya in the 2024 romcom Plan B. She has appeared on MTV2, Comedy Central, Gotham Comedy Live and she made her late-night debut on NBC’s A Little Late with Lilly Singh.
But these credits only tell part of the story. On stage, Subhah is a dynamic storyteller with a style that is actually addictive. Watching her first two specials, Dog Show (2022) and Airport Pigeon (2024), I found myself thinking with each new bit, “I can’t wait to see where she takes this!” And every time, she transported the audience with surprise twists, an undercurrent of social and emotional truth, and brilliant unexpected landings – and lots of laughter.
With Dream Elephant, Subhah focuses on an especially relatable topic: “Everyone has a dream that was either unfulfilled or that they achieved and wasn’t what they expected at all.” She promises a “raw and unfiltered” reckoning.
Were nineteen years chasing the dream – working as a clown, tensions with her family, living with five Craigslist roommates (including a psychic) – worth it? Spoiler alert: maybe.
Subhah has been developing Dream Elephant to rave reviews around the country for the past two years. On Saturday, Chicago gets a sneak peek at the final version before it becomes her third special, which will be recorded in New York next month.
Subhah kindly Zoomed with me to talk about her comedy and approach to writing, how she met her husband fellow comedian Sean White, the best bakery in Chicago, and what audiences can expect and take away from Dream Elephant this Saturday night at the Lodge.
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“AN ABSOLUTE FIASCO”
Teme: You started stand-up so young! What about comedy spoke to you?
Subhah: I was trying to impress the Indian kids at my high school who were all very obsessed with a comedian named Russell Peters. Then I fell in love with the art form, the self-expression and the connection you get to have with people in that room. It was just incredible. So I started for very dumb reasons, but then quickly fell in love.
Teme: Do you have a favorite story from your early days in Chicago comedy?
Subhah: My favorite story is the first night I did comedy. It was an absolute fiasco. My mom and dad took me to my first open mic. I didn’t realize what an open mic was going to be, which is a lot of very sad, angry men talking about their penises. Not the best for conservative religious parents. The entire night, all the comedians kept going up and wondering, “Why are there two angry old Indian people here? ” Then I got up and everyone realized, “Oh, it’s her parents.” Two of my high school friends were there. They thought this was the funniest thing on the planet, watching my parents get angrier and angrier while I was dying of shame.
Teme: You studied actuarial mathematics in college which sounds intense! Did you take a break from comedy during those years?
Subhah: No, I didn’t stop. I went to college in Pittsburgh and continued doing comedy all the way through. I definitely wasn’t sleeping and did a little too much Adderall.
Teme: I read that after college, back in Chicago, there were a couple of mics where you didn’t think you were good enough for a spot. How did you realize that you definitely were good enough? What is your advice to anyone struggling with those kinds of feelings?
Subhah: Imposter syndrome is probably going to be a part of me forever. Dealing with it is about doing the best you can and work you can be proud of. That’s part of where my work ethic comes in. Knowing I’ve given my best effort is some form of peace. Then also moving through the self-hatred and acknowledging the wins I do have or the compliments I do get. I try to take a second to pause and make sure I’m accepting that information as well.
HOW SHE DOES IT
Teme: Your storytelling is so funny, surprising, and thoughtful all at once. Please say more about your process!
Subhah: When I’m writing a story, it is a process. I write what happened and then of course all comedians tend to stretch the facts a bit. Then I’ll ask, “What’s a wrap up for this?” Or “What’s the point I want to say?” From there, it’s a matter of taking the time to write a bunch of punchlines and figure out how to make it all work.
I write down premises throughout the day and jokes that pop into my head. Then I’ll sit down and write them out, go to a show and work it out the best I can. Once I get it to a point where it’s working and I’ve said everything about it I wanted to say, I put it away. I’ll come back to it a year or so later and bring it back into rotation. If it’s still working, I’ll consider that joke done and ready to put into a special. If I’ve decided to change it a ton, I’d probably put it away again and come back to it months later to see if it’s still working. I like to revisit my material with fresh eyes.
I typically write every day. I try to do shows every day. Before the show, I’ll go over three or four new bits that I’m working on. I record my sets and I’ll listen to how they did and figure out what’s working, what’s not working, and whether I want to come up with a tag or an additional punchline.
Teme: What are your best writing tips?
Subhah: Watch as much comedy as you can and as many different styles as you can. Then just write. Even when it’s hard or when you don’t feel like it. Don’t worry about being good when you’re writing, just write, write, write and rewrite. Rewriting is a lot of the writing process when it comes to stand-up. Stand-up classes are very hit and miss, but when it comes to sketch or scripted, I think classes are great.
TRUE TO LIFE
Teme: How much of your real life makes it into your material?
Subhah: A lot of my comedy is very autobiographical. I talk about my mom, my family, my husband. They absolutely shape my comedy with their experiences and the things they say.
Teme: Did you and Sean meet in Chicago?
Subhah: We actually didn’t overlap. He came to Chicago after I had already left for college. Then when I was back in Chicago, we never crossed paths which according to my husband is great because he said he was a little wild when he was younger. We didn’t meet until we were both in Los Angeles years later.
I don’t remember the first show, but we had done a bunch of shows together and seen each other around. Then at a party, a group of comics were asking who everybody had a crush on and he said me. A bunch of female comics bullied him into asking me out, which is wild. I’m happy they did.
THE DREAM IN QUESTION
Teme: Why the title Dream Elephant? I love that you have animals in the names of all your specials. Is that intentional?
Subhah: It is now! It happened by accident with my first two. My first special was called Dog Show, and then the second one was Airport Pigeon. In this one, I have a joke that I love about elephants, but the overarching theme of my next special is what it means to follow your dreams and whether asking yourself that question leads to a good quality of life.
I’m talking about my nineteen years in comedy and all the experiences I’ve had and the hunt for the ideal versus being present. So that’s a very unfunny spine that I have going through all these different jokes. I called it “Dream Elephant” because it combined the two things I’m talking about.
Teme: Why this theme and why now?
Subhah: In my specials, I just naturally write about whatever I’m going through. A theme organically evolves and then I’ll craft material around it or see what I need to fill in. At this point in my career, nineteen years in, I’m looking back. I’m in a very reflective place.
Teme: Without giving anything away, what can you say about the show?
Subhah: People should just come and see it! If you ever wondered if you chose the right path in life, this will be a very relatable hour of comedy for you.
Teme: Has the show changed as you’ve developed it?
Subhah: Absolutely. I’ve been tightening the jokes and figuring out how to more clearly make sure the theme is woven through all the material so that people will relate and understand what I’m saying.
Teme: Has audience reaction shaped how it’s developed?
Subhah: Oh, for sure. Anything that doesn’t work or doesn’t make sense, I’ve changed. I’ve definitely been taking that into account.
When I’m talking about following your dreams or how hard it is, I have to be careful to not be too dark because it is a comedy show. I want people to leave feeling good. So it’s definitely a good balance of figuring out how to say what I’m saying in a way that inspires and is relatable and still honest to folks.
WHEN THE DREAM GETS DIFFICULT
Teme: Have you ever wanted to give up on a dream—and how do you decide whether to keep going?
Subhah: For sure. I think most comedians at several times in their career are like, “I don’t think I should be doing this just because it’s so hard.” What keeps me going is my love for it … and what else would I even really be doing with my time? But I also think it’s a question that people should ask themselves and not be ashamed of asking themselves. I think you should pick life balance and quality of life over some thought of what you thought you were going to do or could be.
Teme: How do you handle a dream that starts to look different than you imagined?
Subhah: I think it’s by evaluating every day. Maybe your dream career as an actor didn’t come through, but do you love the art form of acting in and of itself? Can you get joy doing this in its current form while still leading a full life? I think it’s about looking at what today is and what your life currently is and finding a way to operate in that sphere from a place of joy and fulfillment and if that’s possible for you or not.
A SECRET BUSINESS TRUTH
Teme: You’ve mentioned that you’re funding this special yourself. What has that process been like?
Subhah: Unfortunately, that’s where a decent chunk of the model for comedy specials has shifted – to self-recording and self-releasing. A lot of the times, to do specials or get financing, the deals are really bad or you have to sign away the rights to the material. I didn’t want to do that. It’s just the reality of the business and hopefully it changes back to where labels are financing more specials. But as of right now, it just is what it is, unfortunately. It’s really hard and it can be brutal.
COMING HOME
Teme: Why Chicago—and specifically the Lincoln Lodge—to run the show before recording?
Subhah: Chicago is one of the best comedy cities. I love the audiences and the feel of community. I love, love, love the Lodge, so it’s a great place to run the special before I tape.
Teme: What are your favorite things to do when you’re back home in Chicago?
Subhah: It’s just nice to be back. My parents are still in the Chicagoland area, so getting to visit them. Sean is here temporarily for work now, so getting to spend time with him here. Obviously, the food scene in Chicago is incredible. Those are all my favorite things.
Teme: Any go-to spots?
Subhah: I’m a big sweets person. There’s an Indian sweets shop, Swadesi Café, that’s amazing. They have these “Jaggery” chocolate chip cookies that are one of my favorite cookies of all time.
HOW TO SEE DREAM ELEPHANT!
Teme: Is there a question you hope to be asked about the show?
Subhah: I hope people will ask how to buy tickets! I know times are really tough right now, but if you have the ability to get tickets, I would love it. I’m at the Lincoln Lodge on April 25th. I’m taping the special in New York in Astoria at Grove 34 on May 23rd. All of that information is on my website. If you go to s-comedy.com or any of my social media, it’s in the link under my bio. Super easy to get tickets there. But yeah, I’d be very grateful for anybody willing to come and laugh.
Teme: What do you hope audiences take away?
Subhah: I hope they leave having laughed their ass off – that’s the main goal – but also feeling good about their lives. Nobody knows what path is “correct,” so hopefully they leave remembering to prioritize themselves in the time we all have here on earth.
Dream Elephant (sneak preview): Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at Lincoln Lodge, 2040 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. TICKETS HERE
Dream Elephant (taping): Saturday May 23 at 8:00 p.m. at Grove 34, 31-83 34th St., Astoria, NY. TICKETS HERE
FOR MORE ABOUT SUBHAH & LINKS TO DOG SHOW & DREAM PIGEON:
FOLLOW SUBHAH:
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How director Brandon Tamburri cast Subhah in Plan B:
Another fabulous interview! I look forward to reading about all of the talented comedians highlighted by Teme Ring!
Thank you so much! Many thanks to Subhah for the great conversation! I’m so looking forward to this special!