River Butcher

River Butcher is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, and podcast host. Butcher is best known for personal, observational comedy focused on their vegetarianism, feminism, love of baseball, and experiences as a butch lesbian.Flaherty, Bridget (August 17, 2006). "Rhea Butcher lays down all that she is and more on "Butcher"". The Laugh Button. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Archived on 17 July 2023 Originally from Akron, Ohio, he now resides in Los Angeles, California.
== Early life ==
Butcher was raised in the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron, Ohio, an only child whose parents divorced when Butcher was one month old.Bigley II, James (November 16, 2016). "Comedian Rhea Butcher is the Real Deal". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved May 31, 2017. Archived on 17 July 2023 They attended Our Lady of the Elms High SchoolO'Connor, Bill (May 3, 1995). "Youths Horrified by Nazi Camps: Study of Holocaust Fills Students with Wonder at Evil of WWII Slaughter". Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio). p. D1. and graduated from Archbishop Hoban High School in 2001.Heldenfels, Rich (October 12, 2014). "Akron Native to Perform at Musica: Rhea Butcher Returning Home with Stand-up Act". Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio). p. B1.
While attending the University of Akron, Butcher worked at a skateboard shop named Summer SquallWallace, Julie (September 11, 2000). "Falls to Be Popular with Skateboarders". Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio). p. B1. and an indoor skating facility called Joe's Skate Park,Wallace, Julie (September 14, 2001). "Park for Skaters Ready to Roll Out Mayor, Councilman to Unveil Akron Site Tomorrow". Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio). p. D1. and helped design a skatepark that opened in Akron in 2001. They graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in printmaking in 2005. Butcher attended graduate school at University of Notre Dame.
In 2006, he had an art exhibit at a printmaker's show called "Prints at an Exposition".Shinn, Dorothy (February 5, 2006). "Stellar Printmakers Put Stamp on Exhibit: Summit Artspace Has Local Artists Showcasing Fresh Approaches to Art". Akron Beacon Journal":(Akron, Ohio). p. E4. This exhibit, which was a series of prints on muslin showing the body's organs, was inspired by Butcher's own appendectomy.
== Career ==
=== Early years ===
Butcher began their comedy career performing improv in Chicago at The Second City and has since performed stand-up at clubs including Zanies, the Jukebox, and Flappers, as well as Chicago Underground Comedy, The Hideout, The Lincoln Lodge, UCB, Cole's, and Meltdown."Profile: Rhea Butcher". KCRW. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Archived on 17 July 2023Jung, E. Alex (August 16, 2016). "Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher on Take My Wife, 'The Show Where Lesbians Don’t Die'". Vulture. Retrieved May 31, 2017. Archived on 17 July 2023 They made a late night debut on Conan in June 2016."Rhea Butcher Stand-Up". Conan. June 30, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Archived on 17 July 2023"Late Night". The Times Herald-Record (Middletown, New York). June 30, 2016. p. 22.
=== 2014–present ===
In the fall of 2014, they appeared alongside Cameron Esposito in a series of videos for BuzzFeed Motion Pictures titled "Ask a Lesbian".Habersburger, Keith (October 31, 2014). "Questions You Wish You Could Ask a Lesbian". BuzzFeed. Archived on 17 July 2023Star, Erika (February 20, 2013). "Lez Stand Out: Rhea Butcher and Cameron Esposito". AfterEllen. Archived on 17 July 2023 Butcher and Esposito also co-hosted the web series "She Said" for Amy Poehler's Smart Girls Network."Amy Poehler's Made A New Web Series For Women". BuzzFeed. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Archived on 17 July 2023 The two wrote and starred together again in Take My Wife, on the comedy streaming service Seeso.Poniewozik, James (May 24, 2017). "Have You Heard the One About the Angsty Comic? Yes, Too Often". The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2017. Archived on 17 July 2023Yohannes, Alamin (August 29, 2016). "Cameron Esposito, Rhea Butcher Talk Comedy, Diversity and 'Take My Wife'". NBC News. Retrieved May 31, 2017. Archived on 17 July 2023 Butcher also co-hosted the stand-up comedy podcast Put Your Hands Together with Cameron Esposito, which was recorded weekly in front of a live audience at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles until it ended in July 2019."Put Your Hands Together with Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher". UCB Theatre. Archived on 17 July 2023Rapa, Patrick (December 6, 2016). "L.A. standup comic Cameron Esposito diversifies her portfolio". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
His first comedy album Butcher was released in August 2016 by the independent record label Kill Rock Stars."Rhea Butcher 'Butcher' Out Now on CD & MP3". Kill Rock Stars. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Archived on 17 July 2023Heldenfels, Rich (August 21, 2016). "New Album, Show for Comedian Rhea Butcher: Akron Native Returns to Area for Local Appearance, CD Signing". Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio). p. E1. The set was performed at Mississippi Studios in Portland, Oregon.Watts, Rebecca (January 13, 2016). "Rhea Butcher Is Killing It". The Portland Mercury. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Archived on 17 July 2023 It debuted at number one on iTunes.
In 2016, they appeared in 8 episodes of the first season of Adam Ruins Everything. They returned in 2017 for one additional appearance.
In 2018, they started hosting a baseball-focused podcast called Three Swings.Lee, Rachel (April 25, 2018). "Interview with comedian Rhea Butcher". Got a Girl Crush.
As stated in an interview, Butcher said their strongest comedy influences are Rosie O'Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, Brett Butler, Elayne Boosler, Maria Bamford, and Paul F. Tompkins.Shapiro, Gregg (2016). "Rhea Butcher: Butcher than all of you: An interview with lesbian comedian Rhea Butcher". Chicago Pride. Archived on 17 July 2023
=== Voice Acting ===
River Butcher provided the voice for Asher, a nonbinary character in Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts in three episodes of season two released in 2020 on 17 July 2023 as well as voice acting the nonbinary character Sweet in the animated show Danger & Eggs.
==Quotes==
==Links==
*Website
*Twitter
*Instagram
==References==
Category: Nonbinary people
Category: Performers