About Us

Jay Martel is an Emmy®, Peabody®, WGA®, and American Comedy Award winner for his work writing and producing for television, stage, and film. He has served as a showrunner for acclaimed shows including Comedy Central’s Alternatino with Arturo Castro, Key & Peele, and Strangers With Candy and Teachers on TV Land. He co-wrote the screenplay for Get Hard starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. He has authored several books and is a regular contributor to The New Yorker.

John Lehr is a veteran comedic performer, writer and producer working in television, film, and theater. He is the star and creator of sitcoms Quick Draw on Hulu and 10 Items Or Less on TBS, in addition to being known as one of the original Geico cavemen. His story-based comedy has appeared in LA, NYC- Off-Broadway, Montreal Comedy Festival and in clubs across the U.S. He is also a seasoned host, Master of Ceremony, Toastmaster, and guest lecturer/teacher. A recovering alcoholic and drug addict, Lehr is a seasoned monologist who speaks openly about his twenty plus years of sobriety and his career in entertainment under the banner “Cold. Sober. Comedy.”

SPEED BUMP is a topical comedy about two lifelong friends whose relationship starts to unravel because of an impending installation of a speed bump on their street. It’s an adult coming-of-age story about the literal and figurative barriers that currently divide our neighborhoods, our cities, and our country. Is the safety of the community more important than the freedom of the individual? Who's more self-involved: People who have kids, or people who don't? And: Is an adult who collects vintage toys really sad or really cool? SPEED BUMP is an illuminating look at both sides of all these contentious questions, and no matter where you stand, the conclusion will surprise you.

Written by Jay Martel, SPEED BUMP is performed by Martel and John Lehr, two Los Angeles entertainment industry lifers who’ve been friends and neighbors for 15 years in the shadow of the Hollywood sign. They began performing the play during the pandemic when the closure of theaters necessitated an open-air experience and their neighbors in Los Feliz, desperate for entertainment beyond their flat screens, opened up their backyards. They’ve continued their “backyard tour” due to popular demand and in hopes of developing future iterations on a stage near you.

Jennifer Berry (Director) is an award winning playwright, screenwriter and director who was awarded “The California Distinguished Achievement in the Arts” by Congressman Adam Schiff in 2020. Her recent short film “The Exchange” was the opening short film at The Madrid International Film Festival. It was also an official selection at The LA Women’s Film Festival and The Hollywood Real Film Festival.

Berry’s noted play, “Big Pharma,” toured nationally for five years and received rave reviews from LA Weekly, The Denver Post, The San Francisco Examiner and American Radio Network. “Big Pharma” was also featured on PBS. Jennifer is the author of several additional plays including “Permanently Missing,” and “Ojalá” which had it’s premiere at Casa 0101in Los Angeles, and was featured by The Los Angeles Times and received “Best Latina Play” by Revista Magazine.

Her play “After, All” was produced at The Pasadena Playhouse’s balcony theater which was also featured at The Great Plains Theater Conference. Her play “The Maid’s Daughters” was a semi-finalist at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Conference.

She has been featured in Ms Magazine, Howl Round, and several other feminist publications. Her play “Ojalá” was optioned as a screenplay by Atlantic Crossing Productions.

Most recently, Jennifer’s monologue from her play “This is How it Begins and Ends” is featured in “The Best Women’s Stage Monologues in 2023.

Also well-versed in directing opera, Jennifer was named resident stage director for the Colorado Opera Troupe’s productions of “Carmen,” “Otello,” and “Salome,” in which she created original script adaptations while incorporating dance, music and text.

Her website: jenniferberry.net (http://jenniferberry.net)

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"It was great to be entertained by a very current play that has fun with some of our issues that actually aren't so funny. Now I know what 'comic relief' means.

B. Laird

"I felt like I was in the middle of a very modern friendship."

K. Bowman

"I was so glad to see it! I was tremendously moved by the brilliant slice of life captured in this play."

C. Silvestri