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.

Andrea McKinnon has specialized in publicity and talent relations for well over 25 years, working as both an in-house executive and independent contractor. Her career began at NBC during the illustrious “Must See TV” 90s and she has built, launched, and stimulated PR and brand initiatives for products, people, causes, and services spanning the fields of television, film, health & lifestyle, consumer products, and books. She has been working with the show since the backyard tour of '22.

"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