Sixty comedians run rampant in DC this week (and do stand-up as well). All part of Bentzen Ball, organized by the hilarious Tig Notaro and DC's Brightest Young Things. We interviewed four top performers, with our own Curtis Raye handling questioning duties.

Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation, Funny People, The Jeannie Tate Show)

Matt Braunger (Mad TV, Comedy Central Presents, Ikea Heights)
Jimmy Dore (Citizen Jimmy, Comedy And Everything Else) &
Mary Lynn Rajskub (24, Flight of the Conchords.)

Where are you answering these questions from?

Nicolas Cage's patio. I'm using his Macbook. 

Anybody in particular you’re excited about doing stand-up with here in DC? Either because it’s the first time with them, or you’ve done it before and get a kick out of it?

Patton Oswalt is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time. So I am really excited to be in DC with him. Also, Nick Offerman from Parks&Rec is doing some shows so it will be fun to hang out and do comedy with that old mustache. 

Forgive us for going straight to politics, but Bentzen Ball is in DC. When you filmed The Jeannie Tate Show at a Hillary Clinton rally, did you learn anything new? Feel proud? Indifferent? We'd guess "Jeannie" probably wasn’t even the craziest soccer mom there. Is that a frightening thought?

I was really impressed by Hilary's speech. I had never been to a rally before so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it was pretty interesting. And yes, there were some crazy soccer moms there. And soccer dads. Is that a thing? Either way, I am always frightened. 

Will we see any more Jeannie Tate?

Yes! Fingers crossed that you will see it on HBO sometime in the near future...

Aziz Ansari just passed through DC, doing stand-up at the historic 6th & I Synagogue. What’s your favorite house of worship to do stand-up in?

My bathroom. 

Having worked recently on 30 Rock, and Parks and Rec, and Funny People, it seems you’ve got a career firing on all cylinders. How do you know what to do next? How many of your own projects do you juggle at once?

I have no idea what to do next. Do you have any ideas? I am very open. I'd like to do something serious...seriously funny. Or just serious. Or something vampirish. I'd really like to get on that Vampire train. I think I could play an awesome she-wolf or something. I just wish someone would give me a chance. I juggle a lot of writing projects along with the stuff I am acting in. Its hard to find time to write when you're shooting all day. But I am trying. To juggle. Juggling is hard. 

Has Parks & Recreation motivated you to a life of public service after acting?

No. I mean yes. I mean, probably. 

In the next month you’ll be on The Tonight Show and tape a Comedy Central special – who’s more of kingmaker? Conan or Comedy Central? Or Other?

You obviously missed my crowning ceremony on Letterman late last year. Honestly, I don't know. They all give you great exposure, but it's hard to tell how much. It's certainly a huge honor to have both of those things happen, that's for sure. I love Conan and his show, and doing a whole half hour on television is huge for me.

You’re in a hilarious Internet series, Ikea Heights. Considering we’re an Internet publication that’s running profitable ads right next to your answer here, just curious why you would do an online series and give it away for free?

I like that Ikea Heights isn't sponsored, mostly because the funniest part of the show to me is seeing random shoppers look at the actors like they're crazy. Which we are. There's not much money to be made on the internet doing original content, so why give away creative control on any level for peanuts?

The show is predicated on filming in an Ikea, without Ikea knowing. But the show’s popularity means now they know. Will we get to see more Ikea Heights?

The last one we did we were all escorted out of the building. We heard them saying on their walkie-talkies, "Yeah, it's them--the ones we have pictures of in the office." And now we've been voted into Channel 101's top 5 again, so here we go! I'll probably get banned from Ikea for life during the next taping.

(Editor's Note: A day after this interview, Matt posted this on Twitter: "Not many people can say they've been thrown out of Ikea twice in their lifetimes, but I can.")

Through Twitter, you coined the pop culture observation The Flintstones Illusion: (“America's sad cinematic history of making schlubby guys think they can have hot wives.”) But our politicians prove this concept is no illusion. Should DC feel proud or sad?

I don't blame DC. Thing is, women like functionality and confidence in a man. Sometimes that man is fat and the woman won't care. I just was looking at the poster for "Couples Retreat" before I wrote that and just said, "Ah, come on." 

Your hometown of Portland, OR, was green before green was all the rage. Any other things Portland does that DC politicians will soon be passing into law?

I think they've got their hands full right now, but maybe eventually awesome public transit in all towns? You know, when we finally get alien funding from space people?

Two weeks after you grace the stage at the Black Cat, the Portland Cello Project will be performing there. Friends of yours?

No, but I wish they were! I'm a huge fan.

Anybody in particular you’re excited about doing stand-up with here in DC?

All of 'em, but I don't get to see Ian Edwards, Andy Wood, Tig Notaro, and Reggie Watts enough. Also a few others. Just excited to see what everybody's gonna do, really. And to be hanging out with such a great bunch. I love festivals. Usually I'm alone on the road. Friendship!

Where are you answering these questions from?

My apartment in Los Angeles, CA. I'm waiting for a car to take me to go do the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Can you tell I'm nervous?

For a comedian with lots of political material, is coming to DC a fun opportunity, or do you fear Roy Blunt has been waiting for this moment to exact revenge?

Some people like Vegas, but I think DC is the real sin city. See, in Vegas, if you play your cards right you make a little money and you might get laid. In DC you play your cards right, you can make an obscene fortune, and fu-- a whole country. 

Your show Pop & Politics (as well as Comedy And Everything Else) always seems to have the best video clips of political absurdity, which seems like a big time commitment. Are you running eight Tivo’s like we might find over at The Daily Show?

I have only one Tivo, but I do have a team of undocumented workers watching it 24/7. It's tough cuz I am uni-lingual and most of the clips they get me are in Spanish. But they work all day for 10 bucks, so I'm not complaining. 

Breaking news: You’ve just been named chairman of the FCC. What changes would we see, Chairman Dore?

Serious answer first: I would pass a regulation making it mandatory that my hour special be run on every station twice daily. That oughta get people reading again.

Funny answer: I would repeal the Telecommunications act of 1996, and then take the 6 GIANT media companies that own everything and break them up into companies so small that they would actually be responsive to the real needs of the citizens they are selling to. I would then make sure that all the broadcast stations, radio and television, are owned locally and actually serve in the people's interest that they broadcast to. Whenever I say that at a meeting in Hollywood it makes milk come out their noses. (At least I think its milk.)     

If you stick around in DC for another week, you’d get to see Bill Cosby receive the Mark Twain Prize for Comedy at the Kennedy Center? Were you a Cosby kid growing up?

Yes I was a Cosby kid growing up. My brothers and I would all sit around and listen to his albums. We all loved him and could not get enough. The thing that appealed to me was that even though he came to prominence in the midst of  the civil rights struggle in the 60's, you would never know it by listening to his comedy from that period. I like a guy with the courage to not talk about stuff. There was a period in the 80's that I felt his material lost some if its punch and I drifted away from his comedy. But now that he is a gazillionaire, Bill's new comedy is much more fun. He travels the country ignoring the root causes of poverty and crime and, instead, uses his spotlight to bitch at poor blacks for not overcoming racism and a rigged economy as well as he did. And I find it to be his funniest stuff ever, consider me back on the Cosby train!  

Condoleezza Rice used to drop in on the Kennedy Center a lot. Usually she watched the National Symphony Orchestra, but last year she made time for Legally Blonde: The Musical. Any political figures you’re hoping pop in on your sets?

I love Condoleeza Rice, she broke the sex and color barrier for war criminals. Although some people dismiss that accomplishment, I like to recognize it as much as possible. I mean she proved that not just white males can be completely incompetent, constitution breaking, torture ordering war criminals. I hear that symphony music is best to drown out the screams of the electrocuted. 

Dozens of the country’s best comics, including you, will be in DC. What’s going to happen when they all get together?

I can't tell you exactly what's going to happen when we all get together, but I bet pot will be involved.

Anybody in particular you’re excited about doing stand-up with here in DC?

I am looking forward to performing with all of them, especially everybody. 

Where are you answering these questions from?

Whats going to happen when all these comics converge? Will we need riot police, like during World Bank protests?

When all of us comedians get together, a laugh riot will ensue.  

People don't realize this can be just as dangerous as a violent riot. 

People laugh so hard that they can become disoriented, their bodies may begin to flail around in extreme joy, throwing objects, like pianos. It's dangerous. Also spontaneous tap dancing has been known to cause injuries as well. Don't ask me how.

24 makes us wait until January before it returns. In retaliation, I was going to take up Real Housewives of DC (coming soon, seriously) and not watch 24. Is that a bad idea?

I didn't realize that was our competition. I'm calling my agent right now to see if I can get a part on 'Housewives'...

Kiefer Sutherland said everyone on 24 can be killed at anytime, and the show benefits from it – how does this make you feel?

Kiefer is right that anyone can be killed off at any time. Sometimes the truth hurts.

How much stand-up are you doing at the moment? Weekly? Monthly? Besides Bentzen Ball, do you swing back to the East Coast?

I'm really excited about my new one woman show 'Mary Lynn Spreads her Legs'. It starts a weekly run in January at the Steve Allen Theatre in Hollywood.

On Twitter, you’ve been commenting on Ken Burns’ The National Parks. Have you been captivated? It’s been tricky to glean your true feelings? Are you a parks person? A Sam Waterston voiceover person?

The truth is, I only watched a little bit of the Ken Burns series. 

Mostly, it just makes me want to put A Planet Earth on, turn the sound down, and leave that on for a good long time.

Given your terrorism fighting prowess, what landmarks would you take your son to first when visiting DC? FBI/Pentagon/CIA, or Congress/Lincoln Memorial/Smithsonian.

I'm very excited to spend a little time in D.C. to scope it out so my husband, son and I can come back and have a whole trip planned. I want to see it all. I am partial to art over politics.

Where are you answering these questions from?

Right now I'm in my trailer at the CTU set. They want me to go in and get wired for sound.

Want to see more pictures?  Join our facebook group:

Send story ideas: TheScene@Bisnow.com