Based in Los Angeles, Lauren is a comedy writer, producer, and performer.

She is a sketch comedy writer for “Smosh” (42M subscribers), a stand-up comedian, and an unscripted TV producer for Netflix, ABC, Starz, FOX, Quibi, Amazon, and PBS.

WATCH MY STAND-UP COMEDY REEL:

WATCH MY COMEDY SKETCHES FOR “SMOSH”

WATCH EPISODE 1 OF “VERNEA” MY ONE WOMAN SKETCH SHOW BELOW:

THE WRITER: Lauren is a comedy writer who loves to write about sisterhood and Black women navigating leadership positions, from superheroes to politicians. She is currently a sketch comedy writer/performer for the house team “Toast” at the monthly UCB LA Maude Night. She was a freelance staff writer for Smosh (42M subscribers) the largest sketch comedy channel on Youtube. As a standup comedian, she's performed at The Comedy Store, The Hollywood Improv, and across the country. She is an assistant in the Motion Picture Literary department at WME. She was recently a finalist for the Disney Animation Writer’s Apprentice Program. Her musical feature script “The Voices of Lightning” and pilot “Queens of The Earth” made the Top 10 of the Coverfly “Red List.”

Her scripts have been finalists in The Nashville Film Festival, The Stage 32 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Screenwriting Contest, The Inroad’s Fellowship, and the Stowe Story Labs / Sidewalk Labs Competition. She's a graduate of the Conservatory Program at The Second City and has an MS in Communications from Northwestern University.

She is the founder, head writer, and director of the all black female sketch group, “The Black Pantherettes” (UCB, The Second City, NY Sketchfest, The People's Improv Theater, The Harlem Comedy Festival, The LA Diversity in Comedy Festival, AMG Festival). The group recently released Season 1 of their digital series which can be viewed here. Lauren was recently contracted by The Second City to serve as head writer and producer for a new comedy show for The Black Pantherettes on Second City's streaming channel premiering in 2022.

THE PRODUCER: Her work as a TV/Film Producer and Archival Producer include: “Tulsa Burning” (Hulu), a Quibi daily talk show, "Regular Heroes" (Amazon), “The Black Church” (PBS), “The Boardroom, Season 2” (ESPN), Google’s “Black History Month” campaign, "Explained" (Vox/Netflix), “The Year” (ABC News), The hip-hop docu-series "The Field" (Mass Appeal/Starz), "OJ Simpson: The Lost Confession" (FOX), "On the Road with Johnnyswim" (Magnolia), and more. Independent work includes the musical short film “FWM” and the upcoming short film “Blight" by filmmaker Brittany Clemons.  

THE ACTOR/SINGER: Lauren has performed in plays and musicals at the The Jewelbox Theater, The Second City, UCB, The People’s Improv Theater (PIT), The Duplex Cabaret, Don’t Tell Mama, The Prohibition, MPACCT/Goodman, ETA Creative Arts, and dozens of Chicago theaters. She trained at The Stella Adler Studio NY, The Atlantic Acting School, The People’s Improv Theater, and The Actor’s Studio Chicago. Lauren has a BA in Theater Performance and Music from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

WATCH SEASON 1 OF “THE BLACK PANTHERETTES” DIGITAL SERIES BELOW:

 

Contact Me at:
laurenvernea@gmail.com