‘Funny as Tech’ will host to an informative and entertaining panel discussion on tech addiction in Hartford.

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Manhattan’s “Funny as Tech,” co-hosted by West Hartford resident and tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar, will appear at Hartford’s Sea Tea Comedy Theater on Friday, Dec. 29 for a freewheeling conversation on smartphone addiction.

“In this live show, comedy and tech come together at last. Each month, the tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and the comedian Joe Leonardo invite a wide range of guests to pick apart and laugh about such matters as algorithms and artificial intelligence.” -The New York Times

Funny as Tech is a live panel show and studio podcast that tackles the thorniest issues in technology with co-hosts Polgar (tech ethicist) and Joe Leonardo (comedian). Live shows are held monthly at the Peoples Improv Theater in Manhattan, while weekly podcasts are recorded at Grand Central Tech.

The panel for Dec. 29 at Sea Tea Comedy Theater in Hartford includes internationally-renowned cyber psychologist and West Hartford resident Dr. David Greenfield, comedian Carolyn Paine, and writer Jennifer Meer. The show is from 9 to 10:30 p.m. at Sea Tea Comedy Theater (15 Asylum St., Hartford, CT). Tickets and additional info can be found at bit.ly/FunnyAsTechDec29.

Previous guests have included CNN’s Laurie Segall, comedian Chuck Nice, media theorist Douglas Rushkoff, WNYC’s Manoush Zomorodi, x.ai’s Dennis Mortensen, and futurist comedian Baratunde Thurston.

Hartford will be the first road show for this Manhattan tech-comedy panel show, which will be a homecoming of sorts.

Co-host Joe Leonardo, who resides in New York City, is a founding member of Sea Tea Improv. His co-host, David Ryan Polgar, is a West Hartford resident who has collaborated with Sea Tea Improv in the past with R-Rated Twain (he wrote the short play Mark Twain: Ladies Man). Polgar also has a deep level of experience in the world of tech balance, as a frequent speaker and media commentator on the issue. In the fall of 2013, he gave an influential TEDx on the topic.

“Sea Tea Comedy Theater is thrilled to welcome David Ryan Polgar and Joe Leonardo to Hartford!” says Laura Manasewich, the associate artistic director. “In a city that’s ever-changing, in a theater that prides itself on playing smart, funny and keeping with the times, we are so excited to bring Funny as Tech to our stage. It also goes without saying that Sea Tea is so proud to have Joe, a company co-founder, and David, a long-time friend and collaborator, in town sharing their acclaimed show with us.”

“Joe and David show us that even though sometimes technology can feel overwhelming, there’s a lighter side to it just waiting to be explored. We’re happy to dive in with these two hosts at the helm,” said Manasewich.

“I’m excited to perform at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater,” says Leonardo. “I started there and am a founder of the company. Hartford will always be home and it is great to be able to do a show there.”