EVERY CASTLE, RANKED
Co-created by Lindy West & Ahamefule J. Oluo
Performed by Lindy West
A castle is the ultimate “expectation vs. reality” meme. Like a lot of kids, Lindy West grew up dreaming of castles and princes, of a magic beyond everyday life. But reality has a way of grinding the fantasy out of you. Pets and parents die, dreams get downsized, and it turns out castles aren’t magical at all—they’re just wet, stinking military installations built to fortify the immoral power of horrible men. Outrageous! In Every Castle, Ranked, a now 40-something Lindy takes us on a hilarious, bittersweet journey through her own disillusionment, finding hope again at 40, and the history of toilets.

LINDY WEST

Lindy West (she/her) is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Shrill and the essay collections The Witches Are Coming and Shit, Actually. Her fourth book, Adult Braces, a follow-up to Shrill, will be released in 2025. Her work has appeared in This American Life, The New York Times, The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Vulture, Jezebel, and many others. She currently co-hosts the weekly comedy podcast Text Me Back. She is the co-founder of the reproductive rights de-stigmatization campaign #ShoutYourAbortion. Lindy was a writer and executive producer on Shrill, the Hulu comedy adapted from her memoir starring Aidy Bryant. She co-wrote and produced the independent feature film Thin Skin, released in 2023. Her e-mail newsletter, Butt News, is regarded by everyone as the most influential and beloved e-mail newsletter of all time.

AHAMEFULE J. OLUO

Ahamefule J. Oluo (they/he) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, writer, comedian, and creator of live performance. They were a founding member of experimental jazz quartet Industrial Revelation, Mellon Creative Research Fellow, Creative Capital awardee, Artist Trust Arts Innovators recipient, and semi-finalist in NBC’s Stand Up for Diversity competition. Oluo co-produced two comedy albums by Hari Kondabolu and one by Dwayne Kennedy. They premiered the critically acclaimed performances Now I’m Fine (2016) and SUSAN (2020) at The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival (NYC). They wrote for the stop-motion animated comedy “Santa Inc.” on HBO Max, starring Sarah Silverman and Seth Rogen. They appeared on This American Life. Now I’m Fine was adapted into the film Thin Skin, released in 2023, which Oluo wrote, scored, and starred in. They have been commissioned, presented, or invited by Under the Radar, On the Boards, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), Meany Center, STG, Wa Na Wari, Langston, REDCAT, and MacDowell and Yaddo residencies. Their newest show, THE THINGS AROUND US, premiered at PICA’s TBA Festival in 2024; was presented at New York’s Under the Radar Festival in 2025; and continues to travel.