In September 1944, during Operation Market Garden and the liberation of Nijmegen, a young Allied soldier fell in love with a woman from Nijmegen. That unlikely wartime romance would go on to shape generations. Their youngest of six children, Ophira Eisenberg, now returns to the Netherlands with a show about the marks we carry — on our bodies, in our families, and across history.
Blending personal storytelling with sharp stand-up, Leaving a Mark is a look at the scars—both literal and metaphorical—that shape us. From childhood mishaps to near-fatal accidents, botched first loves, and a battle with breast cancer, Ophira weaves together a survival tale about resilience, humor in the face of pain, and, ultimately, the absurdity of being human. This dynamic show changes each night with audience interaction via a scar competition, “Scar Wars” (yes, there’s a prize!). It is a joyful celebration of imperfection and a show that leaves people laughing, reflecting, and maybe even showing off their own scars a little more proudly.
Raw, smart, and often wildly inappropriate (in the best way), Leaving a Mark is a hilariously raw look at scars, both visible and invisible—and the messy, triumphant art of learning to love yourself anyway.
A must-see night of comedy, connection, and coming full circle.
about Ophira Eisenberg
Ophira Eisenberg is standup comic, writer and host well-known from her 9 years as host of the NPR hit trivia show Ask Me Another which aired on 400+ stations. As a comedian, Ophira has performed on The Late Late Show, Comedy Central, This Week at The Comedy Cellar, Kevin Hart's LOL Network, Gotham Live, plus appearances on The Today Show and HBO's Girls. Fans also know Ophira as a regular host and teller on The Moth. She has two hit comedy specials, Inside Joke and Plant-Based Jokes, and she regularly performs standup and storytelling on stages around her homebase of NY and across the country. Ophira also hosts the hit comedy-parenting podcast "Parenting Is A Joke" where each week she chats with other creative people to highlight the joy and unrelenting chaos that comes with raising kids.
Her memoir Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy was optioned for a television series and translated to Dutch and published by Uitgeverij Podium, she has twice been invited to perform at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam and was a major inspiration and advisor to the popular Dutch storytelling Podcast Echt Gebeurd.
Her solo show Leaving A Mark: A Comedy About Scars, was a New York Times Critic's Pick and premiered Off-Broadway with a sold-out run and rave reviews. It also won the Women in the Arts & Media Award for Solo Show Scripts. Ophira’s new standup comedy special, produced by The Daily Show’s Lewis Black with be available in this spring.
Directed by Soren Kisiel
A New York Times Critic's Pick
Off-Broadway Premiere SOLD OUT, Soho Playhouse NYC
Winner of Women in the Arts & Media Award for Solo Show Scripts
this performance is entirely in English
