When I walked in two weeks ago, the Graduate Hotel was humming: Cat Cohen ’13 was back in Princeton and set to perform on the Graduate stage. Community members and Princeton affiliates talked animatedly as students nestled into deep-seated leather couches. The lobby maintained its regular glow and decor, but it was transformed from a familiar study spot to the site of an exclusive event.
Cohen made her grand entrance to disco pop music, bright lights, and a warm welcome from the crowd. She settled herself in, thanked the Graduate for hosting her, and quipped that the Graduate was where she lost her virginity.
From there, the audience was captivated by Cohen’s style, real and vulnerable, with flashy fourth wall humor and bold jokes. She was provocative, making jokes about her sex life and balancing them with self-aware humor, acknowledging the discomfort of the crowd.
The eating club memorabilia on the walls of the Graduate also featured in the set: She joked about her time in Ivy, quipping that “everyone was rude.”
In addition to being a member of Ivy, Cohen was in Shere Khan and the Triangle Club. After graduating from Princeton, she moved to New York City, taking classes and performing sketches at the Upright Citizens Brigade. From there, she eventually launched her own cabaret show called “Plot Twist…? She’s Gorgeous,” which was picked up by Netflix in 2022 as her own comedy special. Notably, Cohen recently acted in five episodes of the Hulu hit show “Only Murders in the Building.”
Onstage at the Graduate, Cohen peppered her set with many songs. This was one of the most unique elements of her show, cuing an off-stage DJ between jokes to start the next song, each one breaking up her pace and keeping the audience on their toes.
Her songs, with titles from “can u send me that??” to “BLAME IT ON THE MOON,” played on societal pressure to keep up with social media trends and featured sarcastic commentary about astrology culture. The songs teetered into millennial vibes (she is one, after all), but sprinkled in Gen Z references throughout the set.
She occasionally consulted with a random member of the crowd sitting on a nearby couch, addressing them as her “Gen Z personal trainer.” She asked the random crowd member to approve each reference to Gen Z culture, leading to my favorite quote of the night: “Labubu is ran through and my Gen Z friend told me that.”
Near the end of the night, Cohen switched the upbeat, musical pace to a more casual talk, opening her notes app and reading a small collection of poems. Here, through jumbled transitions, she commented on hookup culture and the experience of being neither skinny nor fat, reminding me of those conversations with drunk girls you befriend in the women’s bathroom and swear you’ll keep in touch with, only to never see again. Her personal anecdotes were, of course, exaggerated for the sake of comedy, but grounded enough that it felt like listening to a friend share stories about their crazy life.
For her last hurrah, Cohen focused on the Princeton students in the audience, singing that they should “Do It For The Memoir,” and avoid contracting herpes while abroad. Her energetic closing wrapped up the set with an upbeat note — musically and thematically.
Her closing piece of advice? “Nobody ever got that far without doing stupid shit for the memoir.”
Amanda Hugas is a member of the Class of 2027 and a staff writer for The Prospect. She can be reached by email at ah0942[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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