Cathie Boruch is a New York City actress, comedian, and filmmaker. Her one-woman show, Downtown Mermaid was featured in The One Festival, United Solo, and The People’s Improv Theatre. As a stand-up comedian, she’s known for her infectious enthusiasm and stream of consciousness style of humor. She’s produced and hosted a variety of comedy shows including the popular, Ten Penny Comedy in lower Manhattan.
Cathie is an expert in the punk rock scene of the ’70s and ’80s. Her work at WBAI Radio prompted weekly segments where she interviewed music legends; Les Paul, Eddie Money, Carl Perkins, Bo Didley, Davey Jones, and Joey Ramone to name a few. Eventually, her work culminated in the radio documentary Johnny Thunders Memory. You can listen to the audio version at The Paley Institute in Manhattan. Her unique photography has been featured at The Bowery Electric and Chelsea Arts Gallery. Her short film Behind The Mask, The World According To Covid, won Best Comedy Short at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival in 2021.
One person shows: Peeps and Pumps, A Fairy in Forts Knox, Downtown Mermaid, “I’m With the Band” mocumentary, 3 Chicks and a Chair
Producing credits: WBAI radio documentary about Johnny Thunders / Paley Institute
Weekly comedy/variety show: Ten Penny Comedy Show …since 2017 ongoing
Behind The Mask
The World According to Covid
Behind the Mask 3 – Deep Dive
International Short Film Awards – Selected
Shorted – Nominee
Paris International Short Festival – Selected
London Indie Short Festival of 24 Frames – Award Winner
Best Female Actress Award – Finalist
Independent Short Awards – Finalist 2020 & 2021
Indi Short Fest – Semi Finalist
Independent Short Awards – Finalist
Montreal Independent Film Festival – Selected
Review: Downtown Mermaid at the EstroGenius Festival – StageBuddy.com
Catherine Boruch gave a highly energetic performance at Stage Left Studios this weekend. Her short one-woman show, Downtown Mermaid, was a comedic look at life of a Jersey Girl who gets swept up by the big city hype. From band groupie to corporate tie-chaser, Boruch reflects on her attempts to infiltrate the world of Rockstars and then Corporate America in order to snag the perfect man, whom she believes will be her key to the good life. While lighthearted and set to a rockin’ soundtrack from her iPhone, the play also delves into the lengths one woman will go to in order to fake it ’til she makes it — it being a palace with greyhounds or suburban Connecticut, of course.
Boruch’s performance was fantastic as the stereotypical chatty, ditzy blond. She was colorful and fun even as she worked with minimal stage props. Instead of sitting in an audience, I felt like I was chatting with that one woman on the bus who talks too much and too fast and will tell you her whole life story even though all you said was “excuse me”. You know, the one with the messy hair and bright red lipstick on her teeth?
The best part of Boruch’s performance, however, was how she made the audience react to her. The crowd was largely comprised of women who didn’t know whether to shake her or pat her on the head. Most were simply aghast that she kept absent-mindedly flashing us because her dress was too short, which I believe was rather intentional on her part. Besides, what better way to stir the crowd at a festival dedicated to strong female performers than for a middle-aged woman to play a character who is the completely the opposite?
‘Mermaid’ reminds New Yorkers to stay safe amid coronavirus
A “mermaid” decked out in a sparkly green tail, white gloves and a black face mask perched herself on a rock near the East River over the weekend to remind New Yorkers to be careful amid the coronavirus pandemic.