Meet Bridget Purdy | Comedian & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bridget Purdy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bridget, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When Nick and I first met, we instantly connected over our shared passion for the entertainment industry and that connection has only grown stronger with time. We saw the impact that positive ambitious people like ourselves could have on this industry. After years of waiting for the “right” projects to come along, we realized why wait when we could create. We started Gumball Machine as a platform where we could bring our ideas to life and help others do the same. The industry can be very daunting, but we wanted to be the kind of people who say “yes,” to inspiring stories. That’s how Gumball Machine was born. We spent years dreaming it up, and the name reflects our mission: we’re the machine, and each story we tell is a vibrant gumball: colorful, joyful, and full of heart.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Over the last year, we have produced many different live shows that we are proud of. One of them is an original play Bridget wrote and stars in called Hurricane Party. This play is about three friends returning to their hometown in Louisiana as a hurricane rolls through. What follows is a night of drinking, games, and secrets that won’t stay buried as they battle the storm both outside and within. We have a quirky weatherman who mirrors the chaos inside by battling the hurricane outside who is personified by Bridget. This uproarious comedy play helps to find joy in unexpected circumstances like a hurricane. We sold out at The Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2024, earned rave reviews, and even had to turn away many people at the door. We are bringing it home to New Orleans at the end of May, where the story takes place and where Bridget is originally from. We are currently fundraising on Indiegogo to take it abroad to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August, so please consider donating to help us bring Hurricane Party to a global stage.
We also started producing a monthly variety show at The HIT theater called Concessions, where we bring together a variety of talented acts from all over LA. Each show is composed of three different acts with Bridget as host and ending the night with an improv set by Snack Run. We have had clowns, magicians, comedians, musicians and sketch teams as part of our acts. Each show is different and we love exposing other people to these talented artists that might not have a stage to perform on elsewhere.
We are very proud of all the shows we produce as well as our submission to the Doritos Crash the Superbowl contest in 2025, where we became a quarterfinalist. You can find our absurd comedy submission on our youtube channel @bygumballmachine.
None of it has been easy given the state of our industry and economy but we remain faithful because we know endurance is key in this industry. We like to remember a quote from Denzel Washington which says “To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did”. We hold on to this when things get hard because we have large ambitions for Gumball Machine and we’ve learned it’s better to be bold and go for what you want rather than wait around wishing you had earlier in your career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Los Angeles is home to some of the best food in the world, so we’d make sure to take our guests on a tour of our favorite local eateries. We’d start with our go-to pizza spot, Pizzana, and stop by any neighborhood taco truck because honestly, we’ve never had bad tacos anywhere in LA. For something heartier, we’d head to Jame Enoteca in El Segundo for incredible pasta, and Luv2eat Thai Bistro in Hollywood for some of the city’s best Thai food.
To take in the sights, we’d start the morning off with a hike in Mandeville Canyon to catch glimpses of both the ocean and the valley followed by a stop at the Santa Monica Pier, especially the swings nearby, next we would hit up The Broad to explore its world-class modern art collection and finish the night having a sunset picnic at Griffith Observatory for panoramic views of the city.
One of our favorite things to do when friends visit is to take them onto a studio lot. Warner Bros. is our top pick not only because it’s iconic, but also because it holds special meaning for us. It’s where Nick’s parents met and fell in love, where Bridget had her first job in the industry, and where we took our engagement photos. Sharing our passion for film in a place that means so much to us is always a highlight and usually is not something people have ever experienced before. After all, what better place to begin a Hollywood tour than the very place where Hollywood began.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We are very grateful to have supporting and loving families throughout this journey. Nick is an LA local whose family has been working in this industry for many years. It has been such a blessing having our family out here who understands the highs and lows of this industry. They are there to comfort us when the industry is at a standstill and celebrate each little win along the way. Our faith gives us the endurance to keep going despite pandemics, strikes, and the ever changing economy. We know we have a strong purpose in Gumball Machine to help others shine and we will continue the work to do just that.

Website: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hurricane-party-world-tour-2025#/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by.gumball.machine?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556972772870

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bygumballmachine

Image Credits
Tandem photos and Negative Tuesday