Getting introspective: Find out when ABQ native Shenoah Allen will perform 'Bloodlust Summertime'

It’s not too often that Shenoah Allen gets back to Albuquerque to perform.

When he does, it’s always time for a show.

The Albuquerque native will return from across the pond to perform “Bloodlust Summertime” at The Box Performance Space.

He will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, Friday, Feb. 23, Saturday, Feb. 24, and Sunday, Feb. 25.

“I’m getting ready for the Melbourne Comedy Festival,” he says. “I’ll get to work on this piece without too many critical eyes in Albuquerque. I’d rather do it for people to laugh rather than people to judge.”

Allen grew up in Albuquerque and went to La Cueva High School. It was there when he met Mark Chavez and the pair found international acclaim with the comedy duo, The Pajama Men.

Since then, Allen has kept himself busy with acting, voiceover work and comedy.

“Bloodlust Summertime” is a very different type of performance, Allen says.

“The material is autobiographical,” he says. “I’ve never done any comedy alone. It’s about growing up in New Mexico and getting involved in some pretty wild things. It’s about my family. My dad is gay and my grandfather was an Air Force colonel and there are pieces of that story. My family, like others, has many walks of life and they are represented in this performance. My family is a little bit extra.”

Over the course of his career, Allen has played a plethora of characters.

He says, while people are aware of his work with The Pajama Men, this piece is very different.

“The characters I’ve played before are an extension of who I am,” he says. “I’m in a different space with this material. … This is the raw me.”

Allen has always wanted to do stand-up comedy — a dream of his since he was a preteen.

“I would watch Eddie Murphy’s ‘Delirious’ and want to be like him,” Allen says. “This is a little bit like pulling your heart up through your throat. I hope people will find it cathartic.”

Allen began “Bloodlust Summertime” about eight months ago, though the events have taken place over the course of his whole life.

He’s performed the piece in front of an audience twice before.

“I’m rewriting it again,” he says. “I really like seeing the process of shows in their early stages. There’s still a loose element and spontaneity with them. I think seeing it in Albuquerque will be one of the best times to see it. There’s still room for growth because it hasn’t been finessed yet. That’s the beauty of the journey.”