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Showing posts with label Black Comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Comedy. Show all posts

Thursday, January 9, 2025

We Always Bounce Black: A Black Excellence Comedy Revue Playing January 31– March 29 in UP Comedy Club at The Second City

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Second City’s Black Excellence Revue is Back! Artists from across Second City’s stages round out the cast for

We Always Bounce Black: 

A Black Excellence Comedy Revue


 Playing January 31 – March 29 

in UP Comedy Club at The Second City

Celebrating its 65th year, the world’s most influential name in live comedy, The Second City, is proud to announce the cast and crew of We Always Bounce Black: A Black Excellence Comedy Revue. Second City Alum and celebrated theater director Anthony LeBlanc leads creative on this production with a cast that includes Spencer Hodges, Kaleb Jackson, Wanjiku Kairu, Terrance Lamonte Jr., Daryn Robinson, and Brittani Yawn. Rounding out the creative team are Assistant Director Julia Morales, Music Director Tilliski Ramey and Stage Manager Devonte E. Washington.

Chicago giving you the winter blues? We Always Bounce Black is here to bring much-needed warmth. Brimming with brand new songs, sketches, and – of course- The Second City’s world-renowned style of improv, this cast of future stars are delivering an unforgettable night. The Black Excellence Revue is more than a comedy show – it’s a celebration of Black Joy. And, just like at the Apollo, you are a part of the show.

We Always Bounce Black: A Black Excellence Comedy Revue will run January 31 – March 29 on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm in the UP Comedy Club, located at 230 W North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper’s Alley, Chicago. Tickets, starting at $29, are available at The Second City Box Office, by phone at 312-337-3992 or online at www.secondcity.com.  

The producing team includes Ed Wells (CEO), Parisa Jalili (COO/CRO), Elizabeth Howard (VP of Production), Jen Ellison (VP, Head of Creative), and Jeremy Smith (Assistant General Manager & Managing Producer).

About the Artists

Spencer Hodges (Ensemble) (she/her) is an actress, writer, and improviser from NC who is happy to call Chicago a second home. You can catch her performing around town at LSI, iO, The Annoyance, and Second City with her teams Mortal Enemies, The Mermaids, Lil Sluggers, and Hell Mash. Elon University grad.

Kaleb Jackson (Ensemble) (they/them) is a Chicago-based producer, writer, director, and Jeff Nominated actor currently understudying the Mainstage Revue “The Devil is in the Detours” at The Second City and understudied last year’s Black Excellence Show, “Black By Popular Demand.”

Wanjiku Kairu (Ensemble) (she/her) is a comedy writer, producer and singer and is thrilled to be a part of the Black Excellence 2025 ensemble. Off stage, Wanjiku works with a wide range of producers in short films, commercials and print ads. She produces her musical comedy webseries Models, as well as comedy shorts RuPaul's Space Race, and Girl Meets God. Wanjiku can also be found understudying for the latest Mainstage Show, “The Devil is in the Detours”.

Terrance Lamonte, Jr. (Ensemble) (he/him) is thrilled to be part of the Black Excellence Revue! A Chicago West Side native, Terrance has graced Mainstages in the US from ComedySportz-Chicago, Laugh Out Loud, The Annoyance Theater to international stage with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, NL. At The Second City, he has served as an understudy for numerous productions, including “Best Decision You’ve Ever Made”, “Algorithm Nation and the Static Quo,” and “Dream Freaks Fall from Space”.

Julia Morales (Assistant Director) (she/her) is a performer, writer, director, teacher, and mentor originally from Houston, Texas. She attended the University of Houston - School of Theatre & Dance and graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). Jules first studied improv comedy in Houston and later moved to New York in 2008 after receiving the NBC Diversity Scholarship to study both sketch and improv comedy. She later moved to Chicago in 2015 while performing with the Second City Theatricals on the Norwegian Cruise Line. She was a 2018 Bob Curry Fellow and was later cast as an ensemble member of the Second City Green Co Touring Company. She is a Second City alum having completed two Mainstage revues, “Do the Right Thing, No Worries If Not” and “Don’t Quit Your Daydream”. Jules performs, directs, and teaches at the Annoyance Theater and performs at various theaters in the Chicago community. She is also an adjunct teacher and director at The Theatre School at DePaul University Comedy Studies program. In 2020, she founded a nonprofit organization called the Stepping Stone Theater which celebrates diversity in the comedy community. Jules is a master movie buff, a self-care enthusiast, and an avid traveler. Follow her journey on IG @callmejules.

Daryn Robinson (Ensemble) (she/her) is a writer/comedian originally from Washington, D.C. She recently performed in The Second City’s long-running and award-winning show “She The People” and understudied The Second City e.t.c. and Touring Company. Daryn also improvises with Shamilton! The Improvised Hip-Hop Musical (Baby Wants Candy) and Improvised Jane Austen (iO Theater), and co-produces the Chicago Reader Award-winning variety show “My Best Friend is Black” (Lincoln Lodge). A proud graduate of Northwestern University (MFA ‘23), Daryn contributes jokes to The Onion.

Brittani Yawn (Ensemble) (she/her) is a performer and writer originally from Cleveland, OH and has earned her BA in Theatre from Miami University. She has toured with The Second City’s Touring Company and is an alum of The Second City Bob Curry Fellowship (2021). Some of her credits include “Oh! The Places You’ll Glow!” (The Second City, ETC), “Poison” (The Plagiarists), “The Suffrage Plays” (Artemisia Theatre), and “The Ridiculous Darkness” (Sideshow Theatre Company). She has also performed with Hell in a Handbag Productions, the Annoyance, and iO, among others.

Anthony LeBlanc (Director) (he/him) Anthony LeBlanc works at Nickelodeon/Paramount doing talent development and as an on-set acting coach on such hit shows as The Reboot of All That and The Really Loud House. He acted as Interim Executive Producer of The Second City in 2020. Previously, LeBlanc served as an Artistic Director for The Second City Inc., as well as a part-time faculty member at Columbia College Chicago. Anthony is a Second City alum who wrote and performed in two original Chicago Mainstage revues, “Taming of the Flu” and the Jeff Award-nominated America: All Better!. He has been a teacher and resident director for Second City, directing several resident stage and theatrical productions in Chicago and Washington, D.C., including “The Winner ... of Our Discontent” (Chicago Mainstage), “Soul Brother, Where Art Thou?” (The Second City e.t.c.), “Generation Gap” at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Helen Hayes-nominated “Nothing to Lose (But Our Chains)” at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. And Independently including The Magic Negro and Other Blackity Blackness as Told by an African-American Man Who Also Happens to be Black at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. A native of Beaumont, Texas, Anthony holds a degree in Computer Science and Physics from Loyola University New Orleans. Anthony is an autistic Blerd dedicated to promoting Neurodiversity and DEI in comedy.

Tilliski Ramey (Music Director) (he/him) has music directed for three revues with the Second City in the e.t.c. Theater along with their Touring Company. He also plays at the Chicago Magic Lounge, iO, ComedySportz, and performed at The Annoyance.

Devonte E. Washington (Stage Manager) (he/him) is a Chicago native. Born and raised on the southside. He has been working in production for over 10 years. He has molded his skills by learning the aspects of designing and building shows from scratch. His Talents have been used with many events, venues and shows throughout the city.

About The Second City

The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improvisation and comedy. Celebrating 65 years, The Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet.

For more information on The Second City, visit www.secondcity.com and follow The Second City on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

 


Saturday, March 24, 2018

REVIEW: Great Graphics Upstage Graphic Production of BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Akvavit Theatre Presents the U.S. Premiere of
BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS
By Astrid Saalbach
Translated by Michael Evans
Directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch
March 21 – April 14 at Strawdog Theatre Company

 Running time: 1:35, no intermission



(left to right) Kirstin Franklin, Kim Boler, Madelyn Loehr and Jennifer Cheung in Akvavit Theatre's U.S. premiere of BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS. All photos by Karl Clifton-Soderstrom.



(left to right) Kim Boler and Madelyn Loehr 
Photo by Karl Clifton-Soderstrom.

Review:
BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS has got it all... a dildo wearing crazy lady who appears to be homeless, mob murders and mystery, a bereft beautician's on line porn video, sex toy fights, bridal penetration with styling implements, and plenty of off color banter. It's impressive to see five actors playing 28 roles in 95 minutes. Yet something is lacking. Maybe things get lost in translation, a witty turn of phrase, or culture. Or maybe the endless parade of quirky characters are just too similar, with quick and superficial changes. Much of the ribald one liners and props seemed gratuitous, as if their only purpose was to shock, rather than to advance the plot, or even add much humor. I had high hopes after reading that this show "...examines the intersection of identity and appearance, what it means to be female, and the creative process." BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS has plot potential, but this production ultimately falls short of being all that insightful, shocking or funny. 


That said, the graphic arts are outstanding. We were crazy impressed with the colorful show posters, collectable cards for each stylist, and a beautician's chair setup with props for lobby photo ops. 


ChiIL Mama ChiILin' with Akvavit. Photo taken by my friend & actual hair stylist, Flo Mano!



I'm also a big fan of the laminated, returnable programs with a big bouffant on the front & flip side!





It's almost worth going just to check out the visuals. Kudos to the designer of these funky, fun visuals.





Catch BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS at Strawdog Theatre Company's new space through April 15th. Somewhat recommended.

The cast of Akvavit Theatre’s U.S. premiere of BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS includes (left to right) Jennifer Adams, Kim Boler, Jennifer Cheung, Kirstin Franklin and Madelyn Loehr.

Akvavit Theatre is pleased to present the U.S. premiere of the madcap Danish comedy BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS by Astrid Saalbach, translated by Michael Evans and directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch, playing March 21 – April 14, 2018 at the new Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at chicagonordic.org

In this black comedy, five women play 28 characters as they work through the absurdities and trials of trying to be a "good girl" in modern society: a professional success, a perfect mother, the right kind of feminist. BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS follows four hairstylists in a salon, trying to grow their business in a competitive field. In a series of hilarious and tragic scenes, the stylists lend their ears and their scissors to a parade of customers. They make up their hair, their faces, and give shape to the stories about who they are. But with the arrival of a mysterious stranger, life in the salon starts to get complicated – and dangerous. As the women's stories begin to unravel, the play examines what we owe to ourselves and each other, the difficulty of forming true connections, and all the ways in which we fail.  

BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS is a Danish comedy about four hair stylists and one peculiar patron, mysteriously named "A."  Five actors play 28 roles in this madcap dark comedy that examines the intersection of identity and appearance, what it means to be female, and the creative process.

The production team for BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS includes: Elyse Balogh (scenic design), Lily Walls (costume design), David Goodman-Edberg (lighting design), Nigel Harsch (sound design), Hillarie Shockley (props design), Rick Gilbert and Victor Bayona (violence/intimacy design) Keith Ryan (hair/wig design), Lindsay Tornquist (asst. director), Harrison Ornelis (technical director) and Hannah Harper-Smith (stage manager).



PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Location: Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice, Chicago
Regular run: Thursday, March 23 – Saturday, April 14, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 4 pm. 
Tickets: Previews: $10. Regular Run: $25. Students/seniors/industry $15. Tickets are currently available at chicagonordic.org.




About the Artists
Astrid Saalbach (Playwright) was trained as an actress at the Danish National School of Theatre from 1975 to 1978. She has received several awards including the Danish dramatist’s honor award and the lifelong grant of the Danish art fund. 

Michael Evans (Translator) went to Norway as an exchange student and just stayed there. Since the 1980s he has been working as a dramaturg at the Rogaland Theatre in Stavanger, where he has overseen four productions of Saalbach’s plays. His English translations of her plays have been seen in London, Chicago, Guelph and Toronto. His most recent translation was of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman for the Norwegian National Theatre.  His textbook Innføring I Dramaturgi is widely used in Scandinavia and is currently in it’s fifth printing.

Breahan Eve Pautsch (Director) is originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She earned her BA in Theatre and English at UW-Madison and has been working in Chicago as an actor and director since 2003. She has been a company member with Akvavit Theatre since 2011, where she served as Literary Manager and Director of Development for several years before taking the position of co-Artistic Director at the beginning of 2017. She is also a company member with Indie Boots Theatre. As a director, she has worked with Akvavit, Raven Theatre, Wildclaw Theatre, The International Voices Project, Hobo Junction Productions, Full Voice Productions, Mudgeonsoul Cinema, Broken Nose Theatre and Stockyards Theatre Project. 




About Akvavit Theatre
Akvavit Theatre is haunted by Nordic visions: deep forests and ice-blue seas, the patience of the glacier, the sudden fury of the volcano, the arctic light and silence. Seeking the universal through the voices of contemporary Nordic playwrights, Akvavit Theatre is a kind of homecoming, a connecting back to the lands whose people and cultures have for generations been a part of the great prairies of North America that we call home. And like our namesake beverage, Akvavit brings a “strong spirit” to the work that we produce. Skål, Skál, Kippis! For additional information, visit www.chicagonordic.org.


(left to right) Kim Boler, Jennifer Adams, Jennifer Cheung, Kirstin Franklin and Madelyn Loehr in Akvavit Theatre's U.S. premiere of BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS. Photo by Karl Clifton-Soderstrom.

Monday, March 19, 2018

OPENING: U.S. Premiere of Madcap Danish Comedy, BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS Via Akvavit Theatre Through 4/14/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Akvavit Theatre Presents the U.S. Premiere of
BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS
By Astrid Saalbach
Translated by Michael Evans
Directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch
March 21 – April 14 at Strawdog Theatre Company


The cast of Akvavit Theatre’s U.S. premiere of BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS includes (left to right) Jennifer Adams, Kim Boler, Jennifer Cheung, Kirstin Franklin and Madelyn Loehr.

I'll be out for the press opening on March 22nd, so check back soon for my full review. I adore black comedies, especially when they feature women. I'm bringing a hairdresser friend along for this one, and we can't wait. As a half Swede/half German in heritage, I'm particularly fond of Akvavit and their mission statement of "Seeking the universal through the voices of contemporary Nordic playwrights"

Akvavit Theatre is pleased to present the U.S. premiere of the madcap Danish comedy BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS by Astrid Saalbach, translated by Michael Evans and directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch, playing March 21 – April 14, 2018 at the new Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at chicagonordic.org. 

In this black comedy, five women play 28 characters as they work through the absurdities and trials of trying to be a "good girl" in modern society: a professional success, a perfect mother, the right kind of feminist. BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS follows four hairstylists in a salon, trying to grow their business in a competitive field. In a series of hilarious and tragic scenes, the stylists lend their ears and their scissors to a parade of customers. They make up their hair, their faces, and give shape to the stories about who they are. But with the arrival of a mysterious stranger, life in the salon starts to get complicated – and dangerous. As the women's stories begin to unravel, the play examines what we owe to ourselves and each other, the difficulty of forming true connections, and all the ways in which we fail.  

BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS is a Danish comedy about four hair stylists and one peculiar patron, mysteriously named "A."  Five actors play 28 roles in this madcap dark comedy that examines the intersection of identity and appearance, what it means to be female, and the creative process.

The production team for BAD GIRLS: THE STYLISTS includes: Elyse Balogh (scenic design), Lily Walls (costume design), David Goodman-Edberg (lighting design), Nigel Harsch (sound design), Hillarie Shockley (props design), Rick Gilbert and Victor Bayona (violence/intimacy design) Keith Ryan (hair/wig design), Lindsay Tornquist (asst. director), Harrison Ornelis (technical director) and Hannah Harper-Smith (stage manager).



PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Location: Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice, Chicago
Dates: Preview: Wednesday, March 21 at 8 pm
Press performance: Thursday, March 22 at 8 pm
Regular run: Thursday, March 23 – Saturday, April 14, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 4 pm. 
Tickets: Previews: $10. Regular Run: $25. Students/seniors/industry $15. Tickets are currently available at chicagonordic.org.


About the Artists
Astrid Saalbach (Playwright) was trained as an actress at the Danish National School of Theatre from 1975 to 1978. She has received several awards including the Danish dramatist’s honor award and the lifelong grant of the Danish art fund. 

Michael Evans (Translator) went to Norway as an exchange student and just stayed there. Since the 1980s he has been working as a dramaturg at the Rogaland Theatre in Stavanger, where he has overseen four productions of Saalbach’s plays. His English translations of her plays have been seen in London, Chicago, Guelph and Toronto. His most recent translation was of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman for the Norwegian National Theatre.  His textbook Innføring I Dramaturgi is widely used in Scandinavia and is currently in it’s fifth printing.

Breahan Eve Pautsch (Director) is originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She earned her BA in Theatre and English at UW-Madison and has been working in Chicago as an actor and director since 2003. She has been a company member with Akvavit Theatre since 2011, where she served as Literary Manager and Director of Development for several years before taking the position of co-Artistic Director at the beginning of 2017. She is also a company member with Indie Boots Theatre. As a director, she has worked with Akvavit, Raven Theatre, Wildclaw Theatre, The International Voices Project, Hobo Junction Productions, Full Voice Productions, Mudgeonsoul Cinema, Broken Nose Theatre and Stockyards Theatre Project. 



About Akvavit Theatre
Akvavit Theatre is haunted by Nordic visions: deep forests and ice-blue seas, the patience of the glacier, the sudden fury of the volcano, the arctic light and silence. Seeking the universal through the voices of contemporary Nordic playwrights, Akvavit Theatre is a kind of homecoming, a connecting back to the lands whose people and cultures have for generations been a part of the great prairies of North America that we call home. And like our namesake beverage, Akvavit brings a “strong spirit” to the work that we produce. Skål, Skál, Kippis! For additional information, visit www.chicagonordic.org.




Friday, May 17, 2013

OPENING TODAY: Sightseers at Music Box #review #film #blackcomedy




Films on our radar.   Highly recommended.    
Sightseers Opens in Chicago Today, Friday, May 17th at The Music Box!


Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we caught a sneak peek at Sightseers and highly recommend it if you dig dark humor.   This welcome addition to the road trip killers genre ala Bonnie and Clide and Natural Born Killers follows a benign looking but lethal English couple on a cross country killing spree.



It's a charmingly cathartic wish fulfillment movie in that the couple kills anyone that annoys them.   I'm reminded of the Talking Heads line from Psycho Killer "...I hate people when they're not polite."   Who can say they've never fantasized about "accidentally" offing rude strangers.   Fortunately most of us stop far short of acting on those thoughts.  Still, the concept makes for a hilarious film.   

Amid the downright banality of a museum tour road trip to such winning locals as Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, and the Keswick Pencil Museum, trigger tempered Chris inadvertently creates an avid disciple.   When Tina discovers her new beau is a psycho killer, instead of doing the sensible thing like fleeing and turning him in, she embraces his unfortunate habit and becomes a jealous, dognapping murderess herself, much to his chagrine.


The scariest thing about this film is the utter normality of the protagonists.   They could easily be the couple camped out next to you this summer.



  

A FILM BY BEN WHEATLEY STARRING ALICE LOWE, STEVE ORAM, EILEEN DAVIES

“A wicked little pic in which a tacky couple discovers that cross-country road-tripping makes it surprisingly easy -- and fun! -- to knock off the more obnoxious characters they encounter en route.”
–Peter Debruge, Variety


Fri, May 17
  2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Sat, May 18
  2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Sun, May 19
  2:15pm · 5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Mon, May 20
  5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Tue, May 21  
  5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Wed, May 22   
  5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm
Thu, May 23
  5:00pm · 7:15pm · 9:30pm



Music Box Says:


This week we’re opening Sightseers, the new film from director Ben Wheatley (Kill List). In this gleefully gory laugh riot, Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn. Produced by Shaun Of The Dead creator Edgar Wright and co-written & starring members of The Mighty Boosh and Garth Merenghi’s Dark Place, this black comedy is not to be missed! Check out The Playlist’s 5 Reasons You Must See Sightseers

About the film
A pair of sad-sack lovers turns into a frumpy Bonnie and Clyde as their romantic getaway to the English countryside turns into a bloody killing spree.
Directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List), Chris (Steve Oram) wants to show Tina (Alice Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way - on a journey through the British Isles in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina's led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see - the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that accompanies these wonders in his life.

But it doesn't take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina's meddling mother, soon conspire to shatter Chris's dreams and send him, and anyone who rubs him up the wrong way, over a very jagged edge...

Dir. BEN WHEATLEY | English | 88m |

Film details.
What: Sightseers
Where: The Music Box Theatre
When: Opens Friday, May 17th


More at Music Box:
Our Orson Welles matinee series continues this weekend with The Trial. Welles and Anthony Perkins star in this gripping adaptation of Franz Kafka’s tale of a nightmarish totalitarian state. Given 4 stars by Roger Ebert, the Music Box is thrilled to give our patrons the rare chance to see this film on the big screen!
 
This weekend, cult classics come out at midnight. On Friday, it’s The Room, director/writer/“actor” Tommy Wiseau’s bizarre drama about love and betrayal (Purchase advance tickets now). Then, on Saturday night, it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Grab a virgin kit and join the Midnight Madness shadow cast for a party that’s been going on for over 35 years (Purchase advance tickets now).


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