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July 21, 2006
Southeastern Comedy Arts Alliance
Several groups in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama have started the Southeastern Comedy Arts Alliance and are inviting other groups in the region to join them. The organization will be holding the Southeastern Comedy Arts Festival on September 29-30, 2006, at Mississippi State University. Complete details after the jump...
James Comans writes:
Hi. I am contacting you on behalf of the Southeastern Comedy Arts Alliance.
My name is James Comans, and I'm the managing director of Lab Rats Comedy in Starkville, MS.
We've been doing improv and sketch stuff for almost four years and we've recently become involved in a push to form an alliance of like-minded performers from anywhere in the southeast, for the purpose of helping each other out, both by scholarly means and by means of helping each other grow in publicity however possible.
We really would like for as many groups to get involved on this ground floor level, because right now, membership is absolutely free.
Right now, we're just a collection of improv groups in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama who want to help get the word out about comedy in this area, but we know that soon the alliance will span across many more southeastern states.
There will be a Southeastern Comedy Arts Festival on September 29-30, 2006, at Mississippi State University. It will feature workshops, networking opportunities, and competitions in standup, sketch, and improv. Heck, if for nothing else, it will be great because somebody's going to go home to their fans being able to claim being the CHAMPIONS of the SOUTHEASTERN COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL. Try putting that on your promos! The rights to host the 2007 Festival are still up for grabs, but you'll have to attend the festival this year to make a bid.
Well, basically, the first step of what we need is
- The official name of whatever organization(s) you want to be affiliated,
- Downloadable logo(s) we can use for your organization(s), on the website (if you have it),
- A brief description of the organization(s), including home base and any member stats you could offer, plus anything else you want said,
- A contact person & information for further info (if it's not you).
- Any important dates or information you want out for people to know about you.
Basically, that will give us something to put up to get things started, and we'll probably expand the website features later on.
Also, any comments on SECAA itself that you think might help it run better would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
And if you would like me to go ahead and send you info on the festival, just
email me back a snailmail address and it'll be in the mail ASAP. (Got ya covered.)
Thank you very much,
James Comans
Managing Director
Lab Rats Comedy
Starkville, MS
director@labratscomedy.com
Posted by Fuzzy at 4:09 PM
Groups Update
Groups Added:
Castle Court Improv (New Castle, PA) (USA - Pennsylvania)
Clamotta (World - Germany)
Easily Amused (USA - Ohio)
The Liberators (USA - Oregon)
Triple Play Improv (Canada - British Columbia)
Posted by Fuzzy at 4:00 PM
Interview with Charna Halpern
The Bastion has an interview with iO Theater owner Charna Halpern.
Posted by Fuzzy at 2:49 PM
Del Close's skull
Del Close's skull, which he famously willed to the Goodman Theater for use as a prop, is back in the news with a front page article in the Chicago Tribune today expressing doubts as to whether it is actually his skull.
The human skull purported to be Close's has become a legendary prop in Chicago theater and an endearing symbol of his eccentricities and offbeat humor.
But it appears the mythic noggin is nothing more than that: a myth.
"It's not his skull, but the idea behind it is there," said Jeff Griggs, Close's biographer. "The idea should be preserved, if not the actual cranium."
Of Close's friends and colleagues interviewed this week, few said they believed, definitively, that it was Close's skull--only that they would like to believe it is. Some said they never bought the story.
Posted by Fuzzy at 2:03 PM
Name our improv group auction ends
The "name our improv group" auction I mentioned a few days ago has ended and GoldenPalace.com, the online casino, has won the auction with a bid of $1385.00. The group's name will be announced at their first show, tomorrow at the Magnet Theater.
(via The Apiary)
Posted by Fuzzy at 1:58 PM
July 20, 2006
Project Improvisor
Yes, I'm behind on the curve on this, but maybe you're behinder:
The UCB Theater is presenting a reality webseries, Project Improvisor. It's pretty much what you'd expect, as a cast of nine improvisors is whittled down to an ultimate winner.
(via The Apiary)
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:45 AM
July 19, 2006
The Bastion
The New York comedy site The Apiary has launched a Chicago-focused site called The Bastion. The site covers all aspects of comedy in Chicago, but includes plenty of improv coverage.
Posted by Fuzzy at 11:22 AM
July 18, 2006
Annoyance Theatre
After five years without a space of their own, Chicago's influential Annoyance Theatre is opening their new theatre this weekend. Opening weekend shows include
Chicago Tribune: They're Ba-aaack
Posted by Fuzzy at 5:32 PM
iO Blogs
The iO Theater has added blogs by owner Charna Halpern and improvisors Bill Arnett, Michael Balzer, Jason Chin, Rachael Mason and The Wilsons.
Posted by Fuzzy at 4:45 PM
Careful throwing away those props
"The object that caused a bomb scare in the Old Town neighborhood Sunday turned out to be a discarded Second City theater prop."
(via Chicagoist)
Posted by Fuzzy at 4:25 PM
July 7, 2006
nameourimprovgroup.com
A new improv group at the Magnet Theater in New York is auctioning off the right to name their group on eBay.
Posted by Fuzzy at 4:14 PM