DC Comedy Festival "Audtion Showcase" at The DC Improv

The dccomedyfest is entering its fourth year and we're looking for the best comedy standup from DC and throughout North America.

"A select group of DC's most hilarious stand up comedians will perform on a special audition showcase Saturday, April 12. This great roster of performers will be auditioning for an opportunity to be at the New Talent Industry Showcase during dccomedyfest (Thursday, Aug 7) at the DC Improv for talent scouts from The Tonight Show, Chelsea Lately, networks, agents and more! But performers will also be considered for other slots in the festival, including Feature Shows and other special performance opportunities."

The Line-Up for the Show features:
Jason Weems
Aparna Nancherla
Jay Hastings
Bryson Turner
Kojo Mante
Nick Turner
Larry Poon
John McBride
Tim Miller
Hampton Yount

When: April 12th, @ 8:00 pm
Where: DC Improv Comedy Lounge
Tickets: $10
Website: http://www.symfonee.com/improv/dc/home/Index.aspx

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other crap

NYC Mainstay "Invite Them Up" ends its 6-year run

I think I finally found the definition of hacky comedy

The March 5th Human Giant show at the Black Cat is cancelled.----The reason it's cancelled

Does anyone know the real story behind Ryan Conner's new Blue Man Group Myspace photo?

George Carlin stars in his 114th HBO special

Yet ANOTHER Chicago Comedy Festival is announced

What else would you call a place with "100,000 pieces of Stoogeabilia?"

The Colonialist ends the popular "Best Onion Article Ever" debate
Read more!

Tix means Tickets, and other crap

NY Underground Comedy Fest dates and submission deadlines announced

Jared Stern discusses "The Life of a Jewish comedian"

Radiohead hits town on April 11th. Tix on sale tomorrow at 10am

300 seat comedy club coming to Bethesda in 2 months?

Chris Rock to perform for one of the largest crowds ever for a comedy show at Bonaroo. Tix on sale tommorow at noon.

The longest explanation ever for a new University of Maryland open mic

Bob Odenkirk fills the void of President's Day humor

"Top Shelf" gets a writeup in "Metroblogging"

Type rest of the post here
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DC Comedy Spotlight: Blaire Postman & The DC Comedy Fetsival

Do you want to be in the 2008 DC Comedy Festival? Would you like to perform in front of sold out crowds, filled with audience members who are smart and enjoy comedy? I'm willing to bet you do. Why wouldn't you? The DC Comedy Festival provides just that. It is a great event that allows national, regional, and more importantly local comedians the chance to showcase their comic abilities. There are so many different types of shows. From the smaller Comedy Jam, to the packed theater shows, to the Tonight Show and Letterman Auditions. It's an amazing opportunity for all comics, of all levels.

[hit the jump for more on Blaire, this year's festival and how you can be a part of it!]

The DC Comedy Festival is going into its 4th year and it just keeps getting better and better. The venues have gotten bigger (next year they’ll include THE BLACK CAT and THE DC IMPROV), the crowds have gotten bigger, and the number of comics have grown as well. But the more important thing is that the quality of the festival has improved. With such talented comics from the improv, sketch, and stand-up fields being invited to perform at the festival. Sketch and Improv groups such as "The Annoyance Theatre’s President Bush is a Great Man", "Bassprov", "Elephant Larry", WIT's "Dr. Fantastic" and "iMusical". Stand-up acts have included national headliners like Daniel Tosh, TJ Miller, Demetri Martin, and Rob Cantrell. Local comics such as Rory Scovel, Ryan Conner, Jay Hastings, Kojo Mante, Sean Gabbert, Chris White, and Jon Mumma have all been featured comedians.

Along with success comes added responsibilities. The festival doesn't just run itself. Blaire Postman is the woman who created the festival and runs the festival. The festivals have been so successful due to a lot of hard work by Blaire and all of the wonderful volunteers who have pitched in with the festival. Volunteers are what truly make the DC Comedy Festival a success. Having people who care about the well being of comedy, and want to have a great, local comedy scene is so important.

Ask not what your comedy festival can do for you, but what YOU can do for your comedy festival. That is the question at hand. Blaire needs help. A comedy festival needs to be promoted, sponsored, marketed, handle submission tapes, book hotel rooms, and schedule the events. That is just a quick overview of some of the responsibilities that go along with running a festival.

Now working from New York 4-5 days a week as a manager and live event producer, Blaire needs additional help this year to pull things off.

The festival has been pushed back from it's original April time slot, in order to replace the past sketch/improve venues (Warehouse Theater is closing), to include new high-profile venues and to pull in some association with the upcoming election for a few politically themed shows (yes, a shameless attempt to court more PR).

If you would like to be apart of something bigger than yourself, and comedy speaks to you, then this is an awesome opportunity to become apart of something great. You can help in so many ways. From making t-shirts to handing passes, there is something for everyone to do. And it doesn't have to consume your life, or take up all your time. Just a few hours a week, and you could really make a big difference in the success of the DC Comedy Festival. That said, there are some larger positions (though still very part-time) for those interested, some with potential for commission based pay.

If you would like to contribute your time to a worthy, and noble cause then please contact Blaire Postman at:
blairep[at]dccomedygroup.com

You can also contact us here at dccomedy4now.
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Philadelphia Improv Festival '07 Recap

Last weekend I performed with the Washington Improv Theater troupe Jackie at the Philadelphia Improv Festival . I went two years ago as a member of Season Six (where Stuart and I had the pleasure of meeting Philly's worst-whore-woman-beast of a bartender). This year marked PHIF's 3rd anniversary and it has already grown alot since it began. In fact, Philadelphia is very similar to DC's improv scene. It has a small community, in which there are just a handful of groups on the forefront. The main being the Philly Improv Theater, whose members created and produced the festival. Philadelphia's improv influences do travel far as groups from New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and LA all came to the city to perform.

What you get at the PHIF is a close group of fellow improvisers and a pretty good mix of talent, all of whom are eager to try something fun in front of a new crowd. Some of the troupes I enjoyed the most were The Gunshow (NYC), who did a fantastic long-form show involving a father trying to tell his son about sex as he is being hauled of to jail and 30,000kHz of Sound (NYC), a BAT show done completely in the dark. Unfortunately, there was also the "hahah poop!" induced shows that left me looking for the exit. But hey, that is what you get a an improv festival right? Overall, you get the sense that the PHIF is making quick strides to become something one everyone on the east coast looks forward to by sticking to their guns and inviting strong, long form based shows year after year.

Jackie had a great show, as did the other troupes from Washington Improv Theater; 161, Caveat and iMusical. Jackie's show actually marks the last performance of Zack Phillips in WIT. Zack has been incredibly instrumental in making Jackie and WIT what it is today and I am sad to see him go. Too bad he is just too damn talented. I need more dull friends, so they will never leave me! Zack, I wish you luck buddy.

iMusical actually closed out the festival Saturday night with one of their more silly performances, which included Jordan Hirsch singing to heart-broken parent Shawn Westfall about how "raising a hand to your child" was the fast way to gain back your child's respect. I loved it and I plan on using that advice when I have children. And yes, I will be singing as I do it.

Weird. How did Jay get in here?

Anyways a big thanks to Matt, Rick, Nathan and Alli for putting up the festival and inviting WIT again to join them. Philadelphia is like DC's sister city. I know there are incredibly talented improv comedians in both towns and it is up to people like WIT and the Philly Improv Theater to continue making sure people know about them.

Philadelphia Comedy: 4 Now? See you guys in 2008. Read more!

DC Comedy Fest changes for '08

So the DC Comedy Fest seems to be finally embracing it's political comedy roots. Well maybe not it's roots exactly, but the fact that it is housed in the most political city in America. Below is from the front page of the DC Comedy Fest website:

dccomedyfest2008!

Submissions will open for dccomedyfest 2008 in NOVEMBER! Check back here for exact dates and other details.

As always we will feature the best cutting-edge comedy from around the world, headliners with special shows developed just for us, and auditions for national television shows for comedians on the brink to get their big break and much more!

Also, while dccomedyfest has always had more than it's fair share of political humor and comedy targeted at social and cultural comedy. In 2008, in honor of election year - we're going to have a venue exclusively for Political Comedy.

What does this mean for you, Mr. average comedian that talks about every topic under the sun? Will there still be room? Last year, there was basically a a sketch venue (Warehouse), an improv venue (Flashpoint), and a standup venue (HR-57). If one whole venue will be used exclusively for political comedy it seems that many of us will be forced to watch from the sidelines.

Does anyone have an opinion on this change? Or even better, anyone have more information as to exactly what will change? Let's do this DC!

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