Tonight: SFIT Fun-draiser for Amie & Kristen Show

In the short time since its inception, the ladies of the AMIE & KRISTEN SHOW have garnered a nice little following and high praise for their organic, rooted-in-the-now playing style. After cutting their teeth playing around the East Coast, AMIE ROE and KRISTEN SCHIER are now westbound… for the SEATTLE FESTIVAL OF IMPROVISED THEATER (SFIT).

To offset some of the heavy cost burdens associated with doing a trans-continental journey for a comedy show, they are having a fundraiser show tonight at the ACTORS CENTER in Old City. They will be joined by improv friends MEDIC and IRON LUNG for a few hours of laughs, from which the proceeds will appreciatively help them “not be broke.”

L to R: Amie Roe, Kristen Schier

I had a chance to chat with the ladies about tonight’s fundraiser and their impending trip.

PHILLYIMPROV: With both A&KS and MattAnd performing at SFIT, this is the first time Philadelphia has been represented there. What are you looking forward to?

AMIE ROE: Wearing flannel shirts and listening to grunge! They still do that there, right?

KRISTEN SCHIER: We’re proud to be a selection… Mostly looking forward to going to the fest for the first time. I know only a few of the acts, and if they are any indication the festival will be a lot to watch and learn from.

PI: What about your show are you most excited to share with audiences?

KS: I am excited to share knowledge about the talented Philly scene…

AR: …bring a tiny piece of the amazing improv and comedy scene that’s developing here in Philadelphia to another city.  It’s an honor whenever you’re selected to appear in any festival, and a real privilege to be an ambassador for Philly comedy.

KS: And have a blast doing our girlish romp of a show!

PI: Anything you can share about tonight’s show?

KS: (Tonight) is about being thankful for anyone who is willing to come and see our show… Any money we raise will be received with much graditude.

AR: We’re going to look really hot.  I’ve been running a bunch and exfoliating… plus I got a hair cut two weeks ago, and I know my girl Kristen has been rocking the WiiFit.

KS: It’s about showing of some of Philly’s newest improv acts.

AR: We’ll be joined on stage by Medic, a collection of some of the most talented PHIT house team members, and Iron Lung, a brand new team that formed out of a PHIT level 201 class that I just taught.

KS: Iron Lung and Medic will be fantabulous!

–

The Amie & Kristen Show (Fantabulous) Fun-draiser Show begins tonight (2/11) at 10PM at the Actors Center, 257 N Third St. Tickets are $10 at the door. Additional information available here.

Tonight: Monday Night Club at Natl Mechanics

It’s Monday night, and that means it’s time for that evening of eclectic craziness National Mechanics proudly proclaims as their “weekly clusterf*ck”

“… local bands, solo musicians, comedians, thespians, photographers, painters, monologists, linguists, performance artists, authors, DJs, jammers, scammers, filmmakers, and films experimenting in different-than-usual norms on an in-the-biz night with you as judge, jury, victim, viewer, but not executioner. Sorry, we reserve that right.”

We of course love us comedy open mics, but as you can clearly see, Monday nights in Old City are so much more than that. And best of all, there’s no cover for this cavalcade of madness.

MONDAY NIGHT CLUB AT NATIONAL MECHANICS
MONDAYS, 9PM – CLOSE
22 S THIRD ST, PHILADELPHIA

Last One-Man Show for Chip Chantry at the Khyber

For the last few weeks, rumors have abound that the close of July could bring with it the end of live entertainment at the Khyber. It’s still up in the air whether the venue will be changing hands soon, or is simply looking to make a change in bookings. According to a recent chat Philebrity had with owner Stephen Simons, at the very least, the stage will be dark for the month of August.

So with the future unclear, comedian Chip Chantry looks to make this month’s One-Man Show something to remember. For what could be the final installment at the beloved venue, they’re going entirely character-based for the theme. Everyone appearing onstage will be in disguise.

Some fantastic alter-egos and characters abound in our little world of comedy, and tonight should be something pretty damn special… while potentially bidding farewell to a venue held so dear to many comedians, we might conversely see the birth of other hilarious personas the likes of Bing Supernova or Fastball Pitcher Bob Gutierrez.

Chip has a cavalcade of comics slated to take the stage tonight, including: Johnny Goodtimes, Doogie Horner, Brendan Kennedy, Meg Favreau, John Kensil, The Feeko Brothers, Andy Nolan, Luke Giordano, Roger Weaver and more! With a lineup like that, this show already should make your must-see list. Add to that it potentially being the last installment at the place that gave birth to shows like this and Die Actor Die, and it really is the only place you should be tonight.

CHIP CHANTRY’S LAST ONE-MAN SHOW AT THE KHYBER?!?!
MONDAY, JULY 19TH @ 8:30PM
THE KHYBER | 56 S 2ND ST
$5 COVER | DRINK SPECIALS

Comedian Profile: Alan Williams

Editors Note: In this segment, we step away from the stage and take a look at comedians in the Philadelphia area… Learn a little more about where they come from, what they do while not performing and of course the question we all ask ourselves… Why do we do it?

–

ALAN WILLIAMS

Might have seen him in: The N Crowd, Ladies & Gentlemen, Meadowbrook Public Library Storybook Players (2nd place overall for 2010 Troika)

Hangs his hat in: Old City

Stomping Grounds: Ithaca, NY

Pays the Bills: Biopharmaceutical Marketing

Other Hobbies: reading, writing, ‘rithmetic… and karaoke

Why Improv?

Improv is my sanity saver. When the drudgery of my day-to-day life starts to bring me down, improv lifts me up again.

–

If you know someone who you think should be profiled, we’d love to hear about them.

Sat: Troika Goes Nationwide

For the last three years, TROIKA has been matching up local improvisers into trios. I created the show as a way for people to experiment with new forms and collaborate outside of their normal circles without having to invest in an entirely new project. It’s also proved to be a great way to expose fan bases to different performers.

Troika’s spawned some pretty unique and fun premise-based and concept shows… we’ve seen musicals, rock band reunions, teen sleepovers and spanish language soap operas, as well as a colorful cast of characters including clowns, librarians, puppets and even states witnesses. We’ve seen groups from Troika live on to perform well beyond their season. Early teams PONYCOAT and BRENDA were the first break outs, followed by several concerts from VELVET HELMET, leading clear up to the current CAGEMATCH champs, THE ONES YOUR MOMS WARNED YOU ABOUT.

Last month, Troika expanded beyond its normal season by shedding its competition brackets for a special “blind” edition. Tomorrow night,  the show looks to raise the bar, as it takes its first steps towards national collaboration. Improvisers from New York, Boston, DC and as far away as Los Angeles will take the stage with some of Philly’s best. They’ll form three trios never before seen on stage, and not likely to be seen again:

ROBO TRIPPING
Hannah Foell (Cambridge, MA)
Nathan Edmondson (Philadelphia, PA)
Topher Bellavia (Washington, DC)

SLACKS
Alli Soowal (Philadelphia, PA)
Luis Cortes (Los Angeles, CA)
Steve Kleinedler (Boston, MA)

FROWNTOWN
Jason Stockdale (Philadelphia, PA)
Michael McFarland (New York City, NY)
Peter Fenzel (Boston, MA)

That’s some serious comedic talent, and all I can say is, you’d best expect the unexpected. So I hope you’ll join us for a special evening that is certainly never to be duplicated.

TROIKA GOES NATIONWIDE
SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH @ 8PM
THE ACTORS CENTER | 257 N THIRD ST
$10 (CASH ONLY)

Tonight: Free Open Mic at Natl Mechanics

NATIONAL MECHANICS will feature a comedy open mic and live music 9PM tonight as part of writer A.D. Amorosi’s weekly party with Needle Jones. The evening will be hosted by comic DANNY OZARK and acoustic jammer DANI MARI.

MONDAY NIGHT CLUB
WEEKLY CREATIVE CLUSTERF*CK
MON, JUNE 14 @ 9PM
NATIONAL MECHANICS | 22 S THIRD ST

N Crowd First Friday double header

If you’re out and about for First Friday, beat the heat in Old City with back-to-back comedy, N Crowd style. On the first Friday of each month, the N Crowd adds a second show following their normal weekly show. Come early and get out of the humidity, or come later after dinner. Just leave room for laughs.

N CROWD DOUBLE HEADER
FRIDAY, JUNE 4TH @ 8PM & 10PM
ACTORS CENTER | 257 N THIRD ST
$10-$15 PER SHOW

Celebrating five years of N Crowd

It was April of 2005 when I first wrote about the N Crowd during their inaugural month of shows. At the time they were performing at the Spirit Wind Arts Center. The nondescript building, tucked away on New Street just around the corner from their current home, was and remains little more than a massive brick room… Freezing in the winter and an oven in the summer. Their segmented platform stage built strong enough to hold the antics of a dozen energetic improvisers, but readily deconstructed to make way for the bands, belly dancers and martial artists who shared the space throughout the week.

After Spirit Wind, the group performed for a brief stint in the Red Room at the Society Hill Playhouse. The dark space had walls lined with tin medallions and the audience watched atop lengthy platforms that held the cabaret-style seating. Long gone was the platform stage, and in its place would often be the encroaching set of whatever production was currently being mounted.

Then In August of 2006, the N Crowd would find a home where they would take up residence on Friday nights, and where they remain to this day. Venturing north up Third Street, just beyond the Ben Franklin Bridge where the First Friday crowds begin to thin, sits the Actors Center. And on the second floor you’ll find the unassuming black box that the N Crowd now calls home.

Time has the ability to change so many things, and it’s remarkable what five years can do. When you spend several evenings each week with a group of people doing something you all love, it’s astounding how much you become more than what you thought. I was welcomed into this fold a few years back, and since that time I’ve been witness to so much more than comedy… so much more than a hobby.

These initial relationships that we form can’t help but take root; until we see our lives intertwined, both personally and professionally. There have been numerous projects undertaken… videos, albums and even a musical. But most exceptional are how we’ve been there for one another through so many of life’s moments. We’ve been friends, yet also at times enemies, if only for thirty seconds. Confidants and mocking assholes. We’ve seen one another through hookups and breakups, been bridesmaids and thrown baby showers. We’ve slept on each others sofas and passed out on each others floors. Births and birthdays, moving days and job woes. We’ve cleaned each others wounds – both figurative and real.

We take our punches and we take our rewards, and each time we can’t help but all own a little piece of it. Because Third Street is where it’s most apparent. It hangs on our faces and plays through our characters. People come and people go, some for a short time, others forever. No matter who you see onstage any given Friday, one thing’s for sure… after five years we’re in more than the business of comedy… we’re in the business of being a comedy family.

This Friday we’d like to welcome you in joining us at the Ruba Hall for a special anniversary night. After the show, we’ll have some drinks, dance up a storm and celebrate five years of doing it the only way we know how… through laughter.

THE N CROWD – 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW
FRIDAY, APRIL 23RD @ 9PM
RUBA HALL | 414 GREEN ST (1 BLOCK NORTH OF SILK CITY)
TICKETS & INFO

N Crowd double header featuring Real Housewives

The N CROWD will be putting on a double header of shows at 8 & 10PM this week for First Friday. The early show is the full regular weekly shortform program. If you’re in the mood for backstabbing, gold-digging and random charity fundraisers, then stick around for the 10PM show, which will also feature local ladies of satire, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF PHILADELPHIA.

THE N CROWD DOUBLE HEADER
FRIDAY, JAN 8TH
8PM – REGULAR SHOW
10PM – W/ GUEST REAL HOUSEWIVES

ACTORS CENTER | 257 N THIRD ST

$10 ONLINE / $15 AT DOOR

Tonight: Comedy Night at Grassos Magic Theatre

Some of my favorite standups will be sharing a stage tonight at Grasso’s Magic Theatre in Old City. TERI VALENTINE, CHIP CHANTRY & ALAN MARX are set to delight a lucky and intimate audience in this warm, ambient space that’s a throwback to old vaudeville.

COMEDY NIGHT@ GRASSO’S MAGIC THEATRE
feat. TERI VALENTINE, CHIP CHANTRY & ALAN MARX
FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH @ 8PM
103 CALLOWHILL ST | $15 | ALCOHOL-FREE SHOW