Comedy

Every advice columnist we can think of encourages keeping your professional and love lives separate. But what happens when Cupid strikes onstage? With Valentine's Day around the corner, we checked in with the founders-producers from three venerable sketch and improv comedy houses--who happen to also be couples--to find out what happens when your significant other is also your partner in the business of making the rest of us laugh every night. Dan Abbate and Kelly Williams Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave.; gorillatango.com Together: Since January 2004, when Kelly auditioned as an...

When Chicago actor Scott Duff joined forces with Laugh Factory to debut an LGBT-themed showcase, he knew he wanted his first headliner to be no-holds-barred comedian Jessica Halem, who spent 12 years - 1996 to 2008 - at the top of the Chicago comedy scene before returning to New York. "I really wanted a strong female presence," said Duff, a founding member of About Face Theatre who also has appeared in productions at Steppenwolf, the Goodman and other Chicago stages. "Whenever you think about the gay community, you think of gay men. And I'm like, 'No, no, no!

“The Guilt Trip,” the upcoming movie starring Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand will be taking a trip around the country. Exclusive screenings will be held at participating AMC movie theatres in major cities on December 2, well before the film's December 19 release datte.  The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Rogen and Streisand responding via satellite from LA.  The movies is about a son and mother duo who embark on a road trip...

Considering my - um - history with Star Trek folks, you'd think that I wouldn't be so welcome in their universe. Let's face it, the first time I met William Shatner he tried drowning a Jean-Luc Picard Action Figure that he assumed was mine. Newsflash, Captain Kirk! It wasn't! Anyhoo... Despite my checkered past with the crew of the Enterprise , the funny folks of " Improvised Star Tre k " have invited me to be a part of their show this Friday! I'll be a contestant in "The Away Mission Game" where I will be selecting my favorite...

Considering my - um - history with Star Trek folks, you'd think that I wouldn't be so welcome in their universe. Let's face it, the first time I met William Shatner he tried drowning a Jean-Luc Picard Action Figure that he assumed was mine. Newsflash, Captain Kirk! It wasn't! Anyhoo... Despite my checkered past with the crew of the Enterprise , the funny folks of " Improvised Star Tre k " have invited me to be a part of their show this Friday! I'll be a contestant in "The Away Mission Game" where I will be selecting my favorite...

When Chicago actor Scott Duff joined forces with Laugh Factory to debut an LGBT-themed showcase, he knew he wanted his first headliner to be no-holds-barred comedian Jessica Halem, who spent 12 years - 1996 to 2008 - at the top of the Chicago comedy scene before returning to New York. "I really wanted a strong female presence," said Duff, a founding member of About Face Theatre who also has appeared in productions at Steppenwolf, the Goodman and other Chicago stages. "Whenever you think about the gay community, you think of gay men. And I'm...

NBC has ordered a full season of "Chicago Fire," an "action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. " The series pilot was filmed in Chicago and, according to an NBC rep, the series will continue to be filmed in the Windy City. From "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf, the series stars Taylor Kinney ("The Vampire Diaries"), Jesse Spencer ("House"), Monica Raymund ("The Good Wife"), former Chicagoan David Eigenberg ("Sex and the City")

Name a comedian - any comedian - and chances are that performer either passed through the doors of the famed Second City in Old Town or worked with someone who has. From Bill Murray to Tina Fey, the alumni list from the improv club boasts more big names than an issue of People magazine and more stars than the Oscars telecast. The Second City celebrated its 50th anniversary a couple of years ago, and the list of those who turned up included Jim Belushi, Steve Carell, Bob Odenkirk, Harold Ramis, Stephen Colbert, Catherine O'Hara, George Wendt, Martin Short - if you've seen a comedy (or a drama,...

We all deal with certain amounts of stress in our lives. How we cope, though, sets us apart. "I probably smoke too many cigarettes, which isn't a very good thing," said Elijah Wood, best known for playing Frodo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings" movies. "I don't have any extraordinary sort of coping mechanism. I certainly don't talk to a dog. " That's exactly what his character does in "Wilfred," the unapologetically bizarre FX comedy that premieres at 9 p.m. June 23. Wood plays Ryan, a suicidal guy who strikes up a relationship with his neighbor's dog, Wilfred.

Marisol Nichols knows how to make people cry, but how to laugh? Well, she's been working on that. Best known for her dramatic work in such series as "24," "The Gates" and "Blind Justice," the 38-year-old actress has been stretching her comedic muscles in her latest TV series, "GCB," which debuts at 9 p.m. Sunday on ABC. "It's so fun," Nichols, who grew up in Rogers Park and Naperville, told me while visiting Chicago over Thanksgiving. "It's ridiculous. It's also fun just being ridiculous.

As hard as we try, we can't always control how we - collectively and as individuals - are perceived or what our path through the world will be. Those twists and turns form the through-line of The Second City's 101st mainstage revue, "Let Them Eat Chaos," which journeys across time on cruise ships, in dive bars, at violin lessons and all over Chicago to shed some light - and some humor - on the confusion. To see how the cast brought order to the chaos inherent in creating a new sketch comedy revue from scratch, we asked each to share a chaotic incident from his or...

Karen Gillan has left Doctor Who's TARDIS*, but she's not straying far from acronyms. The actress has joined the cast of "NTSF:SD:SUV::" for its third season. The Adult Swim comedy stars Paul Scheer as Special Agent Trent Hauser. "I'm really excited to be quoted in this article," Scheer said in a statement. He also serves as executive producer. Gillan played "Doctor Who" companion Amy Pond in the international hit that airs in the U.S. on BBC America. She joins Scheer and Kate Mulgrew, Brandon Johnson, June Diane Raphael,...

Chicago's comedy scene just got a little bit more serious this week after Columbia College announced Tuesday that it will be partnering with The Second City to offer a new four-year degree in comedy writing and performance. The new bachelor's degree, which will officially begin this fall, was inspired by Columbia's five-year-old Comedy Studies program that gives students the opportunity to "study abroad" at Second City for a semester and receive credit hours to take improv classes and workshops at the comedy club.

Valentine's Day can be totally awesome, totally depressing or totally hilarious, depending on your relationship status and/or attitude. Several of Chicago's best known queer comedians are choosing to laugh in the face of love in "Cupid's Queer Comedy Show" at DePaul University on Wednesday night. The lineup includes Candy Lawrence, Ever Mainard, Joel Kim Booster and Bill Cruz and was handpicked by Caitlin Bergh, who will also be performing Wednesday. Bergh has received a lot of attention in the last week from publications like the...

As a gay kid growing up in a small town in Iowa, Adam Guerino spent a lot of time writing. "I think writing romance was the closest thing I had to having one," he said. "And that was my outlet. " That habit served him well when his first invitation to do a stand-up gig in Chicago - at the old Kitty Moon bar in Rogers Park - required him to perform 30 minutes of material. "I thought that sounded reasonable," he said, laughing. "What I didn't know was, maybe [after] doing comedy for three years, you'll be able to do a solid 30 minutes.

Got the winter blues? Hey, it's January - you're supposed to. But if it's true that laughter is the best medicine, then we've got the cure: seven straight days of comedy shows including stand-up, sketch, solo performance and improv to bring some wit into your winter. Wednesday: TJ & Dave Reviewers rave about this improv show, which has been running at iO for 11 years--"Run, don't walk to the 'TJ & Dave' show" (Chicago magazine) - and also plays often in New York at the Barrow Street Theatre - "Mind-blowing; the best 50 minutes of improv comedy that we've ever seen" (Time Out...

Karen Gillan has left Doctor Who's TARDIS*, but she's not straying far from acronyms. The actress has joined the cast of "NTSF:SD:SUV::" for its third season. The Adult Swim comedy stars Paul Scheer as Special Agent Trent Hauser. "I'm really excited to be quoted in this article," Scheer said in a statement. He also serves as executive producer. Gillan played "Doctor Who" companion Amy Pond in the international hit that airs in the U.S. on BBC America. She joins Scheer and Kate Mulgrew, Brandon Johnson, June Diane Raphael, Rob Riggle, Martin Starr and Peter Serafinowicz in the...

"Community" fans don't have to wait too much longer for the NBC comedy to return. According to a tweet from creator Dan Harmon, "Community" will be back at 7 p.m. March 15, in its usual Thursday spot. NBC confirmed the news in a press release, and included the new Thursday lineup. "30 Rock" will shift to 7:30 p.m. followed by "The Office" at 8 p.m. and "Up All Night" at 8:30 p.m. "Parks and Recreation" will take a break until 8:30 p.m. April 19, taking the place of "Up All Night," which will have ended its season.

Had it with the holidays already? It's the mid-season slump - that point in December when you can feel like the last thing you want to do is attend one more seasonal function, wrap one more gift or watch one more Very Special TV special. But there's still almost a week to go! So, if your seasonal spirits are sagging, how to gear yourself up for the home stretch? A good laugh never hurts. And you can revive your love for all things festive - along with your sense of humor - at these six seasonal comedies, three of which - that's right, three - are parodies of that most holiday-esque of all...

Ladies and germs, a moment of silence please as we mark the end of an era.... :::bows head::: Okay, if you were wondering what that was all about, I direct you to the following press release from to funny folks of Octavarius . After taking on Twilight , Batman and pro-wrestling , they will be bringing their run to an end. Check this out then catch up with me at the bottom of the post: OCTAVARIUS CLOSES RUN...