Comedy Challenge

You've run marathons and completed countless sit-up reps for charity. You've harassed your friends to pledge money per page for the read-a-thon, and you've held your breath until you passed out to raise awareness for whatever animal was most endangered that week. There's no doubt you're a fundraiser extraordinaire, the cream of the crop, the best damn person in Denver at collecting cash.

Well, the Buntport Theater Company has a challenge for you, and it's more extreme than any telethon, race-a-thon or eat-a-thon you've ever seen. Even if you're not a person with a cause, even if you haven't raised funds for anything since your mom stopped selling those Girl Scout Cookies for you in fourth grade, you can still attempt The Great American Audience Challenge. You've still got a chance.

"It's just like a walk-a-thon," explains Buntport's Brian Colonna, except that instead of miles or steps, you're getting your friends to pledge cash money for every minute of comedy you manage to sit through.

"Every once in a while, we force ourselves to write sketches," Colonna continues, "so we're bringing back some oldies but goodies — some characters that have appeared before — and it's a mixture of some sketches and other stuff, like confessionals from actual members of Buntport."

Lord help us all.

Want to play? Visit www.buntport.com to download a pledge sheet, and start calling up relatives and harassing your friends. If you'd rather just give a lump sum donation, that's fine, too. The Challenge begins tonight at 8 p.m. at Buntport, 717 Lipan Street. Admission is $15; call 720-946-1388 to make your reservations.