Martin McDonagh’s plays have inevitably been compared with those of his literary forebears. In the early twentieth century, John Millington Synge wrote of the bitterness and loneliness of rural Irish life, exacerbated by drunkenness and the grim, hypocritical strictures of the Irish Catholic Church. Synge didn’t shy away from the…
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche “At the center, it’s a really sweet love story — and the funniest show of the year. I actually think that’s true. People who think women can’t be funny? Well, they should come and take a look at this.” That’s director Edith Weiss’s description of…
Ophira Eisenberg is one of the most prolific comedians on the current scene — doing stand-up gigs and television appearances, hosting the NPR trivia show Ask Me Another and performing with storytelling show The Moth in both its New York residency and on tour. Her sharp and quick wit and…
I had high hopes for The Aliens. The Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company has been doing terrific work lately, and The Aliens had received rapturous reviews all over the country, reviews that floated the names Beckett and Chekhov. Playwright Annie Baker won a Pulitzer for…
Benediction Denver Center Theatre Company A world premiere, a tribute and a deeply affecting evening of theater: This is the Denver Center Theatre Company’s production of Benediction, Eric Schmiedl’s dramatization of Kent Haruf’s novel of the same name. A much-loved and lauded Colorado author, Haruf saw two of his earlier…
Beets. A thoughtful historical play by local writer Rick Padden,Beets is set in Berthoud, Colorado, during World War II, when German prisoners were sent to this country and many ended up working in American fields. On first hearing that prisoners will be sent into the beet fields, Fred Hunt, a…
By the time February settles in, Denverites have already plowed through their Netflix queues and ordered from every restaurant within their delivery radius, so by now everyone is ready to face facts and brave the dreadful climate for a chance to get out of the house. Between its centerpiece romantic holiday, historical significance and the odd leap year, February is a month for going about one’s business and pretending bot to be miserable. However, since nothing salves the weary valves quite like a truly hilarious joke, Westword has compiled a list of fancy-tickling comedy shows to keep readers giggling all throughout this short, bleak month. With a flourishing of new local shows, visits from comedy legends of past and present and even a smattering of Valentine’s Day themed entertainment, there are more reasons than ever to spend the winter laughing in the dark with strangers, trying to forget how lonely we all are.
Appoggiatura Denver Center Theatre Company 303-893-4100 Appoggiatura, a musically titled play by two-time Pulitzer-nominee James Still, is receiving its world premiere at the Denver Center Theatre Company, where it was a favorite among the readings at last year’s New Play Summit. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the…
The 1980s may have been over for more than three decades, but the nostalgia for excessive decadence remains. This Saturday you can relive the ’80s at Robusto Room, Lone Tree’s cigar bar and cocktail lounge, at Fast Times at Robusto — a bash named in honor of the classic ’80s…
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche. “At the center, it’s a really sweet love story — and the funniest show of the year. I actually think that’s true. People who think women can’t be funny? Well, they should come and take a look at this.” That’s director Edith Weiss’s description of…
Beets Read and Rant Productions Aurora Fox My mother grew up in what is now Slovakia, and she used to tell a story about one of the Russian prisoners who’d been sent to work on her family’s farm during World War I, when she was still a little girl. It…
While the Denver Center Theatre Company premiere of Benediction, the final installment of a Kent Haruf trilogy adapted for the stage by Eric Schmiedl, might be the biggest news on local stages this weekend, regional companies big and small will also be powering up for February with a blend of…
The Motherfucker With the Hat Edge Theater The glory of The Motherfucker With the Hat, now receiving its regional premiere at Edge Theater, lies in author Stephen Adly Guirgis’s dialogue, which is swift, surprising, inventive, aggressive and often staccato, and boasts a fling-about, take-no-prisoners energy. Despite the tough title, the…
Cartoons & Comedy, is one of Denver’s most purely fun shows for crowds and performers alike, a rare glimpse into childhood from the safely ironic distance of years past. The show offers a way to bond over shared memories and laugh at the absurdity we used to innocently accept at face value, all leavened by cheap beer and sugary cereal. Keeping a comedy show going for two years, particularly one that requires such elaborate pre-planning is impressive feat. In its two short years, Cartoons & Comedy has changed time slots, venues and formats, while retaining its childlike bonhomie and essential spirit. Along the way, they’ve enjoyed the nimble riffs of Denver’s funniest locals and drop-ins from comedy nerd heroes like Ron Funches and Rory Scovel. At the helm of this monthly endeavor is Chris Baker, who hustles his cherubic ass off cutting together a video package of old cartoons, wrestling videos and 80s toy commercials and booking a lineup of quick-witted comics every month. Westword caught up with Baker at Fifty Two 80s, a local retail outlet and archivist of half-forgotten treasures from childhood to discuss reaching the two-year milestone, the enduring appeal of nostalgia and coked out wrestlers.
Steve Rannazzisi is best known to fans for his role as the long-suffering Kevin MacArthur on FXX’s The League, but he’s also a prolific standup comedian. Touring the country regularly, Rannazzisi’s career has progressed from his humble beginnings working the door at the infamous Comedy Store in Los Angeles to performing on Conan, @Mindnight, and the Comedy Central Roast of James Franco. Westword caught up with Rannazzisi ahead of his upcoming headlining engagement at Comedy Works to discuss fantasy football fans, putting a new hour together, and why people’s passion for the ridiculous is a recipe for comedy.
Charles Ives Take Me Home. There are only three characters in Charles Ives Take Me Home, now receiving its regional premiere at Curious Theatre Company, but you hear more than three voices. And while the plot can be explained in a few words, there are many levels of meaning within…
Everything in this world is alive. Nature lays a path from birth to death, one that’s impossible to predict. And now the final part of Patrick Mueller’s series, Salon Romantik: CREATION (re-creation), will bring his project full circle from its previous four performances, “exploring the romantic philosophy and ramifications into…
Podcasts are in tune with the democratized spirit of Internet media; anyone with a microphone and a computer can offer their listeners unlimited hours of recordings, usually for free. Limited only by their imaginations, podcasters have a freedom of expression unrestricted by commerce, censorship or geography. Several great podcasts have blossomed in Denver’s flourishing arts community; here to celebrate them is Podcast Profiles, a new series documenting the efforts of local podcasters and spotlighting the peculiar personalities behind them.
Whiskey & Cigarettes is a podcast about podcasts, and much funnier than that glib description would advertise. Hosted by the local brain trust behind the Comics Against Civility comedy game show, Jake Becker, Zac Maas and Jake Browne. The podcast has evolved over the years. What began as an unfocused yet booze-soaked marathon of podcast clips and quips has sharpened into a more purposeful format boasting funnier episodes and attracting some high-profile guests. Be sure to join Browne and Maas at Spruce Tap House for the fan favorites round of Comics Against Civility, this Saturday, January 24th at 7:00pm.Westword caught up with the Whiskey & Cigarettes crew to discuss how the show has changed and their favorite guests.
“It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. It’s joyous, a little outrageous.” Edith Weiss is talking about 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, the play she’s directing that will open Friday January 23 at the Avenue Theater — and she knows all about funny: She made her living as…
To the untrained eye, Ari Shaffir would look like an overnight success. Hot off the heels of his latest 1 hour special Paid Regular, which aired January 16th on Comedy Central, Shaffir also has a new series, This Is Not Happening premiering on the 22nd. The taste-making network will also be distributing and showing reruns of Shaffir’s first hour Passive Aggressive. Despite the confluence of successes, Shaffir has been quietly plugging away at his act for years, generating web content like his video series “The Amazing Racist” and steadfastly recording the popular podcast The Skeptic Tank week after week in spite of his busy schedule. Shaffir is town this month to headline Comedy Works from the 28th-31st and starting off 2015 on a high note. Westword caught up with Shaffir to discuss his new special, offending audiences and his love of psilocybin mushrooms.
Sexpot Comedy honored the Mile High City’s funniest people at the 2014 Denver Comedy Awards at 3 Kings Tavern on January 17. The big winner? Former Westword staffer Adam Cayton-Holland, who was honored not just as the Comic of the Year, but for his podcast, his website, the comedy festival…
Sexpot Comedy founders Andy Juett and Kayvan Khalatbari know first-hand how hard the members of Denver’s close-knit comedy community work throughout the year, building their own careers and helping one another along the way. And the duo thinks that throwing the first annual Denver Comedy Awards is a great way…
