THURSDAY
(flyer by Chandler Moses, via Facebook)
Comedy Cunt
Thursday, November 3 at Bluestockings Bookstore, 7 pm: FREE.
Now that this show’s title has your attention, let us give you some details. Unless you don’t want them, and wish to blindly saunter into a show called “Comedy Cunt.” That’s admirable. For the rest of you, this is a recurring show, hosted by Arti Gollapudi, where marginalized individuals harness the medium of comedy to delve into their own life experiences. This time around, they’ve got Joe Castle Baker (who recently delivered perhaps the most memorable and manic riff on infomercials I’ve seen, which is impressive, as I love work about infomercials), Ayanna Dookie, Chandler Moses, Katie Fay Behrmann, Amy Zimmer, and Mamoudou N’Diaye, who used to teach science to youngsters. Plus, a “video performance” by Amanda Justice. Might I say, justice is served?
FRIDAY
(image via The PIT Loft)
BoogieManja
Weekly at The PIT Loft, 9 pm: $10.
Boogiemanja is a weekly show featuring an hour of sketch comedy, giving two sketch teams half an hour each to wow/disturb/amaze/etc. the crowd. That timeslot is certainly longer than most comedy sets around town, so it shall be curious to see how these folks fill the time. They aren’t just ordinary chuckle-creators, either, as BoogieManja participants have written for outlets such as Reductress, The New Yorker, and The Onion, and have appeared anywhere from CollegeHumor to NPR. This week’s sketch teams are 17:38 and Horse Club. I like to imagine if a group of European children had a club all about horses, it would begin at 17:38, because they use 24-hour time. Also, it is worth noting that the BoogieManja website is replete with cute illustrations of charming monster creatures who all seem very kind.
SATURDAY
(image via Abrons Arts Center)
Wilderness
Continues through November 20 at Abrons Arts Center, 8 pm (Sundays at 3 pm): $35.
Site-specific performance pioneers En Garde Arts and its founder Anne Hamburger set up camp in a traditional theater for this show, though it has untraditional roots. A documentary theater piece of sorts, Wilderness explores the unique practice of wilderness therapy, where troubled and struggling youths are taken to a desert landscape in the hopes that there they will find the power to change and better themselves. The piece combines folk-rock music and interview-based scripted writing with actual footage of parents who made the decision to send their children to such programs. Hamburger, who co-wrote and executive produced the show, was inspired to undergo the project after experiencing the effects of a wilderness program on her son. Though the show was slated to end earlier, it has been extended for a week due to acclaim and demand.
SUNDAY
(flyer via Facebook)
Taboo Poets: Trashing Shame
Sunday, November 6 at Bowery Poetry Club, 6pm.
For some, Sunday is a day of rest. For others, it’s a day of dismantling stigmas regarding mental illness through live artistic work. You know, different strokes for different folks. If you’re more of the second category, slide on over to Bowery Poetry Club for this late afternoon show of poetry, performance, and comedy aimed at stimulating conversations around mental health. Featuring performances by Jeanann Verlee, Shira Erlichman, Kristina Bicher, Kristy Belich, and Sierra Ortega, with hosting duties by poet Katie Longofono.