Chicago SketchFest 2010 Kicks Off NOW
Friday, January 8, 2010 at 12:01PM 
Standing on Belmont Avenue and enveloped by the 5 degree winds of the Chicago Arctic last night, Brian Posen greeted sketchcomers with a giant smile and an "'Allo Doctor!", mittened hands opening the doors to his castle for ladies and gents eager to be inside and ready for nonsense and laughter. For the next two weeks, the Theatre Building will be transformed into a quivering, pulsing, comedy organism, with the start of the 2010 Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, or as Chicago Sketchfest founder Posen would say, "Just a really great party we like to throw!"
Prior to the start of the festival, we caught up with two of the featured acts: Heavyweight (Brady Novak, Nick Vatterott, Mark Raterman, TONIGHT and TOMORROW, 9PM), and the Puterbaugh Sisterz (Danielle Puterbaugh, Tiffany Puterbaugh, Sunday, Jan. 10, 5:30PM). We talked to Heavyweight about how their stand-up acts figure into their sketch comedy work:
For some Heavyweight outtakes and the "directors cut interview", have a gander here, here, and here.
It's not all fun and games when you're a performer, however. Sometimes pesky managers get in the way and cause untold drama:
The Sisterz can be peeped in a few other places, too.
This year's festival will feature 113 acts from all over the country, and runs to Sunday, January 17. All shows are $12.50 and can be purchased in advance (recommended) or at the Theatre Building box office.
--Kristy Mangel
Reader Comments (1)
Damn, I missed the party, it looked like it was kind of fun.