A Week of Laughter and Wit

Anticipation is rising for the upcoming event that will have everyone's sides splitting with laughter. For the second year in a row, Western is hosting the hilarity-filled grab bag of equal parts entertainment and competition known as Comedy Week.

Sponsored in part by the Student Activities Board (SAB) and Weekend Leadership, Comedy Week is a series of events that takes place between Jan. 30 and Feb. 3, all of which are, you guessed it, comedic. Movies, improv and performances from a few well-known comics are all on the docket for this menagerie of comedic celebration. Last year's Comedy Week was the first ever to be hosted by Western, and it was a huge success. Entertainment last year included performances by M.C. DJ Cooch and a competitive improv troupe called Comedy Sportz Improv Jam Live.

The main focus of last year's Comedy Week, which took place over only four days, as opposed to this year's full week of fun, was the Last Comic Standing competition, which placed students in a comedy contest similar to the television series of the same name. Western student Osburn was last year's winner. Blair went on to open for P. Diddy's "Bad Boy of Comedy" Ronnie Jordan, who has been seen performing on Martin Lawrence's First Amendment Stand-Up.

"This year's Comedy Week is keeping with most of the traditions but also adding some new things as well," said Jessica Love, Co-Main Stage Chair for the Student Activities Board (SAB). The week will kick off on Monday night with a showing of the Emma Stone teen comedy "Easy A," followed on Tuesday with the first night of the Last Comic Standing competition, the winner of which will open for comedian Marcus, who took second place in season six of "Last Comic Standing."

"This year we wanted to have a comedy club like feel and [we will be] having some finger food available during the competition," said Love. "They will be performing in front of a judging panel and an audience." Instead of bringing in an outside comedy group this year, Western's very own Improv Club will be performing on Wednesday night. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, the student winner of Last Comic Standing and comedian Marcus will perform in the Pacific Room at Werner University Center.

The Second Annual Comedy Week will close on Friday night with a performance by Frangela, L.A.-based comedy duo Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton, who you may have seen on VH1, "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!" or the 2009 film "He's Just Not That Into You."

Love, her Co-Chair Chad Burton and a committee from the Student Activities Board will be handing out tickets at each event that will go towards a chance to win a prize. The more events you attend, the higher chance you will have of winning a larger prize at the end of the week. VIP seats are also available at each event.  "The winners of the VIP seating will get passes to reserved seating up front in some comfy chairs," said Burton. "To find out how to win VIP seats, you should check out the Western SAB Facebook page and Facebook event pages."  

"We have a lot going on during [comedy] week this year and are hoping for high participation from the Western community," says Love. "Students seem to really enjoy comedians, so a comedy week is perfect for our campus ... It is going to be a week full of laughter, and we hope to see everyone there." Comedy Week relies not only on the participation of professional humorists and well-known names in the world of comedy, but on the support and participation of Western students as well, in hopes of many more weeks of comedy to come in the future.