As if the Senate seat scandal and Blagojevich's hair-raising antics weren't enough -- now we have something legit to laugh about. The eighth annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival opens today (Thursday, Jan. 8) and runs through Sunday, Jan. 18 at the Theatre Building Chicago in Lakeview.
The background: Not surprisingly given this city's commitment to comedy (just ask about 99.9 percent of all "Saturday Night Live" castmembers, past and present), Chicago SketchFest is the largest sketch comedy festival in the nation. How does sketch comedy differ from its cousin improv? Sketch comedy is all-original scripted material set for the stage that was born in Chicago in the 1950s with the evolution of The Second City.
The basics: Over the course of two weekends, more than 100 local, national and international sketch comedy troupes will perform 125 shows. Performances take place on three stages in the Theatre Building (the North, South and West theaters). Shows are scheduled for Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings. Click here for the full schedule.
In addition, there will be workshops, expert panels, networking events and children's programming. Tickets are $12.50 for individual shows and an all-festival pass is available for $150.
New this year: The first annual Sketch Day for Kids takes place on Saturday, Jan. 10. Two family-friendly performances, plus a Q&A session with seasoned sketch actors, will inspire future Stephen Colberts and Tina Feys. Tickets for Sketch Day for Kids are $12.50 for each show or $20 for both for adults, and $8 for each show or $12 for both shows for kids under 12.
