MTV's Streeter Seidell at CWC in Riverton for free show Sept. 7

From Pitch Engine:

Comedian, editor, author and staff writer and star of MTV’s The CollegeHumor Show is on the Central Wyoming College campus Sunday, Sept. 7 and the public is invited free of charge.

Streeter Seidell appears on the main stage of the Robert A. Peck Arts Center at 7 p.m. He is the executive editor of CollegeHumor.com, co-author of the site’s first book, The CollegeHumor Guide to College, and co-star and staff writer of the site’s first television show, The CollegeHumor Show on MTV.

He has written and acted in many CollegeHumor original videos and penned hundreds of articles for the website.  Seidell is also a standup comedian and co-hosts the site's monthly New York comedy show, as well as performing regularly at clubs in New York and over 30 colleges last year. 

Outside of CollegeHumor, he has written for The New York Times, Men's Fitness, Mental-Floss Magazine, McSweeney's, The Washington Post, Wired Magazine, and Metro New York.  He has also appeared as a talking head on numerous television shows including spots on CNN, Fuse, TruTV, VH1 and Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC. 

He is currently the co-host and writer of “Pranked,” on MTV.  Seidell lives in Manhattan.

Stage III offers farce that pokes fun at love in the digital age

Stage III in Casper presents “For Better” by Eric Coble and directed by Donna Fisher.

Different cities, different time zones and a couple with wedding plans to make via cell phone, texts and email. The "tweeting" you hear may not always be coming from "love birds"! This hilarious farce pokes fun at love in the digital age.

Performances: June 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 7:30pm and June 17, 24 at 2:00pm.

Adults $12 Seniors & Students $8.

Tickets available in advance at Grant Street Grocery, Cadillac Cowgirl and Sonic Rainbow or one hour before curtain time at the Stage III box office. Season ticket holders may call 234-0946 for reservations.

Villainy is afoot in "The Maid of the Mill" melodrama

Tickets on sale NOW for the 2012 Old Fashioned Melodrama, "The Maid of the Mill" or "Tied But True." Written and Directed by Dennis Madigan. Shows July 12-August 5 at the Historic Atlas Theatre in Cheyenne. When the Donegal Lumber Mill is threatened with foreclosure, will our sweet Heroine Caroline Donegal be able to save the mill, with the help of her trusted friend Helga Van der Thor and our brave (but hard of hearing) Hero Captain John Lingard? Or will the devious Villain Jack Rancid win the day with his cohort Sam and the slinky seductress Lorraine? Find out as CLTP presents the 56th Annual Old-Fashioned Melodrama! Ticket Prices: Adults $15, Seniors (65+) $12, Students (13+) $10, Children $8. Book by calling 307-638-6543 or online at http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org/. Stop by our Main Box Office at the Mary Godfrey Playhouse, 2706 East Pershing Blvd., Cheyenne. The Atlas Box Office will be open 1 hour before shows and during Frontier Days only. Volunteers needed to tend bar, wait on tables, sell tickets, etc.

It's a David Sedaris Christmas in June in Laramie

The University of Wyoming's Snowy Range Summer Theatre opens its 2012 season with "The Santaland Diaries," humorist David Sedaris' irreverent and hilarious tale of his stint as Crumpet the Elf in Macy's Santaland display.

Presented by the UW Department of Theatre and Dance , the play runs June 5-9, at 7:30 p.m. in the UW Fine Arts Studio Theatre. Tickets cost $10 for the public and $7 for students, seniors and children over 5. Discounts are available for groups of 20 persons or more. For tickets and information, call (307) 766-6666 or go online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts. "The Santaland Diaries" is recommended for mature audiences.

Directed by UW Professor Rebecca Hilliker, "The Santaland Diaries" riffs on a few of Sedaris' truly odd encounters during the height of the holiday crunch. Unemployed and desperate, a struggling Sedaris attempts to enter into the holiday spirit as he deals with the humiliation of elf training, abusive customers, screaming children and badly cast Santas.

"'Santaland Diaries' is one of those shows that is really fun to produce and to see," Hilliker says.

Sedaris first read the essay on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" in December 1992. The piece was an instant hit, and Sedaris later published the essay in the collections "Barrel Fever" (1994) and "Holidays on Ice" (1997). He narrated a longer version of it for Ira Glass's Public Radio International program "This American Life," where it is still a regular holiday feature.

The Snowy Range production of "The Santaland Diaries" features guest actor and resident company member Paul Hope from Houston's nationally and internationally renowned Alley Theatre .

"We are thrilled to share with Wyoming audiences Paul's wonderful rendition of the role of Crumpet, which he performed last year at Alley Theatre," Hilliker says.

Hope has appeared on the Alley stages for 20 seasons, including in "Arsenic and Old Lace," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Twelfth Night," among many others. Hope has an extensive musical theatre background, performing regularly at Houston's Theater under the Stars and the Houston Grand Opera with performers such as Cyd Charisse, Hal Linden, Juliet Prowse, Robert Morse, Lee Roy Reams and Eddie Bracken. He also serves as artistic director for Bayou City Concert Musicals .

Photo: Guest actor Paul Hope from Houston's internationally renowned Alley Theatre stars in the University of Wyoming Snowy Range Summer Theatre production of "The Santaland Diaries," showing June 5-9 at 7:30 p.m. in the UW Fine Arts Studio Theatre. (UW Photo)

Ozymandian Theater is out to "Save the Future" June 1-2

John Roedel & Co. want to save the future – and they need your help:

We live in a world gone mad. The Stock Market is wavering, the music of Enya is still being played, and the beautiful town of Buford is boarded up. With the future of our planet on the brink of chaos, Ozymandian Theater is bringing a sketch comedy show that just might be our only hope.

This is the most important sketch comedy and improv show Ozymandian Theater has ever produced. The future of the human race is at stake....

"Save The Future" Comedy Show

June 1st & 2nd
@ Mary Godfrey Playhouse
7:30 pm (doors open @ 7:00)
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students
This show is rated PG-13

For more info please visit http://www.ozytheater.com/

Snowy Range Summer Theatre: "Santaland Diaries," "Romance, Romance" and "Always... Patsy Cline"

From a UW press release:

An irreverent, hilarious tale of a Christmas elf gone bad; a family-friendly, toe-tapping tribute to a country music legend; and a romantic musical about the roller coaster of love are all subjects of the 59th season of Snowy Range Summer Theatre.

Presented by the University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance, the summer theatre season opens June 5-8, with David Sedaris' "The Santaland Diaries," followed by the crowd-pleasing "Always ... Patsy Cline" June 26 -30. The season closes July 10-14, with the Tony-nominated Broadway musical "Romance/Romance."

All theatre performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. "The Santaland Diaries" and "Romance /Romance" will be presented in the UW Fine Arts Studio Theatre, while "Always ... Patsy Cline" will be presented on the UW Fine Arts Main Stage. Tickets for theatre cost $10 for the public and $7 for students, seniors and children over 5. Discounts are available for groups of 20 persons or more. For tickets and information, call (307) 766-6666 or go online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts .

"The Santaland Diaries" chronicles Sedaris' real-life experience as Crumpet the Elf in a Macy's Santaland display. Touted by critics as "... quite possibly the 31 funniest pages of text published in the past quarter century" (Seattle Weekly), "The Santaland Diaries" riffs on a few of Sedaris' truly odd encounters with his fellow man during the height of the holiday crunch.

This breakout piece for the now best-selling author of "When You Are Engulfed in Flames," "Me Talk Pretty One Day," and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" follows Sedaris' attempts to enter into the holiday spirit as he deals with the humiliation of elf training, abusive customers, screaming children and badly cast Santas.

Directed by Rebecca Hilliker and featuring guest artist Paul Hope from Houston's Alley Theatre, "The Santaland Diaries" is a regular holiday feature on National Public Radio, where it debuted in 1992. It is recommended for mature audiences.

A sold-out hit off Broadway, "Always ... Patsy Cline" is a family-friendly, toe-tapping tribute to the musical legend and one of the most frequently produced musicals in the United States. Based on an endearing true story, the show recounts the real-life friendship between Cline and fan Louise Seger, who befriended the country music legend in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961, and continued with a correspondence until Cline's untimely death.

Directed by Charlotte Guyette, "Always ... Patsy Cline" combines down-home country humor, true emotion and even some audience participation. It features renditions of more than two dozen of Patsy's unforgettable hits, including "Crazy," "Walkin' After Midnight," "Sweet Dreams" and "I Fall to Pieces."

"Romance/Romance" is a musical pairing of two distinctive one-act comedies that explore the roller coaster of love. Based on Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler's tale, "The Little Comedy," Act 1 is a flirtatious affair, set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, between two worldly high-society types in search of real love.

Act 2 is a modern look at affection and disaffection between two married couples sharing a summer house in the Hamptons, based on the Jules Renard play, "Pain de Menage." Directed by Lee Hodgson and featuring UW Department of Music faculty members Larry Hensel and Nicole Lamartine, "Romance/Romance" was an off-Broadway sensation that moved successfully to Broadway, and is a perfect change from the modern mega musical.

Photo: Katrina Despain and Cameron Rush are shown in a scene from the 2010 UW summer theatre production of "Private Lives." The 2012 season will open June 5-8, with David Sedaris' "The Santaland Diaries," followed by the crowd-pleasing "Always...Patsy Cline" June 26 -30, and the Tony-nominated Broadway musical "Romance/Romance" July 10-14. (UW Photo)

"Crazy Sweater Party" set for May 15 at the Center for the Arts in Jackson

The invitation...

...and the crazy sweater.

"College Dating Coaches" tour arrives at the University of Wyoming on Jan. 13

A night of comedy and expert dating advice kicks off the new semester with the "College Dating Coaches" tour at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at the University of Wyoming.

Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell will perform their brand of comedy as part of Friday Night Fever in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. The show is free and open to UW students and the public.

The duo started in 2008 when they posted advertisements on Craigslist inviting girls to double date them. This led the lifelong friends on a series of more than 200 double dates, which they posted on YouTube as a comedy series. Their crash-course education has made them into dating experts who now employ horror-date reenactments, songs of love, interactive exercises and instructive demonstrations as valuable lessons on how to attain the perfect evening.

As their popularity grew, they were soon on the stages of New York making appearances with mainstream comedians like Jim Gaffin and Amy Schumer. They have performed in venues such as Gotham Comedy, Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and sold out monthly shows at the People's Improv Theater. Ahdoot and Fixell have been featured on the Colbert Report, the Millionaire Match Maker and Comedy Central.com.

For more information, contact Friday Night Fever at 766-6340 or fnf@uwyo.edu .

Photo: College Dating Coaches Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell will perform their brand of comedy as part of Friday Night Fever at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, in the Wyoming Union Ballroom.

Face of Jesus appears on trailer park refrigerator; hilarity ensues in CLTP's first play of 2012

Book your seats now for CLTP's hilarious production of

Messiah on the Frigidaire
Directed by Dave Gaer

The small town of Elroy, South Carolina is thrust into the middle of a media frenzy when the face of Jesus appears on a refrigerator in a trailer park. When Lou Ann, her husband Dwayne and best friend Betsy become the center of the evangelical spotlight, their relationships are put to the test, proving God moves in truly mysterious ways.

Performance Dates: January 20 & 21 and 26-28, 2012 @ 7:30 p.m.; January 22 & 29, 2012 @ 2:00 pm, at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. Special Thursday night $10 discount performance on January 26, 2012 @ 7:30 pm.

Call 307-638-6543 or book online at www.cheyennelittletheatre.org

VDAY Jackson 2011 presents three benefit performances of "The Vagina Monologues"

VDAY JACKSON 2011 presents a benefit production of The Vagina Monologues

Sponsored by Riot Act Theatre Company and Off Square Theatre Company

April 12,13,14 at 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre in the Center for the Arts. VDAY Jackson will present a three-night benefit for VDAY International and valley non-profits working to support victims of domestic violence. This year's event includes three performances of Eve Ensler's award winning play, The Vagina Monologues, featuring an all-new cast. Tickets are available in advance at Valley Books and online at www.riotactinc.org for $12, and at the door the evening of the performance for $15.

As a special bonus this year after each evening's performance, the women of Jackson will be welcome to take the stage and share their story, through music, prose, original monologues or a simple shout out.

This is the third event presented by the woman of Teton Valley and we are so grateful to our communities for their support. We hope the community we join us again this year as we raise awareness about our endeavors to end violence against women and girls and money to support victims of domestic violence.

Jill Callaway, Jackson Community Theater, 307-690-8573, 307-733-7925, jill.callaway@gmail.com

"Noises Off" makes some noise in Cheyenne starting April 8

"Noises Off," a play by Michael Frayn known as one of the funniest plays of the late 20th century, will open on Friday, April 8, 7:30 p.m., at the Mary Godfrey Theatre in Cheyenne. Performance dates are April 8-10 and 15-17. Director of this Cheyenne Little Theatre Players production is Jim Rolf. Wyomingingarts staffers will be looking for our SPCR colleague Mike Corso in the role of Tim Allgood.

A short description of the play:

This classic backstage farce, complete with slamming doors, sexual dalliances, confusions, and errant plates of sardines, follows a hapless acting troupe who prove that whatever can go wrong -- on stage or off -- during the course of a disastrous provincial tour, will.

Order your tickets online at www.cheyennelittletheatre.org

WAC Notes: The Cheyenne Little Theatre Players received an operating support grant from the Wyoming Arts Council to fund operations during the FY 11 fiscal year (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011. WAC funding is provided by the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

New CD from Gary Small & the Coyote Brothers: "Wyoming (For Dummies)"

Grady Kirkpatrick playing latest CD by Gary Small and the Coyote Brothers today on Wyoming Public Radio's "Morning Music." Selection was "Snaggle-Tooth Jackalope." Here's info from the Coyote Bros web site: "We've just released 'Wyoming (for Dummies).' An EP with 6 crazy rockabilly and surf songs about our quirky culture in Wonderful Wyoming. If you've ever worked in the Park, or been to Yellowstone, ya' better get this one."

Call for entries: Tolentino (Italy) Biennial of Art Humor

The town council of Tolentino in Italy is proposing and organising the 26th International Biennial of Art Humour, which this year will take place between 21 July and 2 October 2011.

The Biennial is open to artists from all over the world, each of which can participate in the “City of Tolentino International Prize” dedicated to satire art. Each entry consists of a maximum of 3 unpublished and original works, of any size, technique and form of visual art.

The theme for the 2011 Biennial is: “Twentieth century Art.”

The last entry date for the competition is 31 May 2011, by which date the works of art must be registered with the Secretary for the 26th International Biennial of Art Humour, Piazza della Libertà, 3 – 62029 TOLENTINO (Italy).

FMI: www.biennaleumorismo.org or +39 733.901365, info@biennaleumorismo.org

The Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance Presents Twelfth Night, or, What You Will

The Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance Presents 

Twelfth Night, or, What You Will

William Shakespeare

Directed by Richard Burk

Scenic and Lighting Design by Sean Mcinstosh

Costume Design and Makeup by Douglas Garland

February 23, 25,26, March 1-5, 2011 at 7:30 P.M.

Gertrude Krampert Theatre Complex, Mcmurry Mainstage 

Cheer yourself through the winter doldrums with Shakespeare's charming romantic comedy about a pair of twins, Viola and Sebastian. Separated in a stormy shipwreck and presuming the other lost, they make their way through into Illyria, where they meet Duke Orsino, who loves the Lady Olivia, who will have none of him, but falls for Viola (disguised as "Cesario" the servant to Orsino)..meanwhile Olivia's kinsman Sir Toby Belch and Maria, along with Feste the Fool, Sir Andrea Aguecheek, and Fabian all wreak havoc on poor puritanical Malvolio! Charming, farcical, cheerful, and fun-this is just the show for the wintertime blues!

Ticks:$12 adults and $10 children/teens (5-18)

$2/ticket discount for groups of 20 or more

Infants are inappropriate in the theatre.

Ticket sales: Patron sales February 9

General Sales: February 16

To purchase:

-Krampert Theatre Box Office (M-F, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., or at the door)

-Phone 307-268-2500, 800-442-2963, ext. 2500 (M-F, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.)

Casper College

Krampert Theatre

125 College Drive

Casper, WY 82601

Ozy Theater plans more unscripted hilarity Feb. 5

Another Night of Unscripted Comedy!!! Hilarity and hijinks, too!!!

February 5th 2011 - 7:30 pm at the Atlas Theatre, Cheyenne

Join those silly Ozy's as they bring another night of all-improv comedy to Downtown Cheyenne! The doors open at 7 p.m. and the laughter starts at 7:30 p.m!

Tickets at $8 bucks for adults and $5 bucks for military and students... bring your funny bone!

As always Ozy's comedy is rated PG-13.

Proceeds from all shows benefit mostly local charities.

FMI: www.ozytheater.com

Tim Sandlin's fourth book in the GroVont saga due out in April

Tim Sandlin sends news "that the GroVont Trilogy is back in action in anticipation of Lydia, the fourth GroVont book, which will be out in April. After a long coma, Sex and Sunsets, Western Swing, Skipped Parts, Sorrow Floats, and Social Blunders may be once again bought at your local bookstore. Buy a set from Valley Books in downtown Jackson and receive a signed copy of The Pyms: Unauthorized Tales of Jackson Hole for free." 

Evening of improv Nov. 6 at Historic Atlas Theatre

Ozymandian Improv Show this weekend at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne.

Saturday, November 6, 7:30 p.m. Doors will open for ticket sales at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $8 for Adults and $5 for students

Want to laugh so hard that week-old undigested Halloween candy comes shooting out your nose?

Ozymandian Theater is back from their three month Yeti Hunt in the Canadian Rockies to bring you an an evening of hilarious improv comedy!

The proceeds of the show will benefit the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players who have been so incredibly generous in their support of our shows and the other charities that we contribute to.

Spirit of Coyote tells tale of Ernestine Shuswap

From a University of Wyoming press release:

The University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance continues its 2010-2011 production season with "Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout." Tomson Highway's sly and dark comedy depicts four First Nations women as they prepare for the 1910 visit of the Canadian prime minister to their traditional lands.

Directed by Professor of Theatre Rebecca Hilliker, "Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout," runs Oct. 26-30 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center Studio Theatre. Tickets cost $14 for the public, $11 for senior citizens and $7 for students. For tickets and information, call (307) 766-6666 or go online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts .

A post-show discussion will be held in conjunction with the performance Thursday, Oct. 28.

Drawing directly from the Laurier Memorial, a deposition signed by 14 chiefs of the Thompson River Valley, "Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout" is a vivid and gripping examination of the cultural genocide of the Shuswap Nation of British Columbia. Celebrated playwright and novelist Tomson Highway is widely recognized for his tremendous contribution to the development of Aboriginal theater in both Canada and around the world. In 1994, he was inducted into the Order of Canada, the first Aboriginal writer to be so honored.

"'Ernestine Shuswap' is one of the most compelling plays about social issues that I have seen in a long while," said Hilliker. "It's really a poignant piece, and it raises issues that we really need to talk about in this country."

Written in the spirit of Coyote, in "Trickster language," the women argue, joke, rant and grieve together, the hysterically comic spilling over into the unutterably tragic and back again.

"It's ironic that in the U.S. we talk about other countries needing to own up to cultural and literal genocide, and the results of colonialism, but we still deny these realities in our own history," noted Hilliker.

"We think that these conversations are over, but they've never really happened. Plays like ‘Ernestine' can help to bridge that gap," she added.

Photo: Noelia Antweiler, left, and Brittany Byers perform in the University of Wyoming production "Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout." Performances at the Fine Arts Studio Theatre will be Oct. 26-30 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 31 at 2 p.m.

"Knuffle Bunny" in Jackson Oct. 15

Off Square Theatre Company and The Center for the Arts in Jackson co-present "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical" in the Center for the Arts Theatre, 265 Cache St., on Friday, OLct. 15, 7 p.m.

Reserved seats: $15 adults, $10 children (11 & under)

Event Info: Based on his beloved Caldecott Honor-winning picture book, six-time Emmy Award winner Mo Willems and Grammy Award-winning composer Michael Silversher lovingly celebrate the heart and heartache that can only come from a family visit to the local laundromat. For ages 4 and up.

Brought to Jackson Hole by the Kennedy Center; co-presented by Off Square Theatre Company and the Center for the Arts.

Dear Mr. Vonnegut: "You have no talent and we suggest you give up writing"

The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will open this fall in Indianapolis. It will be part library and part museum, containing memorabilia from Vonnegut's life, signed first editions of his books and copies of the many rejection letters he received from publishers:

Vonnegut's eldest daughter, Edie Vonnegut, said her father loved libraries and would have wanted visitors to learn about his perseverance in the face of dismissive publishers. Among the items she's loaning the library are some of his rejection letters.

"We have boxes of rejection letters, letters saying 'You have no talent and we suggest you give up writing,'" she said. "He did not have an easy time of it, and I think for anyone who wants to be writer, it will be important for them to see how tough it was for him."

FMI: http://www.vonnegutlibrary.com/