Stir Friday Night to Bring 8 ANGRY ASIANS to Second City

Hollywood has taken whitewashed casting too far, and the Asian comedy group Stir Friday Night has responded with their newest sketch revue: "8 Angry Asians, Starring Scarlett Johansson". *The role of Scarlett Johansson will be played by 8 Asians.

As controversy swirls around stars such as Scarlett Johansson and Matt Damon, both cast as leads in upcoming Asian-themed films, Stir Friday Night takes whitewashing to comedy court. Even the best dry cleaners can't make these stars any whiter. The audience will serve as judge, jury, and executioner, as the evidence, and satire...is laid before them. Scenes include Exhibit A: Asian mothers comparing their sons, Exhibit B: a reality show starring immigrant housewives of the GOP, and Exhibit C: a Filipino soap opera where the audience controls the outcome. There will also be other scenes for the jury to make their decision.

"8 Angry Asians" was written & performed by Annelyse Ahmad, Dacey Arashiba, Scott Hanada, Ray Hui, Brooke Montoya, Nic Park, Jonald Reyes, & Loreen Targos. Musical Direction by Katie Manning Foster. Directed by Jay Steigmann.

Performances will be at the Second City, Blackout Cabaret, 1616 N. Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60614, every Friday at 9:00 pm (CST), from September 30th thru October 21st, 2016. Tickets are $13 for General Admission & $11 for Students, and may be purchased at the theatre box office, or by phone (312-337-3992), or online at www.secondcity.com/shows/chicago/stir-friday-night-presents-8-angry-asians-starring-scarlett-johansson.

Stir Friday Night, now in its 21st year, packs sketches with laughs, and a cross-examination of Asian-American identity. And the group's all-Asian cast lays down the gauntlet in terms of representation. The cast includes Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Indian, and Korean writers and performers. When was the last time you saw more than one Asian comedian in a room, let alone 8? And the laughs come from all angles, with scenes ranging from a misguided press junket interview, to a radio DJ at Six Flags Great America, and the shocking translation of an Indian wedding song. Stir Friday Night calls all witnesses to the stand, and all audiences to the theater.

Stir Friday Night is an Asian-American theater company that specializes in sketch comedy and improv. Some of their alumni include Danny Pudi (NBC's "Community"), Steven Yeun (AMC's "The Walking Dead"), Mary Sohn (Second City), Christine Lin (Broadway's "Chinglish"), and Rasika Mathur (MTV's "Wild 'N Out"). They have performed at the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, the Chicago Women's Funny Festival, the Detroit Improv Festival, and the Chicago Improv Festival. The current cast has also performed at venues such as Second City, the iO Theater, and the Annoyance Theatre. Stir Friday Night continues to be a fixture in the Chicago comedy scene. Find Stir Friday Night at www.stirfridaynight.org, on Facebook - www.facebook.com/stirfridaynightcomedy, and on Twitter - @stirfridaynightcomedy.

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