QWEIRDO to Bring Improv to iO, 6/1

QWEIRDO! is a recurring showcase of Chicago's top gay comedians and improvisers coming together on Sundays to make you laugh in the way that only your gay best friend (or a drunk Jessica Lange) can. The anchor improv team is "ThoraBirch" featuring Drew Anderson, Thom Gaughan, and Derek Van Barham. They will invite different gay groups and solo acts to perform with them each Sunday.

In honor of June being Gay Pride Month, a portion of all ticket sales will go to Howard Brown Youth Center. The Howard Brown Health Center is one of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organizations and serves more than 16,000 adults and youth each year in its diverse health and social service programs. For more information please visit: http://www.howardbrown.org

FIRST QWEIRDO PERFORMANCE:
Sunday, June 1st @ 10:30 PM
iO (Upstairs in the Del Close Theatre)
Tickets - $10
Box Office - 773.880.0199
3541 N. Clark St (Addison Stop via red Line)
chicago.ioimprov.com

ThoraBirch (Drew Anderson, Derek Van Barham, & Thom Gaughan) recently celebrated her third birthday: three years of onstage murders, bursting into song, and pop culture references. In addition to headlining a six month run at The Playground Theatre, Thora has enjoyed playing at Donny's Skybox with "ThoraBirch's BIRCHday Party", working charity shows at Center on Halsted, and opening for 123 Fag! at iO Chicago's last QWEIRDO. Thora has also performed at The Upstairs Gallery, Studio Be, and the Chicago Improv Festival. Thora knows that there's beauty in the breakdown. She plays dark, she plays deep.

Joined on June 1st by:

Candy Lawrence-(Stand-Up) Candy Lawrence, more like Comedy Lawrence! Hilarious, dynamic and eccentric, she captivates you with her unique blend of energy and idiosyncratic comedy. Candy can be seen performing stand-up at various venues in Chicago including Zanies, Mayne Stage, The Laugh Factory, and UP Comedy Club among others. She is also willing to rollerblade to other cities to perform for you. She was apart of the Just For Laughs 2011 and 2013 festival in Chicago and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland. She has opened for Maria Bamford, Todd Barry, Jen Kirkman, Moshe Kasher, James Adomian, Judah Friedlander, Carl LaBove, Brent Weinbach, Kurt Braunohler, Kyle Dunnigan and Dom Irrera.

GayCo-(Sketch) GayCo Productions is a not-for-profit theatre ensemble that specializes in creating sketch-comedy revues based on gay/lesbian themes. Since starting as a lesbigay focused workshop at the Second City Training Center in 1996, we've performed for massive, enthusiastic, sexy gay audiences in Chicago and across the country.

Joel Kim Booster-(Stand-Up) Joel Kim Booster is a Chicago bred, Brooklyn based comedian and writer. Joel's standup can be seen at comedy clubs all over the US (including Chicago's own Zanies comedy club where he was crowned Chicago's Funniest Queer in 2011), as well in the basements of many hip Brooklyn bars. He is a proud ensemble member with The New Colony theatre in Chicago, where his most recent play, "Kate and Sam Are Not Breaking Up," premiered in the fall of 2013 and was recently nominated for a Jeff Award in the "New Work" category. Joel cares deeply about cats, appointment television, and feuds- both real and imagined.

WITCH HAZEL is a Chicago-based trans*queer performance group that consists of DARREN BARRERE (curator of staging and design), CASEY HARTLEY (curator of performers; also, the muse), & ARIEL ZETINA (curator of text and sound). Work has been featured at the Steppenwolf Garage, Berlin Nightclub, Chances Dances @ Subterranean, Subject to Change @ Township, Making Out With Wes Perry @ The Hideout, Island Theatre Company's Brecht High 3 @ Dankhaus, the Chicago Home Theatre Festival, La Lune De Femme @ the Firehaus, & Columbia College. WITCH HAZELfrequently premieres work at Salonathon on Monday nights @ Beauty Bar. Recipient of a Critical Fierceness Grant from Chances Dances to develop FISH in the summer of 2014, a riff on The Little Mermaid. Upcoming: a collaboration with The Neo Futurists & Salonathon, a performance at Babeland Gallery in Oakland, CA; & FISH.

Trannika Rex-(Drag/Stand-Up) Chicago's most infamous drag MC, Trannika is the Host of Trannika's Most Wanted at Scarlet Bar and Drag Matinee at Berlin Night Club.

Upcoming Qweirdo Shows include:
June 8thThoraBirch (Improv)
Wes Perry (Solo) Shannon Knoll (Stand up)Rob Anderson (Solo)
Tim Paul & Jo Scott (Sketch)
John & Patrick (Songs)