DSI Comedy Theater Hosts Second Annual Soundbites Festival Podcasts and Comedy Take Over DSI Stage September 8-10

DSI Comedy Theater is hosting its second annual Soundbites Festival. This annual even brings several podcasts to the DSI stage at 462 West Franklin Street for an evening of humor and storytelling. Each evening will feature a podcast paired with a comedy performance. Tickets range from $10-$20 depending on the show. More information is available online at www.dsicomedy.com.

Soundbites Festival features local performers and podcasts and performers from all over the country. The headliner isSaturday, September 10, at 8 p.m. featuring the Throwing Shade Podcast. Limited tickets are still available for this show.

Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi bring their popular podcast Throwing Shade, for an evening of well, everything. Audiences will be treated to an evening of shade throwing, bad impressions, frank sexual talk and most importantly, Erin and Bryan talkin' all the issues important to ladies and gays, and treating them with much less respect than they deserve.

Every week, Bryan and Erin take a look at all the headlines in politics and pop culture, and treat them with much less respect than they deserve. It's just like a cocktail party with your smart, silly friends who can seamlessly connect a conversation about Miley Cyrus and weave it seamlessly into thoughts on Hillary's unconfirmed run for President. They can jump from "True Detective" to "The Bachelor" and in one breath explain how Drake is the Loretta Lynn of the R&B world.

Throwing Shade is infotainment at its best, serving an audience that represents more than half of all living human beings who don't have a show that speaks directly to them. The AV Club calls them "equal opportunity offenders who lack any sort of filter" and Rolling Stone magazine put them on their list of "The 20 Best Comedy Podcasts" earlier this year.

Throwing Shade is a part of the Maximum Fun network, and is also a weekly web series produced and hosted by Will Ferrell's comedy website Funny or Die.

The Soundbites Festival also includes a Mr. Diplomat performance featuring stories from Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five. Minneapolis comedic dynamo Jill Bernard bring her one-woman improvised musical, DRUM MACHINE, to the festival. Comedian and Writer Sara Benincasa hosts Live Storytelling fueled by her new book, Real Artists Have Day Jobs. Other podcasts in the festival include Kate Matthews and Josh Lucas's Prefer Not To and DSI founder Zach Ward's YesAndLife podcast.

Festival Schedule
Thursday, September 8

7 p.m. Student Showcase and YesAndLife Podcast Recording with Zach Ward and special guest, Comedy School alumni, Saumil Chudgar

8:30 p.m. School Mixer and Jill Bernard's DRUM MACHINE One Woman Improvised Musical

Friday, September 9

7 p.m. Prefer Not To Podcast and Local Podcast TBD

8:30 p.m. Real Artists Have Day Jobs, Live Storytelling hosted by Sara Benincasa

10 p.m. MISTER DIPLOMAT, featuring Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five

11 p.m. The Mini Bit Podcast Jam (Bring your ideas! We'll have sign ups and record 3-5 minute podcasts.)

Saturday, September 10

6 p.m. Hustle & Snow and Lil Friends, Zach Ward and Jill Bernard will each improvise a short set with much younger improvisers (Zach Ward, Jr. age 4 and and Jill Bernard's nephew age 5) and then play together.

7 p.M. Raleigh's Estessentials and YesAndLife Podcast Recording with Zach Ward and Special Guest, Improv Director for Moonlight Stage Company, Jeris Donovan

8:30 p.m. Throwing Shade

10 p.m. Super Secret Comedy (podcast of improvised scenes "radio plays" inspired by real stories and standup comedy)

"Another year, another festival, but this time of year it's our 2nd annual Soundbites festival, a special event with the lights shining on podcasts recorded live on stage," explains Executive Producer Zach Ward. "Podcasting is certainly not new but the live recording of podcasts feels like a rare opportunity for artists to be vulnerable in front of a crowd and, for fans who might regularly listen in solitude of earbuds on the street, a chance to experience the recording process and take part in the creation of the show. I am especially excited to host Throwing Shade and the storytelling podcast 'Real Artists Have Day Jobs' with Sara Benincasa."

About DSI Comedy Theater
In 2001, Dirty South Improv (DSI) produced the first North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival to give audiences and students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the chance to experience workshops in the art of Chicago-style improvisation. In 2005, the festival saw the opening of the DSI Comedy Theater, an 80-seat venue in North Carolina and the new home for shows and the DSI Comedy School. In 2015, DSI Comedy Theater celebrated 10 years with the opening of a new home on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. The festival and the theatre has attracted high level instructors and performers in improv, sketch and stand-up comedy including: Maria Bamford, Jimmie "JJ" Walker, M.C. Chris, Mike Birgbiglia, April Richardson, Steven Wright, Louis CK, Eddie Brill, Kevin Allison, Kevin MacDonald, Sasheer Zamata, Josh Gondleman, Kumail Nanjiani, Emo Philips, Bruce Vilanch, and more. DSI Comedy boasts a local company of 100 active performers in Chapel Hill, NC and a national network of comedians. A dedicated member of its community, DSI supports the greater Triangle region with fundraisers, outreach, and educational opportunities for all ages and abilities. It is the home of YesAndLife, a Corporate Training, Leadership Development and Team Building organization, and the DSI Comedy School, which offers new classes to the public every month, classes in the art of comedy.

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