Applications Now Open for The 8th Annual Chicago Women's Funny Festival

Stage 773 Executive Producer Jill Valentine and Co-Producer Liz McArthur announce that they will be accepting applications from May 15 to July 1 for the 8th Annual Chicago Women's Funny Festival, taking place August 22 through August 25 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont. The Chicago Women's Funny Festival features all comedic art forms including stand up, sketch, solo, vaudeville, improvisation, burlesque, musical and more. The event packs over 80 shows, featuring over 400 performers from over 160 groups into four funny-filled days. Applications are welcome to all female-identifying performers for participation. Visit https://www.stage773.com/cwff

"Chicago is the ultimate destination for comedy and is home to so many talented, funny women. The Chicago Women's Funny Festival allows women in comedy to unite in one place for four days on four stages from all over the country to do what they love," said Valentine. "The festival is tons of fun with lots of laugh, but it also offers the empowering opportunity for ladies to come together and learn from one another."

Chicago Women's Funny Festival was founded in 2012 when producers Jill Valentine and Liz McArthur wanted to build a comedy festival where women could come together and celebrate all art forms of comedy under one roof. The first festival boasted 66 shows and 400 performers in five days. Women's Fest also hosted events throughout the week where women from across the country could network with each other and more importantly, celebrate one another's work. The response from comedians and audience members was overwhelmingly positive - which is why the festival is coming back for an eighth year.

"We wanted to create opportunities for women to not only share their talent, but to also be seen by industry," said McArthur. "We are thrilled we could create the venue where hundreds of funny women from across the country are connecting and creating opportunities from this fest."

Jill Valentine is a Chicago Southside native who has been the Executive Director of the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival (the largest of its kind in the nation) since the festival's inception in 2000. She is also Stage 773's Executive Director and a founding principal of the building. Jill performs in several popular and critically acclaimed groups in Chicago, including The Cupid Players, Off Off Broadzway and Feminine Gentleman who have performed all over the country.

Liz McArthur hails from St. Louis and has worked with the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival since 2005. McArthur can be seen with groups such as Off Off Broadzway, OneTwoThree Comedy, and Feminine Gentlemen. McArthur is also part of the hit zombie comedy Musical of the Living Dead.

Tickets for the 8th Annual Women's Funny Festival are $15 each and will go on sale July 23. Tickets and information are available online at www.Stage773.com, by phone 773.327.5252, and in person at the Stage 773 box office, located at 1225 W Belmont.

About Stage 773

Stage 773 is a vibrant anchor of the Belmont Theatre District and home to Chicago's finest off-Loop talent. As a performance and tenant venue, our four stages provide entertainment for everyone: comedy, theatre, dance, musicals and more. We are a not-for-profit, connecting and catalyzing the theater community, while showcasing established artists and incubating up-and-coming talent.

To post a comment, you must register and login.