The Women and Comedy Project Announces One Night Only Special Events Through 5/19

In conjunction with the premiere production It's My Party: The Women and Comedy Project, on stage now through May 19th at Plays & Players Theatre, 1812 Productions is pleased to present a series of one-night-only special events. These events feature the a host of local and regional female performers with proceeds benefiting two of The Women and Comedy Project's community partners, Women 's Way and Women Against Abuse.

On Tuesday, May 7th at 7:30pm, Hillary Rea, It's My Party assistant director and award winning storyteller, will host Women and Comedy: A Night of Storytelling. The theme of the evening is "Firsts" with an all-female line-up of storytellers including Kambri Crews (author of the memoir Burn Down The Ground), Marjorie Winther (First Person Arts' "Best Storyteller in Philadelphia"), Valerie DiMambro, Millicent Sparks, Marla Burkholder, Carolyn Busa, Dawn Falato, and Maureen Torsney-Weir. All tickets are $10 and proceeds from the evening will benefit Women Against Abuse.

On Tuesday, May 14th at 7:30, 1812 veteran Mary Carpenter will host Women and Comedy: A Night of Improv. The event will feature short form and long form improvisation as well as improvised musical theatre (and the entire performance will be led by the audience!). The all-female ensemble is made up of some of the area's funniest improvisers from the groups ComedySportz, The N Crowd, and Figment Theatre, including Ms. Carpenter, Alli Soowal, Kristin Finger, Maggy Keegan, Kelly Vrooman, and Jessica Ross. All tickets are $10 and proceeds from the evening will benefit Women's Way.

In addition to these special benefit performances, 1812 Productions is pleased to present An Evening with Patsy: The View from My Stoop. An Evening with Patsy features 1812 Productions' Artistic Director Jennifer Childs in her iconic role as Patsy, the South Philly politico from 1812 Productions' celebrated political comedy This Is The Week That Is. The performance marks the character's first solo appearance at 1812, welcoming the audience to her South Philadelphia stoop to discuss relationships, politics, family, and to dispense advice to audience members brave enough to ask for it. The evening will feature a guest appearance by Philadelphia theatre staple Fran Prisco, with 1812 favorite Alex Bechtel at the piano. An Evening with Patsy: The View from My Stoop will be performed on Monday, May 13th at 7:30. All tickets are $25.

1812 Productions' current featured production is It's My Party: The Women and Comedy Project. An event more than two years in the making, It's My Party began its journey with the questions 'how do women use humor' and 'how does that usage change as they age.' It's My Party: The Women and Comedy Project has had a working presence in the Philadelphia community throughout its creation. The Project has welcomed several ideological community partners including Women Against Abuse, Women's Way, Transition Network, and Why Not Prosper. Ms. Childs has opened the creative process to individuals served by these organizations, resulting in storytelling and improvisational gatherings everywhere from 1812's artist studio to Plays & Players Theatre to halfway houses for women getting out of prison and victims of domestic violence. Regarding the project's relationship with Women's Way, whose mission is to address pressing issues facing women today, Ms. Childs says, "Working with Women's Way has been an amazing and revelatory process. Assumptions are often made that feminism has no sense of humor, and that comedy can't be taken seriously. It's My Party proved to be the perfect meeting ground for our organizations."

Women and Comedy: An Night of Storytelling, Women and Comedy: A Night of Improv, and An Evening with Patsy: The View from My Stoopwill all be performed at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street in Center City. Additional information, and tickets to all events, can be had at 215.592.9560 or at www.1812productions.org.

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