Theatre Wed Jun 03 2009

Qweirdo!

This Thursday at iO (3541 N. Clark St), local improv group 1,2,3, Fag! begins their run of Qweirdo, a totally gay, totally hilarious showcase that features homosexual performers from Chicago's comedy scene. The men of 1,2,3, Fag! are Kellen Alexander, Seth Dodson, and John Hartman, who met at The Playground and began improvising together this spring. Though the members of 1, 2, 3, Fag! are all gay, they do not set out to promote any type of political agenda when they perform. "1, 2, 3, Fag! sets out to entertain the audience and make them laugh, just like any other comedy group," says Dodson. "However, being three young gay men in a scene where we are a minority, our own viewpoints, opinions and feelings are undoubtedly going to be expressed."

The idea for Qweirdo came to the group when a performance slot opened up at iO. They figured that since June is Gay Pride Month it would be the perfect opportunity to put together an all Queer showcase, especially since Chicago seems to lack a clearly defined gay comedy scene. The group explains that while there are a handful of great stand-ups and a number of gay performers in the improv and sketch scene, there aren't many events at the mainstream venues that have an emphasis on gay comedy.

Joining 1,2,3, Fag! during the run of Qweirdo will be sketch group GayCo (the unofficial king/queen of the gay comedy scene), stand-up Cameron Esposito, and the improv duo Evie, among others. Performers from iO will also be performing the Gerald: the Harold's gay brother, a take on the theatre's signature form. Acts will run the gamut from sketch and improv to cabaret and burlesque.

Proceeds from the run of Qweirdo will be donated to Lambda Legal, an organization that fights for equality for the LGBT community. 1,2,3, Fag! selected the organization because of their commitment to the gay marriage movement. Says Dodson, "Lambda Legal has done so much work on this issue, most recently in Iowa, that we felt it was really important to give something to them. There is a lot of momentum building on this issue lately and it is at the core of gay rights right now."

For more information on Qweirdo's line-up or to purchase tickets, click here.

— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)