Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Laughing Stock: Post-Election Laffs, Comedy Fest, Storytelling

Posted By on Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 11:30 AM

Post-Election Laffs
“It keeps me out of therapy,” Auggie Smith says of his emotionally energetic performance style. “I spent the first 10 years of my career where they wouldn’t turn off the pool tables and nobody paid a cover. I learned I had to be really, really loud, then really soft for no reason. And stop in the middle of sentences so they’d wonder what I was talking about. Then I started writing that way and enjoying it a lot more.”

Smith makes his much-anticipated annual appearance at Laffs Comedy Caffé, this weekend, with shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12.

Fans know not to take their eyes off Smith or they risk missing a set highlight. His just-post-election day show could be a house afire with his trademark rants and visceral laugh lines. He won’t be taking sides, though. “The key to political comedy, I think, is you have to find the universal truth everyone can believe.”

Eli Nicolas opens with his unique comic outlook, born of growing up Thai in polyglot L.A.

Laff’s is at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd. Admission is $10 to $15 with a two-item minimum. Make reservations at laffstucson.com. Artist information is at auggiesmith.com and elinicolas.com.

Comedy Fest
The Tucson Comedy Arts Festival 2016 runs from Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 10 through 12 with multiple comedy showcases and workshops. Los Angeles rap and hip-hop improv group 808 leads two workshops and hosts a rap battle after their Saturday night set. A special show for kids, FOMP, Friends of Make Pretend, engages kids in improve and other delights of the imagination at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12.

Most events take place at Tucson Improv Movement, 329 E. 7th Street. Shows are $5 each; workshops, $50. Show details and workshop registration are at tucsoncomedyarts.com.

Comedy Fest Storytelling
Tucson’s crazy-popular story-telling event FST! (fstorytellers.com), happens next on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com. This month’s topic is “It’s Political,” wherein women will tell stories they wrote before the Nov.8 apocalypse. Get there early; the good seats go fast.
Tucson’s crazy-popular story-telling event FST! (fstorytellers.com), meets on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com. In a temporary change of format, FST invites the community to come together and share anecdotes and thoughts in the aftermath of the election.

Laughing Stock is a new column by Linda Ray highlighting local comedy and storytelling events in Tucson.