Enjoy an Evening of Stand Up Comedy & Improv!

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Poppy Champlin

There’s just something about Poppy. She walks on stage looking urban cool and she begins rolling out the jokes, starting slow and sure and moving on to staccato and soon she is hitting on all cylinders, spitting out jokes, quips, songs, impressions, interactions, bird calls and with deep resources to draw from, all of Poppys’ shows can be described
as spin art – “No two alike.” Poppy is crackerjack at the craft of Improv. Throw anything at her and watch as she magically turns it into comedic fodder. Having graduated from the University of R.I with a degree in Theatre she then went on to the Famed Chicago Second City Improv school.

Champlin is one of the quickest witted comedians working
either coast today. She has a wild and roaming spontaneity, which makes each show actually; feel like one of a kind. She is a powerful performer who can glide between practiced patter and off the cuff insightful improvisation. Poppy’s experience with classic standup and improv, gives her a double-barreled flexibility that works particularly well with her subjects of choice. Besides Poppy’s deep comedic chops, she actually has a
seriously good voice that she puts to use during her performance making sure to end
every show on a good note.

“Poppy was a freakin’ ball of comedic thunder,” says one fan, her stand-up pedigree is flawless; from her latest SHOWTIME SPECIAL: PRIDE, and LOGO SPECIAL: ONE NIGHT STAND-UP, to Oprah Winfrey, and a featured story on Entertainment Tonight, a winner on The Joan Rivers Show, and a panel guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen. She is also a favorite on Atlantis and Olivia cruises.

Poppy has opened for such comics as Ray Ramano, Denis Leary, Bill Maher, Bill Hicks
and Rosie O’Donnell. Her club appearances are many.

When Poppy hit tinsel town, she continued to perform stand-up as well as study acting at
the Larry Moss studios and has since put up her critically acclaimed One Woman Show,
"A Chocolate Sandwich.”

She was a staff writer for FOX’s Show Me The Funny, in Hollywood California.
She wrote, starred in and produced, her character driven comedy pilot called News you
Can't Use, think Tracy Ulman takes on the News.

Poppy currently can be seen performing her comedy, in the HBO Documentary “All
Aboard Rosie’s Family Vacation” and traveling around the country producing her own
shows called, Queer Queens of Qomedy, now in it's fifth year.

Ever increasing her visibility, she performed for over 25.000 people in the closing
ceremonies of the Gay Games in Chicago. She has performed for troops in both Japan
and Korea. She was invited to perform in South Africa, at The Cape Town Comedy
Festival.

Poppy tackles tough subjects with ease. In this comedienne’s hands we can laugh at
life’s most formidable perils... and laughter that ravages fear is the best kind of all.

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Christian Sherm

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Jennie McNulty

Recently rated amongst the Top 10 Lesbian comics by Curve magazine and “One of the premiere comedians in the country” by the New England blade, Jennie can currently be seen on MTV Network’s LOGO channel in two “One Night Stand Up” comedy specials.  And was featured in the hit NBC show, “Starting Over.”

She can also be seen as the host of her bi-weekly walking talk show, "Jennie McNulty Presents: Walking Funny With…” on the premiere lesbian website, “AfterEllen.com” (http://www.afterellen.com/taxonomy/term/3789 ). 

She has traveled the world doing comedy – literally.  In addition to headlining in comedy clubs all over the US and Canada, she has entertained the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bosnia, Serbia and many other bases.  And, for some less dangerous excitement, she performs regularly at Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas.

Jennie spends her summer seasons performing nightly in Provincetown, MA and has performed at The Toronto Gay and Lesbian Comedy Festival; The “Dinah Shore” event; and countless Pride events coast to coast.

Diana Yanez

She is featured in numerous internet (viral) videos such as SPANISH FOR YOUR NANNY, LET ME BORROW THAT TOP (with Kelly) and MY PUSS (with Margaret Cho), and is often found touring with her comedy groups THE GAY MAFIA, QUEER ON THEIR FEET, and VITCH.  Diana produced and starred in OUTLAUGH ON WISECRACK (the series) and also OUTLAUGH  (the film).  

Her television credits include: CRIMINAL MINDS, THE SHIELD, BOSTON LEGAL and more.  Diana hails from Miami, FL (the “other” Cuba) and is first generation Cuban-American. In high school, she performed in many talent shows and sketches but in college her parents insisted that she study business.  She escaped to Germany on an art scholarship to study Photography and soon found her way back to her passion, comedy.  Her heroes include Carol Burnett, Lily Tomlin, Lucille Ball, and Madeline Kahn but don’t let her love of humor fool you, Diana studied with acting guru, Eric Morris and has numerous memorable dramatic performances to her credit.

VIVA LA EVOLUCIÓN! is Diana’s first one-woman show and is based on her life experiences. The original 15 minute version won the DRAMA QUEENS COMPETITION in LA, 2009.  Together with Marjorie Duffield (co-developer) a new one-hour workshop version was premiered at the Illuminating Artists Series  produced by The Emerging Artists Theater Co.  In 2010, the final version was  performed at the BERKSHIRE FRINGE FESTIVAL and the prestigious, NEW YORK INT’L FRINGE FESTIVAL where this one-woman comedy won the OVERALL EXCELLENCE AWARD for Solo Shows.

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Karen Ripley

Queer Comic and Improv Master

Laid back; deadpan, sometimes unsure of what's coming out of her mouth, her audiences keep coming back for more. Ripley has performed all over North America and across international waters.  Silverthreads in St. Petersburg, FL had Karen back three years in a row. They couldn't get enough.

Ripley has performed for KGO, KQED, and Comedy in the Park, Wisecracks for Logo and Out Laugh on Netflix. Karen has performed and taught improv for over 25 years. 

Founding member of “Over Our Heads” women's improv troupe, Karen is also a playwright and songwriter.

www.karenripley.com

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Mary Hughes

Emcee and Owner of Mary's Futons Your Host & Emcee is the owner of   Mary's Futons. She first worked out of her garage, hand stitching each futon. She opened her first store in 1983 and has been in business for over 26 years.

Mary was recently featured in a New York Times article about how small businesses are surviving the recession. Mary's idea... ...putting on comedy shows in her futon store as a way to bring people into her store and raise money for local organizations.