Sketch Comedy Group Brings Laughs to the South Suburbs

A Saturday night of live comedy will come to Chicago Ridge on February 7, when Chicago-based sketch group AWK headlines Our Lady of the Ridge’s Night of Laughs. Two Our Lady alumni, Stephanie L. Seweryn ‘03, a producer, writer and performer with the group, and Tech Director, Rebecca Seweryn ‘07, along with Evergreen Park’s own Nick Shine, also a producer, writer and performer, appreciate the opportunity to bring sketch comedy to the South Side.

“Seeing nightly dockets of comedy shows go up all over the city, we’re glad to bring a taste of that to the Southside,” Stephanie says. “People shouldn’t have to sit on the Dan Ryan for hours to see some talented comedians. There’s nothing less funny than the Dan Ryan.”

In past years the parish has worked with comics from Zanies and Comedy Bar, but gladly welcomed the chance to bring local talent to their event. Parents Club president and Chicago Ridge trustee, Sally Durkin, says any chance to support Southsiders helps boost the community and the village.

“Kids from our area go out and do some amazing things and any chance we get to support their work, their achievements, is a testament to the type of community we want to build,” Durkin says. “Hopefully we can continue to showcase talent and promote what the people of our village can do.”

With training from The Second City and iO Chicago, members of the group hail from across the nation—Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa, Maryland—turning their sights to Chicago for its world class comedy reputation. Deciding they needed an outlet all their own, they formed the independent group AWK. Produced, written, and performed through a democratic creative process, the group has found their voice inspired by everything from the traditional Saturday Night Live and MadTV, to the more absurdist Portlandia, and most absurdist, Tim & Eric Awesome Show.

“What’s great about being an indie group is not having to subscribe to anyone else’s style. We can take freedoms to explore everything from the most conservative to crazily outlandish arenas of sketch,” said writer/performer Nick Shine of Evergreen Park. “We might have a sketch about current events, followed by a group dance in wigs and mustaches.”

After their show on February 7, the group will begin prep for the Stage 773 Laugh Battle in March and a six-week run at Annoyance Theatre starting April 15. Members of AWK include: Bre Brown, Andrew Cole, Cameron Davis, Danny Houk, Mary Fessler, Stephanie L. Seweryn, Nick Shine, Allan Weinberger; Tech Director Rebecca Seweryn; Artistic Consultant Caitlin Stephan; Choreographer Claire Kaiser. For more information on Our Lady of the Ridge’s Night of Laughs, visit www.olor-school.org.

“Come out to enjoy a night of community and humor,” says Our Lady of the Ridge principal, Sr. Stephanie Kondik. “It’ll be great for your spirit.”

Show starts at 6:30 p.m., at Our Lady of the Ridge, 10859 S Ridgeland Ave, Chicago Ridge. Cost is $25/ticket of $20/ticket per paid table of 10. Each ticket includes one free drink.