"Comedy Plus A Side Order of Thinking" at the Watchung Arts Center

A comedian and three playwrights are joining forces to present “Comedy Plus A Side Order of Thinking,” a variety show of original work, at the Watchung Arts Center on Saturday, October 18th at 8pm. The evening will include a performance by Joanne Filan, a seasoned observational comedian, and three plays: The Code of Silence by Poet on Watch, Lockdown by Jennifer DiOrio, and Catladies: The Musical That Makes Lawyers Purr by Sarah Dubinsky. A dessert reception will follow the performance. Reviewers and theater representatives are invited to attend. This show is not innocent enough for children.
Filan’s “Upstream of Consciousness” comedy, described as “strong enough for a man but pH balanced for a woman,” complements the three plays which explore love of all kinds, lgbtq issues, social media, and other topics.
An Offsides NJ Production by Jennifer DiOrio, the show is directed by Melanie Heit Rivellese, with Sherr Rase serving as Assistant Director and Stage Manager. Cast members include Melanie Heit Rivellese, Sherr Rase, Deana Loria, Kyle Schickner (of FenceSitter Films), Lara McDavit, Michael Valentine, Claude Aubourg, and Miriam Tab.
Tickets for this performance are $16 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.watchungartscenter.eventbrite.com. Seating is limited. Proceeds will go to the Watchung Arts Center. Offsides NJ Productions will donate ticket sales to Women Who Write, Madison Community House, and the public library in Bedminster.
The Watchung Arts Center is located on the circle at 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ. To obtain more information about upcoming performances, classes and workshops, and monthly art exhibitions, please visit WatchungArts.org or call 908-753-0190.
About Joanne Filan: After growing up in New Jersey (but refusing to die there), Joanne has made her way around the comedy club scene and around the comedy country. Performing at well-known places like The Friars Club, Gotham Comedy Club, Caroline’s, New York Comedy Club, The Laugh Factory and more, not to mention being a fixture in the traveling show “The Broads of Broadway,” she is well known in the comedy world. She even reaches the masses through her television and media appearances, including Here TV’s Hot Gay Comics, Comedy Time TV, and in “Comics Favorite Jokes” in the NY Post. Joanne has taken part in festivals and competitions as well, from The New York Underground Comedy Festival and the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston to this year’s The Ladies of Laughter Competition. To find out where she is next, go to www.upstreamcomedy.com and follow the stream.
About Jen DiOrio: A content but curious native of New Jersey, Jen DiOrio is the writer, producer, and sole proprietor at Offsides NJ Productions (founded in 2008). In 2010, she self-produced Offsides, her full-length tragicomedy directed by NY-based Alberto Bonilla at the Watchung Arts Center in New Jersey, where she also produced a 10-minute play showcase featuring the scripts of her writing group (2013). LA-based Kyle Schickner of FenceSitter Films will produce Jen’s upcoming web series, based on her 30-minute triptych also featured at the showcase. A member of the Dramatists Guild and Women Who Write, Jen will be a guest speaker at the 4th Annual Women’s Writing Retreat at the Kirkridge Retreat Center in September 2014. For more information on Jen’s productions, go to http://offsidesnjproductions.wordpress.com.
About Sarah Dubinsky: Sarah loves her pussycats and any other furred creatures she can pet. Her songs, poems, and stories glitter like pyrite and have the depth of a puddle. Surprisingly, Sarah has been rejected by eleven of the very best Master of Fine Arts in Poetry programs in the English speaking world. Fortunately, she already had her law degree at the time she applied. Sarah once dreamed of being a lawyer. Having attained her goal, Sarah then dreamed of being a writer. Having now attained that goal, Sarah dreams of more cats than can possibly fit on the internet. And sometimes those cats dream of her. To meow with Sarah, go to http://www.catladiesthemusical.com.

About Poet on Watch: Poet On Watch is a southern-rooted performance poet, director, and screenwriter. She has worked with theater companies, universities, cultural organizations, social institutions, and individual artists across North America, North Africa, Canada, and Europe through her commissioned writing programs. Poet On Watch has been published in two anthologies, Mother Tongue and Mighty Real: An Anthology Of African-American Same Gender Loving Writing. She is also the author of two collections of poetry entitled Sageburner Simple Pleasure and Poet On Watch published by Freeverse Publishing. Check out http://www.poetonwatch.com for more information.