Comedy festival here all weekend

Whatever makes you laugh - a stand-up comic's caustic wit, a novelist's wry humor, an improviser's uncontainable energy - the organizers of the Carolina Comedy Festival do their best to provide it. Now in its second year, the festival, sponsored by the Carolina Union Activities Board, started Tuesday and runs through Saturday. In addition to the return of Lewis Black & Friends as the marquee event, this year the festival has a new eye-catching name on the bill: Author Nick Hornby - of "High Fidelity," "Fever Pitch" and "About a Boy" fame - will speak on campus. Jonathon Benson, CUAB president and festival organizer, said he wanted to bring a fiction author to provide another point of entry into the festival for students who might not be stand-up or improvised comedy fans. "A lot of people still read fiction novels, and he's arguably one of the better, well-known fiction writers out there," Benson said. Black, who graduated from UNC in 1970, was more blunt in expressing his excitement for Hornby's participation. "If people don't come out to see him, they're . idiots," he said. "You know, I'm excited he's coming." As the former headliner of the event's predecessor, Heelarious, in spring 2003, Black said he hopes to see the event grow into a larger scale. The famously frustrated comedian suggested hosting student performances in venues across campus and taking over Franklin Street bars with stand-up comedy. "Literally the community would be covered in comedy," he said. While both Benson and Black said that goal was potentially attainable in years to come, this weekend's festival will be similar to last year's, with minor changes. UNC alumnus Brian Tucker, who has written for "Mad TV," "Chappelle's Show," "Saturday Night Live" and "The Chris Rock Show," will make a return appearance. "One of the important things to do with a festival like this is to keep a sort of sense of continuity," Benson said. "And keep it the same so that we're not reinventing the wheel every two years." One change is Friday night's Carolina Comedy Club, a variety show that will include sketch, improv, stand-up and musical comedy. The show is based on New York comedy troupe Evel Cathedral's "Ash Wednesday" act. "I think it provides a really nice menu - a different pallet every evening," said Rachel Korowitz, a member of Evel Cathedral. As with last year's festival, students will be able to interact with a variety of comedic personalities and styles in a series of workshops, tagged "Comedy Fest Close-ups." By providing access to more than just stand-up, Benson said he hopes the festival can offer some professional comedic insight as well as entertainment. "If you're interested in going into that field," he said, "speaking with people who are already there can shed light on what you have to do to get there." Black said that the more types of comedy the festival can bring into different forums, the more interesting it becomes. "The more elements that we can bring to the table the better off students are . there's all sorts of ways that comedy comes to bear on things." He expressed disappointment with last year's student turnout at some of the events, but said that drawing audiences and helping the festival grow is all a learning process. "Ultimately, you know what I see it as, you have this group of professionals coming in to spend time in the campus, and there should be some way to make it known to the students," he said. "They're totally available, we're doing all sorts of seminars, and they're just wandering around." With Black's name at the top of the festival's ad campaign and his support for the festival as a driving force, Benson said bringing in acts and audiences is that much easier. "He's passionate and has these idealistic goals. That really helps direct it broadly." And Black certainly doesn't mind coming back to his alma mater. "There's just a lot going on that I like, and I like being around students. "And considering that I don't appear to be more mature than them, it makes it easy for me." Tonight, some of those UNC students, along with one from James Madison University, will vie for an opening spot in Saturday night's headline show. Black was enthusiastic about the results of last year's competition. "I thought there could have been more people coming out to see their fellow students," he said, "They seriously missed what I considered to be one of the better shows I've ever seen." Mallory Cash, chairwoman of CUAB's fun committee and Student Comedy Showdown organizer, said the goal is to expose students to a professional environment - and maybe to give them a little "I opened for Lewis Black" boost. The showcase, combined with the workshops and big-name performances, create what Benson called the charm the festival tries to provide - an atmosphere conducive to comedy. With UNC hosting a festival that allows students to interact with prominent comedians, Black said he hopes Chapel Hill can develop into the sort of hub for college comedy that The Harvard Lampoon created in the 1970s. "There's no reason that Chapel Hill can't create some sort of legacy on its own, and it certainly has done that." Carolina comedy festival events schedule For more information about the festival events, check out www.unc.edu/cuab.


Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.