Uptown Comedy Corner

Carpenter Square Theatre Hosts Auditions for SUPERIOR DONUTS 7/17

CST will hold auditions for SUPERIOR DONUTS - The latest play by Tracy Letts , author of August: Osage County (2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award), Bug, and Killer Joe. Arthur Przybyszewski owns a decrepit donut shop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Franco Wicks, a young black man who is his new employee, wants to transform the shop.

This comedy-drama, set in the heart of one of Chicago's most diverse communities, explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship.

Readings from the script will take place at the new offices for CST in the Fr Ed Jones Manufacturing building at 900 W. Main - at the corner of Main & Fr Ed Jones Avenue just east of Classen. Park in the lot just east of the building and enter the glass door on the east side of the building. Someone will be at the door to let you in. If for some reason, someone is not there to open the door, please call 232-6500 to be admitted. Auditions are in the first floor conference room.

Perusal scripts are available for a $10 refundable deposit. Please call CST at 405-232-6500 or email vicky@carpentersquare.com to make arrangements to check out a script. Please call or contact Vicky Zipf before dropping by to make sure a script is available and someone is in the off Ice T o check it out to you. The CST office is closed on Mondays, and is open Tuesdays through Fridays noon to 6 pm. To check out a script, enter the glass doors on the north side of the building (the Main Street side).

Cast: 7 Men, 2 Women.

Max Tarasov (40s-50s) A Russian man who owns a DVD store two doors down from the donut shop. He wants to buy the donut shop so he can expand his business to be the biggest electronics shop in Uptown.

Officer Randy Osteen (40s) An Irish-American female police officer who has a "thing" for Arthur.

Officer James Bailey (40s) An African-American uniformed police officer who loves Star Trek.

Lady Boyle (late 60s-70s) An Irish-American homeless, alcoholic woman in the neighborhood.

Arthur Przybyszewski (pronounced Shub-er-shef-ski)(55-60) Polish-American who owns the 60-year-old donut shop that he inherited from his immigrant parents. An old hippie who smokes pot in his shop and is taking the recent death of his ex-wife very hard. He evaded the draft by going to Canada and his father's proclamation of "coward" still haunts him.

Franco Wicks (early 20s) An African-American young man who talks Arthur into hiring him to work at the donut shop. He wants to modernize Arthur's business, but even more importantly, he has just finished the "Great American Novel," and is looking to publish it. He has a big gambling debt.

Shawn & Marlon Wayans headlining Uptown Comedy Corner July 19-21 ...

From “In Living Color” and “The Wayans Brothers” to “Scary Movie” and “White Chicks,” Shawn and Marlon Wayans have been inseparable as brothers.

But the two youngest Wayans brothers are hardly twins. Shawn has been doing stand-up comedy for more than 20 years. Marlon just started recently in preparation for a possible movie role as Richard Pryor .

Marlon will open for Shawn at the Uptown Comedy Corner July 19 to 21 .

I spoke with both on the phone last week.

“We heard it’s a great room,” Shawn said. “I’ve been there a long time ago with Damon [probably in the old space in Buckhead.] We’ll show up where there’s a mic stand and a good, classy audience. That’s a perfect size room.”

Shawn noted that it’s tougher to work rooms and fail because of mobile media. “There was a time where people let art be art,” he said. “People now  bring cameras into comedy clubs. You used to be able to go to little clubs and talk [crap.] Nowadays, you can’t do that. You’re always under a microscope. Everything you say can come back to haunt you. It’s hard to prep your material.”

This naturally led into a question about the recent travails of Tracy Morgan , who was taped insulting gays, then mentally challenged people.

‘I don’t want to get into that,” Shawn said. “It’s neither here nor there.”

Marlon said he’s still working out the kinks of stand-up comedy. “I’m still in my early phases,” he said. “Shawn’s at a point where he can express about a lot of things. I’m just learning to ride the bike. I’m just starting to  pop wheelies now.” He said his learning curve is a bit faster since he has done plenty of sketch comedy and comedic acting over 20 years. “I know how to write a joke,” he said. “I know how to perform. There’s also a benefit of doing this later than when I was younger.”

Shawn isn’t shy about critiquing his younger brother’s work on stage – but constructively.

“He’s been criticizing me my whole life,” Marlon said. “For me, it’s always interpreting what he says is going on. I know he loves me. Sometimes, his timing is off. He hits me right as I’m getting off stage. I’m high off the crowd. I come off a killer set. Then he says, ‘That one joke was dumb.

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