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William Paterson University to Host Fifth Annual Stand-Up Comedy Competition for College Students on April 1

-- Contest sponsored by University’s Communication Department Program which offers a concentration in comedy performance and writing

William Paterson University will host its fifth annual Collegiate Comedy Competition, a night of non-stop laughter, as students from William Paterson and other schools compete to win the title of funniest stand-up college student.

The event will be held on April 1 at 8 p.m. in the Martini Room in Hobart Hall on campus. Tickets are $12 standard and $9 for the William Paterson community, students, and senior citizens.

This competition is an outgrowth of a concentration in theatre and comedy. Students are offered courses in stand-up and sketch comedy acting and writing, among other courses, and several alumni have gone on to pursue careers in the field.

Trophies will be given for the best male stand-up and best female stand-up college comedians. Winners will also be given the opportunity to perform their stand-up act at Gotham Comedy Club, one of the hottest comedy nightclubs in New York City.

Lexi Cullen-Baker, a professional comedian who has worked with Lewis Black, will serve as master of ceremony. Judges include Tim Hayes, Lorca Morello, and Rob Santos. Hayes is an accomplished actor and comic who performs in the tri-state region. Santos is a comedian who regularly performs in New York City comedy clubs. Morello is a stand-up comic and a criminal defense lawyer with the Legal Aid Society; she is the author of the satirical legal blog “Appellate Squawk.”

“It's a fun experience that holds the possibility of great things happening for talented newcomers,” says Stephen Rosenfield, who coordinates the comedy program at William Paterson and is director of the American Comedy Institute in New York City. “The competition is a launching pad for students who want to work professionally. The experience they get from the competition, the feedback they receive from our professional and supportive panel of judges, and the winners' prize of performing at Gotham Comedy Club provides a lift to their careers.”

For additional information about the contest and the program, contact Elizabeth Stroppel, associate professor, and coordinator of the theatre and comedy concentration, at 973-720-3342 or email stroppele@wpunj.edu.

 

03/14/11