Normal at Nite: *Good Times & Family Matters with Perfect Strangers*

A Comic Storytelling Adventure with Kelli Dunham and R Eric Thomas

Stonewall Inn53 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014

Saturday February 18th at 7 PM, 10-20 bucks sliding scale

Buy advance tickets here, and/or RSVP on facebook.

Kelli Dunham & R. Eric Thomas combine forces to present a brand new evening of comedy and storytelling. So, maybe Kelli didn’t grow up in the Little House on the Prairie and, yeah, Eric’s not, technically, a Huxtable, but that’s not stopping these two hilarious comics from mining their pasts for hilarious and touching stories about growing up queer in sitcom-worthy families. Using their trademark brands of edgy humor, Kelli and Eric present a night of live performance that will start your laugh track and pull your heartstrings.

STARTING FEBRUARY 4TH RIGHT HERE: THE 14 DAYS OF FAMILY IN FEBRUARY. SNEAK PEEKS, FAMILY SECRETS, THE VOICE OF DARK VADER AS AN ENABLING SPOUSE OF AN ALCOHOLIC AND MUCH MORE….

ABOUT R ERIC THOMAS
R. Eric Thomas (@oureric) is a playwright, teaching artist and storyteller. He is the author of four produced plays, including “The Spectator” (Run of the Mill Theater Company, Baltimore). Eric has read or performed for Second Stories at the Dive, Rant-o-Wheel, Queer Ignite, Superheroes Who Are Super!, Queer Memoir, “Live at Kelly Writers House” on WXPN and Philadelphia’s First Person Arts Story Slams, at which he has competed in the Grand Slam three times. His writing has appeared in Columbia University’s The Collection and the literary magazine, The Q Review. Facebook.com/R.Eric.T

ABOUT KELLI DUNHAM
Kelli Dunham is an award-winning stand up comic, author, ex-nun and Wisconsin farmboi gone very very wrong. Kelli’s comedy has been seen at colleges, clubs, women’s festivals and pride celebrations nationwide, on Showtime Network and the Discovery Channel and oncejust onceat a livestock auction.  Her comedy CDs “I am NOT a 12 Year Old Boy” and “Almost Pretty” are both in regular rotation on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Rawdog Mainstream Comedy Station. Although Kelli was the winner of the 2007 Fresh Fruit Award for Distinction in Stand Up Comedy. It is unlikely that she will ever be again be called distinguished.

THIS FROM KELLI: SO I KNOW ABOUT THE WHOLE ALLEGED SNOW THING but this just in, the amazing Christopher Bartlett has committed to making sure the Center is open for Queer Bodies Queer Selves tomorrow. Even if there is…whatever. And Dan Horrigan says “I’ll be there, I’m from Buffalo” and R. Eric Thomas says “I’m from Baltimore–we’re trained to navigate inclement weather of all types so as not to slow down our constant murdering. So I’ll be there too!” So come laugh with us! It is ON. You can also text me at 215.964.1963. But seriously, it’s on.

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Comic/nurse/queer health advocate Kelli Dunham is hosting this one night only hilarious, hopefully helpful event. There will be comedy (of course) guest performers R Eric Thomas and Dan Horrigan plus a few animated shorts, and loads of information about where Philly folks can find LGBT friendly health care, free health screenings and some special surprises.

What’s so funny about taking care of ourselves and fighting for our lives and healthcare? Come find out and bring a friend.

If you are a community or non profit organization or a person who provides health services to the LGBT community and would like a table at the event, please email kellidunham@gmail.com to reserve your free space.

Please note that while we are selling tickets to this event, we want it to be accessible to EVERYONE! Please pay what you can on the sliding scale, but if you want to be there, don’t worry about the money, just COME!

Co-sponsored by William Way LGBT Community Center

You can RSVP on facebook and also buy advance tickets available here.

About KELLI DUNHAM

Kelli Dunham is an award-winning stand up comic and author as well as a bachelor’s prepared registered nurse with more than a dozen years of experience in community health. She was the winner of the 2007 Fresh Fruit Award for Distinction in Stand Up Comedy. It is unlikely that she will ever be again be called distinguished.

Kelli’s comedy has been seen at colleges, clubs, women’s festivals and pride celebrations nationwide, on Showtime Network and the Discovery Channel and once—just once—at a livestock auction. She has also presented on LGBT issues at the American Medical Publisher’s Association annual convention, St. Luke’s College School of Nursing, Conventionality Unlimited, Citibank, Harvard Women’s Hospital, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Won Institute School of Acupuncture

Kelli is the author of FA Davis’ How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School, which is in its fourth edition, is frequently adopted for intro to nursing classes and was an American Nursing Association Book of the Year in 2005. Kelli also wrote two health books for kids: The Boy’s Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up YOU (Applesauce Press, 2007) and The Girl’s Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up YOU (Applesauce Press, 2008).

ABOUT R ERIC THOMAS

R. Eric Thomas (@oureric) is a playwright, teaching artist and storyteller. He is the author of four produced plays, including “The Spectator” (Run of the Mill Theater Company, Baltimore). Eric has read or performed for Second Stories at the Dive, Rant-o-Wheel, Queer Ignite, Superheroes Who Are Super!, Queer Memoir, “Live at Kelly Writers House” on WXPN and Philadelphia’s First Person Arts Story Slams, at which he has competed in the Grand Slam three times. His writing has appeared in Columbia University’s The Collection and the literary magazine, The Q Review. His solo show, “Will You Accept This Friend Request?” premieres November 14 and 15 as part of the First Person Festival. Facebook.com/R.Eric.T

ABOUT DAN HORRIGAN

Dan Horrigan got his start telling stories to anyone who would listen at bars and cocktail parties across New York. Dan is thrilled to be bringing his tales to a slightly more sober audience. Another incarnation of The Big A was produced in New York in February of 2010. In addition to being a writer / performer Dan is also a co-founder and Artistic Director of At Hand Theatre Company. At Hand is an independent, non profit theatre company in New York City that produces new plays while using eco-friendly practices. Dan likes to make you laugh and he likes trees and plays! He is proud to have produced Anton Dudley’s Letters to the End of the World, Mark Snyder’s Lila Cante, One Nation Under by Andrea Lepcio and 4 seasons of POP! Dan has directed At Hand’s productions of Cake And Plays Without The Cake by Jono Hustis, Silence! by Brian Dykstra and John Patrick Bray’s Trickster at the Gate. Last season, Dan was honored to have At Hand present his autobiographical solo show, MY AiDS. Other directing credits include Nicky Silver’s The Altruists (Access Theatre), Cindy Lou Johnson’s Brilliant Traces and PS Your Cat is Dead by James Kirkwood. Dan’s television appearances include Cash Cab, playing the role of Gay Guy In The Backseat With All The Wrong Answers (uncredited). He also appeared in Kathy Griffin’s My Life On The D-List playing Laughing Gay Guy in the 3rd Row At The WaMu Theatre (surprisingly, also uncredited).

Except for, I believe, 2009 when my girlfriend said “get out of bed dammit! I’m wearing an outfit!”

I understood what that meant and got out of bed immediately. I am nothing if not well trained.

ANYWAY, I hate New Year’s Eve and yet I am leaving my house for this event. So I think you should too! It’s going to be a really good time, some of my favorite people are performing and I’m going to be sharing a very special New Year’s Eve story that does NOT involve body fluids. Also rumor has it that I will be talking about the apocalypse because I never got to talk about it in July.

Also, I am almost positive no one will be dressed up as the creepy baby New Year. I mean, theoretically, there might someone there who just happened to come dressed as an adult baby, but probably not because I bet if that’s your kink you really don’t want to be mistaken for Baby New Year.

Anyway, did I tell you how great the performers will be?

New Year’s Eve: Ushering in a Great Cosmic Shift

A great cosmic shift is coming in 2012 and we want you to ring it in with hot queers, old friends and new lovers. Join us at Dixon Place where we’ve put together a great show of comedy, music and burlesque plus a hot, sexy DJ all night long.

$10 at the door from 9 pm until 1 am.

Have drinks, hang with your friends, meet a new lover or two, and let your ball drop. Or both!

Show starts at 10 pm.
DJ starts at 11 pm.

Drink specials all night long.

Join Bevin Branlandingham, your Femmecee, with:

Diana Cage – Queer (Femme)inist, Author
Kelli Dunham – ex nun, nerdelicious author & comic
Bambi Galore – the chameleon of tease
Jessica Halem – bad feminist
Ben Lerman – Sick and brilliant ukulele comedy

PS You don’t have to believe in cosmic shifts to come to this. Seriously, I don’t even know what the hell folks are talking about. Just come for a fun, chill, entertaining evening.  Oh yeah, you can RSVP on facebook too.

Hope your Halloween was as amazing as mine was! I spent a few nights in New Hampshire where I performed with SInclair Sexsmith at the super beautiful super gay Highlands Inn. It was a lovely weekend, hanging with an inn-ful of hard working lesbians, a murder mystery theatery-thing (indeed) and some good ol’ fashioned comedy by the fireplace.  So grateful for these kind of opportunities

I have a metric-ton of shows coming up. To highlight just a few: If you’re in New York this Saturday night, do NOT miss the November Queer Memoir: Speaking the Truth to Power. We have some very special guests, including two from out of town.  Later this month I’ll be at the Transcending Boundaries Conference in Springfield MA, I’ll be the opening night entertainment and sharing the latest addition to my workshop offerings: EMERGENCY:  Planning for Unplanned Healthcare.

Of course, you West Coast folks aren’t forgetting about Why Is the Fat One Always Angry, my CD recording show on December 10th, are you? I have a surprise guest and there will be freshly baked home-made chocolate chip cookies for everyone AND I can guarantee that you will laugh, and possibly be the tiniest bit horrified. Check out the critics’ quotes (below) from the NY show; people had quite a time! Get advance tickets here or RSVP on facebook to get updates about the show.

Finally, I want to share with you about a brand new project  I recently launched a blog called Grief Sucks: Bereavement for the Rest of Us. It’s a reaction to the kitsch that passes as death /dying/ bereavement discussion in the popular/ dominant culture and makes me want to poke out my eye with a spoon. So bits of the blog are funny/sad stories from my  grief journeys, but I’m also including nuts and bolts info about caregiving and building support systems that I’ve picked up these past few years. I’ll eventually be including interviews and guest posts as well. My hope is to encourage a sharpening of the conversations we have around grief, caregiving and intense medical situations so that folks who  are going through what I’ve been going through have more access to realistic resources. If you’d like to take a look at the blog, you can start with The Back Story, read some of the more recent posts here and take a look at the two of the larger resource pages I started: Asking for Help for Beginners and When Someone You Love Loses Someone They Love. You can also “like” Grief Sucks on facebook to make it easier to keep up with new posts. The reaction the blog has been getting is overwhelming and humbling. Clearly, people are seeking plain, direct talk about these difficult situations.

I think that’s about it for now. Stay tuned for more special projects starting early next year, thanks so so so much for your ongoing support!

Yours in humble comedy service.

Kelli Dunham

PS did you know you can sign up for my email list and never miss one of these fact filled, fun filled, link filled (yuh, I was kind of out control about that) missives. The email version also includes info on ALL my upcoming shows and links to more info for each show. Never more than one email a month, check it out at reverbnation.

Join Kelli Dunham, genderqueer Brooklyn based ex-nun nerdcomic, a Wisconsin farmboi transplant who juxtaposes midwestern friendliness with New York attitude in a way that has been described as both “horrifying” and “hilarious.” for

“Why Is the Fat One Always Angry” in SF, her CD recording show.

In “Why Is The Fat One Always Angry” (her sixth one person show and her third comedy CD) she continues on her quest to make comedy where slam poetry dares not tread. The show will address the important questions of our time, such as:

Why were there so many failed tubal ligations the year Kelli was born?
Is it okay to call your mom for the sole purpose of obtaining comedy material?
How is the Bible like the DSM?
What does being over 40 have to do with dead rabbits and the butch ego?
How many library books can one person take on vacation anyway?

More about Kelli

Kelli Dunham is the winner of the 2007 Fresh Fruit Festival Award of Distinction for stand up comedy, although she has never before or since been called distinguished. She has performed nationwide at LGBT pride events (Seattle, Long Beach CA, Rhode Island, Baltimore, Atlanta), colleges (University of Delaware, Penn State University, Smith College, Temple University, Colorado State University) and even the occasional livestock auction. Both her comedy CDs, “I am NOT a 12 Year Old Boy” and “Almost Pretty” are on regular rotation on Sirius Satellite Radio’s mainstream comedy station and she has appeared on Showtime and the Discovery Network.

She is the co-founder and co-producer of Queer Memoir, the popular NYC based storytelling event and the author of four books, including two health books for pre-teens which were, strangely enough, selected to be used by the Sonlight Christian Schools Homeschooling Curriculum as part of their science and wellness program.

Advance tickets now available, and you can also RSVP on facebook.

JUST ADDED 11.22.2011

SINCE KELLI WILL BE RECORDING HER THIRD CD, SHE WANTS TO HONOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THE PROCESS. EVERY ATTENDEE AT THE SAN FRANCISCO RECORDING SHOW WILL RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THEIR CHOICE OF KELLI’S FIRST TWO CDs, I AM NOT A 12 YEAR OLD BOY OR ALMOST PRETTY.  GIFT WRAPPED COPIES WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE WITH YOUR CHOICE OF THE GAYEST GIFT WRAP EVER!

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT WHY IS THE FAT ONE ALWAYS ANGRY

“Kelli Dunham’s new show ‘Why Is the Fat One Always Angry,’ takes you into dark places and makes you laugh at them. It is whip-smart comedy at its best.”
- Mamone, Riot Grrl Ink

“[In Kelli Dunham's new show] The fat one is not always angry…she’s also funny, sweet, smart, and heartbreaking. We laughed, we cried, we did not punch dolphins. ”
- Kathleen Warnock, Drunken! Careening! Writers (curator)

“More than ever, Why Is the Fat One Always Angry reveals Kelli’s ability to mix nonchalant shock with perfectly timed candor. Part storytelling, part therapy, part cultural commentary, and always hilarious, Kelli manages to be both a true personality and someone you’re forever rooting for. And if you ask nicely she might even make you cookies.”
- Autumn Whitefield-Madrano , The Beheld: Beauty and What It Means

“There needs to be a word that defines the odd space Kelli has found where grief turns into belly shaking laugh out loud comedy material.”
- John Paul Gor, DLM

Advance tickets or rsvp on facebook or check out Kelli’s comedy.