Bite and Smile with Joe Janes: This Much Is True

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

This Much Is True - Tonight!

This is reprinted from TMIT's e-mail blast...

We go to the "J" file this month for another great lineup, with guests who not only share a consonant, but talent, creativity, and unforgettable stories. Come check it out!

J.W Basilo, a writer/performer/humorist, is equal parts poignant and perverse, hilarious and heart-wrenching. His raucous performances and uncanny charisma have earned him a reputation as one of the most sought-after and compelling spoken word artists working today. His work has appeared on NPR, in the Chicago Tribune, numerous literary journals and in hundreds of theaters, dive bars, schools and comedy clubs across North America. His one man dramedy, No One Can Fix You, debuted in 2009 to rave reviews in Chicago, Seattle, and New York City. All things considered, he’s doing pretty well for a guy who failed Creative Writing in high school. His artful jackassery can be found at his Internet home, BustedMouth.com

Janna Sobel is an actress, director, improviser and writer. She also supports young people in doing these things, through the Old Town School of Folk Music, the Poetry Center of Chicago, and The University of Chicago Lab School. She is the Associate Artistic Director of Mudlark Theater in Evanston. She also really likes to tell stories, and you might have glimpsed her doing so at swanky events like Essay Fiesta, Stories at the Store, and the open mic at Story Club. Janna loves Chicago and it’s creative heart. Since moving here two years ago, she has worked with inspired souls at Chicago Dramatists, 16th Street Theater, Second City, WNEP Productions, Improv Playhouse, and Courier 12 Collective, and is grateful for every bit of company she’s found. You can see her performing currently in Chicago’s Weekly Improvised Bookstore at Gorilla Tango theater on Saturday nights at 7, and soon at the iO Theater with a newly formed Harold team.

Joe Janes is a writer, director, teacher, and actor in Chicago. He has taught improv and writing at The Second City Training Center since 1997 and is the Improv Program Coordinator for Columbia College. He is also a senior writer/director at Fig Media, Inc. He is a founding member of the WNEP Theater Foundation and the artistic director of Robot vs Dinosaur. He has written and provided voices for the CD-ROM game “You Don’t Know Jack.” He also has an Emmy for writing for a Cincinnati children’s program called “Club 19.” A non-believer of writer’s block or not enough time, he wrote a comedy sketch a day for a year, had them produced as an acclaimed festival of shows, and published them in a book. ’365 Sketches’ is available at lulu.com

THIS MUCH IS TRUE
An evening of storytelling that offers an intimate peek into each of our writer's lives,

revealing the humorous, embarrassing and poignant moments that make up a life remembered.
Featuring Deanna Moffitt, Larry Kerns, Dorrie Ferguson, and Scott Whitehair, with special guests.