As impending finals threaten to suck the humor and happiness out of our daily lives, the Brown comedy community is working hard to get in a few last laughs. Starla, Improvidence, Out of Bounds, and Brown Stand Up put on well-attended shows last weekend. The Brown Noser released its final issue of the semester this week. Tonight, the trend continues with a first-of-its kind event-a live show from Brown Barrel Radio.

The Brown Barrel is an umbrella organization that includes most of Brown University’s comedy groups. Every two weeks, members offer up a podcast of off-the-cuff comedy in their Radio Show. The episodes are packed with sketches, routines and–most importantly–jingles. Tonight, the Barrel Radio Show will be bringing their typically recorded antics to a live audience. They’ve never raised the stakes like this. Will we be introduced to a new jingle? Will there be live renditions of said jingle? Come to Wilson 102 at 7 p.m. tonight to see for yourself. And while you’re on the comedy grind, check out Improvidence and OoB’s 2nd Annual Freaky Friday show at 9:30.

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Are finals making you miserable? Do you even remember the last time you cracked a smile? Are you itching to be entertained? If you answered these questions, “Yes. No. YES,” we have good news: The Brown Barrel comedy alliance, a conglomerate of Brown’s comedy groups, has come to your rescue with its hilarious new radio show.

“The Barrel Show,” a new addition to BSR‘s Sunday lineup, features sketches and routines from Brown’s comedy groups and funny conversational interludes between acts. Your hilarious fellow Brunonians will provide some great lolz on lolz on lolz. You can listen to the first three episodes of “The Barrel Show” here. Laughter may be the only medicine that will heal those finals blues, so stop whining and start listening.

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To everyone who packed house at the comedy shows and read the funny papers this semester: our profound thanks. It’s been amazing. Just one last event on this the last remotely reasonable weekend to hold a show…

Starla and Sons, Tonight at 9 in Hunter Auditorium

It’s the very last show for Starla’s seniors. It’s the very first show for their rookies. It’s a break from studying or whatever you’re doing. Drop by the psych building tonight for an hour or so of delicious improv comedy.

On the docket:

Brown Stand Up Comics — The Senior Roast, tonight at 9 in Lower Salomon.

The senior comics are graduating, just like all seniors. Unlike all seniors, they’re about to cry fitfully as the rest of the group makes fun of their shameful pasts, their personalities, and their very souls.

Out of Bounds — Señor Night, Saturday night at 9 in MacMillan 117

Out of Bounds’ last show of the year will feature 15 all-new sketches plus a retro sketch chosen by each of the five graduating senior group members. Much like the senior comics, the senior OOB members are graduating. Don’t miss your last chance to see them in action!

Plus, the Brown Noser and the Brown Jug are in various places on campus now. Check them out.

The Brown Barrel is an alliance of Brown’s written and performance comedy groups. This column runs twice a week. The first is short written humor, the second foretells upcoming comedy events.

Internship Application Decision

Hilary,

After reviewing your application and résumé, we believe that you are, by almost all accounts, an excellent candidate for the summer internship position at Twitter this summer. You seem bright and driven, and you have obviously put in time to learn many of the key skills necessary for the field of new media. However, it is important that you realize that the decisions you make about how you represent yourself online are absolutely fair game for employers like us to use in deciding between similar candidates.

What concerns us specifically is your Facebook profile. We tried clicking on everything, but it seems that you have some kind of privacy restriction in place that prevents us from seeing anything but your profile picture. What are you trying to say with this over-the-top security, Hilary? That you’re too cool to let us see your pictures? That you’re ashamed to show your full personality to the world? That you have something to hide? The field of new media is all about being outgoing, and we hesitate to accept a candidate who seems bent on concealing information.   [Read more →]

Less popular piñata prizes

carrots
toothpaste
tacks
novels
pants
batteries
custard
snakes
paint
hair
cutlery
eggs
sawdust
a beehive
chess pieces
fine china
manure
babies
nitroglycerine
Good & Plenties

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There’s an unbelievable number of events happening in comedy this week, so we’ll cut the foreplay and get to the good stuff:

1. The Storm of Mystery, a student-written, produced, directed, acted, crewed, and catered (feat. Brown Dining Services) dinner theater murder mystery play by the Brown Noser, is tonight at 7:30 in Andrews Dining Hall. Catered tickets sold out, but you can buy reduced price non-food tickets from 2-4pm today at JWW or at the door starting at 7.

2. Andy Kindler tomorrow at 9pm in Salomon 101. Kindler, a professional comic and judge Last Comic Standing, will share the stage with the Brown Stand Up Comics. It’s a free show catered for free by Mama Kim’s Korean Barbecue.

3. Starla & Sons, tomorrow at 8pm, location unknown to me now but surely very easy to find out. It’ll be their first show with brand new members– go to the show to find out who these people are!

4. Keep an ear to the ground for news on the time and location of the IMPROVidence long show. It starts somewhere, sometime on Friday and runs to Saturday for a whopping 28 hours.

5. An ADOCH show for everyone: at 11pm on Monday night in MacMillan 117, all four Brown performance comedy groups will unite. There will be a few jokes from the Comics, a few sketches from Out of Bounds, a few glorious bits of improv from Starla and IMPROVidence. Prefrosh want to see what Brown comedy is like, and are we gonna let them? Hell no. If they’re really the most selective class in history, let’s make them fight for the 8.7 percent of the seats left in MacMillan after real Brown students fill the place. Everyone’s invited.

6. You didn’t think there could possibly be a 6, but there is. The ‘RISK!’ shows with Michael Ian Black are next Wednesday, and tickets just went on sale. Get ‘em while they’re hot at JWW, 2-4pm every day until show date or until tickets run out.

Many more famous comedians than you might have expected are coming to Brown in April!

Andy Kindler, the judge from Last Comic Standing, will merge forces with the Brown Stand Up Comics on Friday, April 8 for a massive and FREE show in Salomon 101.

Then, and this is up-to-the-second news:

Michael Showalter has just confirmed that he will join his longtime partner-in-comedy and Stella co-star Michael Ian Black for the April 13th RISK! shows in MacMillan 117. They will tell embarrasing stories from their past. Brown students and faculty will open the show with stories of their own, including one from (and this was just confirmed this week) English professor extraordinaire Deak Nabers!

The Brown Barrel is an alliance of Brown’s written and performance comedy groups. This column runs twice a week. The first is short written humor, the second foretells upcoming comedy events.

Blue Room Breakfast Warnings

Banana Walnut Muffin– Contains Walnuts

Cranberry Orange Walnut Muffin– Contains Walnuts

Almond Croissant– Contains Nuts

Fruit Danish– Contains Fruit

Spinach Feta Croissant– Contains Spinach, May Contain Feta

Ham and Cheese Croissant– Not Vegan

Sunflower Seed Bagel– Has Hole in Middle [Read more →]

THURSDAY 9pm in MacMillan 117: Brown Stand Up Comics

It’s the day before Friday, and we we we so excited for the Brown Stand Up Comics’ last show before break (and last show before big-time comedian Andy Kindler visits in early April) so get down to MacMillan for a night of jazz, jokes, and partyin’ partyin’ (yeah!)!

FRIDAY, FRIDAY 9pm in Salomon 001: Starla and Sons

It’s Friday, Friday!! Think about fun! Then think about Starla and Sons’ amazing improv comedy show. Come to Lower Salomon, and see all your friends. They’re kicking in the front seats. Or maybe sitting in the back seat. How are you going to choose a seat?!

SATURDAY 9pm in MacMillan 117: Out of Bounds

No time for bowls of cereal today, because it’s Saturday, the day after Friday! After months of anticipation it’s finally time for Out of Bounds’ first show of the semester. Arrive early at MacMillan 117–it’s going to be fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!

SUNDAY 2pm, 3:15pm, and 4:30pm in List Art Center Room 110: Starla Auditions

Sunday comes afterwards, and you don’t want this weekend to end, so finish it off by auditioning for Starla and Sons, your improv comedy heroes from FRIDAY, FRIDAY!!