COMEDY 101
Written by MITCH HOGUE
Performed by MITCH HOGUE and JENNIFER HOGUE
Presented by HOMEMADE PRODUCTIONS
Directed by KIM DOI
Production Designer: DAN BALOCCA

John Houseman Theater
450 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com 
June 24th - August 29th 


Okay, what's all the laughter about? Well, after seeing Mitch Hogue's 
COMEDY 101 you will probably know. Quite likely the only Off-Broadway 
play that comes with its own syllabus, take-home quiz, and homework 
assignments. 

The stage at the John Houseman Theater is set up like a classroom. 
Frank Ridins (Hogue) and his teacher's assistant (Jennifer Hogue) are 
lecturing the students (that would be you and the rest of the audience)
on the various aspects of laughter. Dry and ditzy, respectively, are 
the only ways to describe their presentations. Ms. Hogue is obviously 
a mistress of comedy, and Mr. Hogue, after seven years of research, 
came up with a very clever idea. The humor ranges from sarcastically 
sophisticated to slapstick. Some of it works; some doesn't. The joke 
wears off after about 60 minutes. Unfortunately, there's still about 
30 more to go. A little audience participation spices it up, and when 
all else fails, COMEDY 101 falls back on getting a character drunk. 
Nonetheless, there are some genuinely funny moments.

Ms. Hogue is a delight to watch. The only off-putting feature is that 
she is Mr. Hogue's daughter. Fatherly pride is definitely warranted 
because his daughter is quite talented. But knowing this familial bond
makes the sexual innuendoes and ribaldness a little off kilter. That 
being said, COMEDY 101 is both informative and amusing. Definitely 
beats a college lecture.

- Laurie Lawson -