Even though professional comedian and Chicago native Andy Woodhull thinks Ohio University is Ohio State University, Blue Pencil Comedy still plans on welcoming the comedian with an open mind and an open stage.
The line up will include local comedians Dan Larsen, Daniel Ahrens, Max Cothrel, Brandon Ivey, Alex Winfrey, Eudora Peterson and Caz Finnegan. Woodhull will perform around 10 p.m.
“It’s a great show and is fun for both the comedians and the audience,” the show’s host Zac Coleman said.
The troupe books professional comedians through the company Comedy Caravan.
“Usually what happens is that working comedians audition to be a part of the company and then are scheduled on a mini tour,” Coleman said.
Woodhull has been in the business for eight years and highlights of his resume include the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal and the Great American Comedy Festival. He was also a semi-finalist in CMT’s Next Big Comic, won the St. Louis competition for the Laugh Across America Contest and was invited to perform at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. In 2005 he won the Carnival Comedy Challenge in Chicago, and three years later he won the Butterfinger Comedy Showdown.
“The comedians are usually in town for the evening and are more than willing to chat over a drink,” Blue Pencil President Eudora Peterson said. “Blue Pencil also stays afterwards just to talk about the show with the headliners too. They’re always very friendly.”
Woodhull is also making plans for the future as he works with comedians from different tours.
“I have never been on a set tour with just one person,” Woodhull said. He added, however, that he recently traveled with Nobodies of Comedy tour this year. “It was fun and was also a really insulting name.”Woodhull considers his style, as aptly described to him on a date, to be dark sarcasm.
“I am an autobiographical comedian. That basically means I tell stories about my life that make me look stupid,” Woodhull said.
Woodhull also said he has a long process of creating material before it actually makes it on stage.
“I write in a journal on a daily basis, then I read through it and look for jokes,” he said. “About a tenth of what I write ends up as a real joke.”
His zeal for making people laugh is inspired by comedians like Bill Burr, Loius C.K. and Mike Birbiglia.
“My favorite thing about comedy is getting to be funny and being paid loads of money,” Woodhull said. “My least favorite thing is having to be funny all the time — and the mo’ money the mo’ problems.”
Jackie O’s doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the show begins at 9:00 p.m. Woodhull said that, as a special treat, he’ll give a free CD if people mention this article during his act. Either way, he said he’s excited to perform here.
“This will be my first time in Athens. I love when you yell out O-H and people yell back I-O. You do that here, right?” he said.
lf328610@ohiou.edu
