Roger Ebert has taken to Twitter with a vengeance, not only covering movie-related stuff but also wading into the deep waters of Trib shenanigans and politics (check out this zinger about the Anita Hill/Mrs. Clarence Thomas flap). His tweets are just about as entertaining as 140 characters can be. more ›

The Steppenwolf is on it. The Broadway musical Next to Normal took it to the next level. And now, The Playground Theater is bringing it to the stage. (We're talking about Twitter in case you were wondering.) The Tweet Life is an improv show that uses one guest's tweets as scene suggestions for the performance. Each week, a different twitter follower of @the_playground will be chosen as the subject of an original show. If you want to participate, follow @the_playground and @reply "I want in on #thetweetlife." The selected follower will receive two complimentary tickets to that week's show. If you're not on Twitter, we can't help you. Or just sign up. more ›

Chicagoist has said before (and will probably say again) that we love television. But it’s not often that we get to be on the other side of the box. Last night we got the chance to be the guest on “Talkin’ Funny,” the brainchild of Steve Gadlin, Paul Luikart and Blewt Productions. We’ve talked about these guys before; they produce one of the best comedy shows in town, Don’t Spit The Water, a show much... more ›

Starting this Sunday, Snake Punch Union will play for 3 Sundays at The Playground Theater. Nicky Hilton is getting sued by a Chicago development group for breach of contract. Interficio (Mobile Assassins) are coming to Chicago. Knowing our luck, we'd be targeted by someone with a real gun! What else could we sell to make some money for the city? Oh, how about Midway airport? On March 25 from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.,... more ›

Chicagoist has been around the comedy world long enough to know a few things. We know that when one of your players drinks ten beers before a show, that’s a bad sign. We know that when you get kicked off a team at one place, there’s always somewhere else to go. We know every conceivable idea has been put on stage in one way or another, and that sometimes, the gimmicks upstage the funny. That’s... more ›

Note: Part 1 of this series is here. The Chicago Sketchfest brings some of the country’s finest comic troupes to town this weekend and next. Fitting really, since a mid-January Chicago vacation requires a hearty sense of humor. Yesterday, Chicagoist profiled a few up-and-comers but we didn’t want to leave out the veteran performers, the very backbone of the festival itself, and the uniquely wacky groups, the pickled liver of the festival itself. Many of... more ›