Spitting Image

By Margaret Hicks in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 10, 2006 4:00PM

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 what attracted us to Don’t Spit the Water, produced by Blewt Productions. DSTW, celebrating its 2nd anniversary, is a new take on an old idea. It’s reminiscent of Make Me Laugh, where comedians try to well … make people laugh. But DSTW puts an extra twist on the old game, making the lucky (or unlucky) audience member hold a mouthful of water as long as possible before spitting it out. Simple, no? Remember, though, sometimes simple is better.

The DSTW comedians are hilarious and bizarre. Even jaded fuddy-duddies such as ourselves can’t help but laugh out loud. The mood at The Playground is energetic and open, and the laughter is completely contagious. The hosts for the evening, Sasha and the Noob, do enough bits to make you giggle, but never upstage the true purpose.

The Chicago comedy scene has become oversaturated. There are so many people here studying the art of comedy, sometimes the art gets lost in an endless shuffle of who got on Second City Mainstage, and who’s going to Saturday Night Live. The beauty of DSTW is that it brings comedy back to its purest form and its most basic idea, to make people laugh so hard they have to spit the water.

You can see Don't Spit The Water on Saturdays, 10:30 p.m., open run, at The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted. 866-208-6296.

Photo courtesy of Don't Spit the Water