OUTLAUGH COMEDY FESTIVAL 2012

8 all-different nights of comedy at The Macha Theater & Theatre Asylum


WEST HOLLYWOOD and HOLLYWOOD, California – June 1, 2012

Friday, June 1, we kick off Outlaugh 2012, an 8-night comedy festival featuring standup, sketches, short films, essays, improv, 1-person shows and the thundering, laugh-creating power of a multi-day queer comedy extravaganza. America’s first and continuing queer Comedy Festival, Outlaugh has previously presented such names as Lea DeLaria, Margaret Cho, and Bob Smith.

This year, headlining the event on Saturday, June 2 at West Hollywood’s Macha Theatre is Erin Foley, whose impressive career includes her own Comedy Central special plus appearances on Chelsea Lately, Conan, and across the US. Other stand-ups that weekend include Jason Stuart (LOGO), Kelly Mantle (LOGO), Sandra Valls (Showtime’s Latin Divas of Comedy), Gloria Bigelow (SHOWTIME), Matthew Nouriel (Laugh Factory), Justin Martindale (LOGO, Atlantis Cruises), ANT (Last Comic Standing), Nico Santos (Finalist San Francisco’s Best Comic Standing), and community icon Ivy Bottini.  

On Saturday, June 2 the Outlaugh 2012 Comedy Award will be presented to San Francisco Assemblymember Tom Ammiano for his contribution to queer comedy. Mr. Ammiano created one of the first gay comedy nights, hosting and performing in a show at the Valencia Rose in San Francisco. Lea DeLaria performed standup for the first time at the Valencia Rose. Other talents Tom brought to the stage were Karen Ripley, Marga Gomez, Charles Busch, and Whoopi Goldberg. The Valencia Rose became the place for queer culture and comedy in the 1980s. For three decades Tom has been a teacher, civil rights leader, educator, Supervisor and now Democratic State Assemblymember. We’ve heard he’s also managed not to lose his sense of humor.

Outlaugh 2012’s more theatrical Hollywood Fringe shows at the Theatre Asylum beginning June 10 include the hit “Streep Tease” by Roy Cruz, "David  Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show,” by David Dean Bottrell, a comedic essay show about bullying , an Outlaugh Comedy Jam, and shows featuring Diana Yanez, Drew Droege, and the Angry Daddies.

A portion of the opening weekend ticket price goes to support The Lavender Effect, the foundation creating the LGBTQ Museum and Cultural Center in Los Angeles. To buy tickets or for more information, dates and lineup information please visit www.outlaughfestival.com.

ABOUT OUTLAUGH

This is the 5th Outlaugh Festival. The debut assemblage in 2005 was America’s First Queer Comedy Festival and was made into a movie, which played in LA’s famed Outfest Film Festival and in festivals across the world. It was released on DVD and is available on Netflix. The second Outlaugh (2006) was filmed as an 8-episode TV series for MTV’s LOGO Network; called THE OUTLAUGH FESTIVAL ON WISECRACK, it is still airing today and is available on iTunes and Netflix. Outlaugh 2009 was a 3-day live event held simultaneously in Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles and New York. And Outlaugh 2011 was a 3-day live event at the world famous Comedy Store on Sunset Strip.

Mike Player, of The Gay Mafia Comedy Group and author of “Out on the Edge: America’s Rebel Comics” founded the Outlaugh Festival and serves as artistic director. His goal is to create an annual, live festival, which grows in size each year, featuring all forms of comedy as well as workshops for the public, awards, book signings, and panels. Full info at www.outlaughfestival.com.

ABOUT INBROOK 

Inbrook is a co-producer of Outlaugh 2012 with over 15 years experience guiding participants and entire festivals through the choppy waters of international performing arts.  It has produced festivals of all genres, guided troupes and artists to awards and global tours, and implemented press campaigns that turned the unknown into the well-known. Inbrook is Winner of the Richard Pryor Award, Nominee of the Spirit of the Fringe Edinburgh Comedy Awards and Nominee of the Malcom Hardee Cunning Stunt Award.  Full info at www.inbrook.com. 

ABOUT THE WEST HOLLYWOOD MARKETING & VISITORS BUREAU

The West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau is a 501(c) non-profit organization dedicated to marketing the City of West Hollywood as a “living forward” visitor destination to business and leisure travelers by promoting awareness of the city’s unique location, image, businesses and industries and by providing support for the city’s economic development efforts. For more information on West Hollywood’s cutting edge businesses or to plan the ultimate getaway, please visit www.visitwesthollywood.com. The Bureau has also designed a site with information specifically geared toward gay travelers at www.gogaywesthollywood.com. For the latest offers and tips on living like a West Hollywood insider, including exclusive deals and shopping incentives, visit www.wehoinsiders.com.