Eclectic comedy show puts gag writers front and center
DOWNTOWN SM In a dark room tucked away in a back alley off the Third Street Promenade, a popular East Coast comedic performance style is set to make some sound.
The Westside Eclectic — a comedy theater located in the alley between the promenade and Fourth Street — will launch a new comedy reading show on July 12, showcasing humorous stories by both well known and up-and-coming comedy writers each month.
“The Genius Show” features a collection of performances by comedians, bloggers and writers reading amusing personal essays, adopting a style of comedy popular in New York City clubs.
“It gives comedy writers and comedians an alternative outlet, not to stand-up, but to read an essay or poem or some creative piece they’ve written,” said Jamie Flam, creative director of the Westside Eclectic.
The inaugural show boasts a diverse line-up, well represented by a variety of entertainers, from stand-up comedians to actors to screenwriters.
Perhaps the most well known name on the roster is Oscar Nuñez, who plays the character, Oscar Martinez on the NBC hit comedy “The Office.”
A newcomer to the storytelling format, Nuñez said he intends to read a story about an experience in which he got high with some friends in high school.
“It’s a funny story about guys getting high, so I think I’ll have to put the paper down and go off page for a while, do my thing,” Nuñez said.
A face behind the jokes cracked in “The Office,” screenwriter Brent Forrester is also in the line-up for the “The Genius Show.”
Forrester has written for several popular TV shows, including “The Simpsons,” “The Ben Stiller Show” and “Mr. Show.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 5, 2007. Read the original PDF.