Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Debuts QUEERBALL: A New LGBT+ Comedy Variety Show

By: Oct. 07, 2016
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, New York and LA's home for improv, sketch, and all things alt-comedy, is thrilled to be adding a new show to their roster that celebrates LGBTQI voices and comedians!

While UCBT has long been a strong and vocal ally for performers of all different voices, QUEERBALL, a comedy variety show, hosted by UCBT gay comedian, Timothy Dunn, is a new opportunity for LGBTQI performers to get up on UCB's infamous stage and strut their stuff.


QUEERBALL is a comedy variety show hosted by faggy/sexy/cool comedian, Timothy Dunn, for the L's, G's, B's, T's, Q's, I's... and everyone in between AND everyone outside the lines. We celebrate the gays and the queers, but also the ladies, the freaks, the weirdos, the neo-maxi-zoom-dweebies, the spazzes, the wonks, and all their kinds of comedy!


What can you expect? Sketch, improv, characters, stand-up, drag (and drag first timers!), musical comedy, whatever your queer little brains can dream up! Plus: special guests from the Gay Illuminati, Broadway, television, and the Drag-O-Sphere! In addition to the show, the host will be independently hosting several *free* informal workshops per month, where performers interested in networking, asking questions, getting notes on characters or sketches, working on their drag schtick, whatever, are encouraged to come and hang out and work on comedy. Bring your sketches. Bring your ideas. Let's work on them together, yes? This is a safe, inclusive, supportive space for all of us misfit toys to put our gay shit up on its feet, and to join together and GIVE EACH OTHER LIFE! All are welcome! Except for assholes.

From QUEERBALL's founder and host, Timothy Dunn, on the show's inception and goals:
"After the Pulse Nightclub shootings in Orlando, I really felt like I had to do something. "They" had come into our safe spaces and taken that away from us, and, really, I think a lot of us felt vulnerable and helpless. So, rather than hiding inside and cursing the darkness, I decided that I wanted to light one candle in my own way, and create a new, safe, inclusive, supportive space for all of the wonderful weirdos, all of the hilarious misfits, and all of the young LGBTQI performers who really could use a little help getting their comedy sh*t together. And with the full support of UCB-NY Artistic Director, Shannon O'Neill, QUEERBALL was born! I just want to help, and I do comedy for a living, so why don't I help with comedy? If I can help comedians and actors give others the gift of laughter. that's what it's about, right? We do comedy to bring lightness to people's lives. To give them a moment of relief in their day where they can throw their heads back, laugh, and feel joy, even if it's just for a little moment. That's why I do comedy, and that's what I want QUEERBALL to be about. Helping others to help others. Let's create more joy! Dunn is also independently offering free workshops where writers, performers and comedians are invited to bring sketches, stand-up material, original characters, musical numbers, "drag schtick," and anything else they can think up, to work on and develop in a room full of fun, supportive, LGBTQI comedians and allies."

Info and dates for the free workshops can be found on QUEERBALL's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/queerballcomedy.



Videos