NEDtalks: Spreading Worthless Ideas Returns to the Hideout, 3/16

Kellen Alexander and Seth Dodson (of sethandkellen) co-host this comedic mini-conference at the Hideout. In the style of TEDtalks the speakers aim not to shine light on new ideas but to present speeches, powerpoints, pie charts and crayon 'drarwings' on topics such as "How Skipping Breakfast can be Good for Hunger" and "I'm Stupid: And that is None of Your Business". Our mission is to take the tension out of pretension and have a good old fashioned laugh without having to really learn anything.

The performance will be on March 16th at 6:30 PM with tickets costing $5 at The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia Ave.

The 5th Edition of the Conference features guest expert, Craig Hogan. Craig Hogan is Director of the Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, and a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, where he is also a member of the Enrico Fermi Institute and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. He has worked in many areas of astrophysics and cosmology, and was a member of a team that discovered the acceleration of the universe in 1998. His book, "The Little Book of the Big Bang", has been published in seven languages.

Also presenting are Andrew Tisher, Jo Scott, Tim Paul, Drew Anderson and Ayala Skopp.

Andrew Tisher is from Napa, California and moved to Chicago after attending college in Santa Fe. He currently performs with Mike Brunlieb as Be Good Boys, with the Holy Fuck Comedy Hour at the Annoyance, and with the improv group Sports Team at iO.

Jo Scott is a comedian who improvises regularly at iO Theater, CIC Theater, and Upstairs Gallery. She is also a regular player in Holy Fuck Comedy Hour at Annoyance Theatre. She was the winner of 2011's Impress These Apes season and writes for the sketch group Geek Show.

Tim Paul is an actor, writer, director who has been associated with The Annoyance Theatre for the past five years working on such shows as Bear Force One, An Aerosmith Christmas, Fisting: A Period Piece, Escape From Ground Zero and more recently his solo shows, Tim Paul's Retarded and No Fats, No Femmes, the latter of which will be featured in the 2012 International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. Tim also works as both an understudy and teacher at the Second City in Chicago and in the past, has performed with them aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines from Alaska to Malta. Tim can currently be seen weekly performing in the Holy F*ck Comedy Hour at the Annoyance and in the improv group TIM at iO.

Drew and Ayala met in 2006 in the costume shop basement of the theatre building at Binghamton University. They sewed velvet Elizabethan style dublets as well as a comedic partnership that brought them to Chicago upon graduation. They love each other and find inspiration from Michael's crafts store, the musical "Wicked", and Mrs. Frizzle.

Photo: Zach Dodson