Collaboration LAB at Cool River Pizza & Taphouse Event Room

Part show, part party and part networking opportunity, the final Placer Repertory Theater Collaboration LAB for 2023 features eight comedians and an open stage for all artists & creatives at Cool River Pizza & Taphouse’s event room, on the border of Rocklin and Roseville, Sunday, October 22 at 7 p.m. In addition to the family-friendly comedy of dual headliners Shannon Battle and Bejamin Warheit, regional favorites Jordan Quattlebaum, Joe “Phat Joe” Mendonsa, Roberto Rizo, Sinn Rella, Sean Crosco, and the evening’s host, Funny Robert, will usher audience members into the holiday season with a bevy of belly-laughs, sure to fortify patrons from the impending holiday pressures.

Comedian Shannon Battle hails from Baltimore and was originally a broadcast journalism student at Humboldt State University, when Shannon’s goals changed, and he pivoted to follow his interests and passions. Shannon produces and hosts Did You Laugh Today, currently hosts Kickback Comedy in Citrus Heights, and is the Creator/Producer of the nationally acclaimed “Off the Wall” comedy show. You may have heard or seen him via iHeartRadio, Big Al Sam’s in The Morning, Reality Check TV, Elephant on the Block, Good Morning Sacramento, Grammy Nominated “Comics On Life” with Steffon Braxton, Fox 40, New York Fashion Week, New York Magazine, or UnNew Magazine.

Benjamin Warheit attended the University of Delaware where he majored in neuroscience. After graduating in 2009, he moved to New York and began writing and performing in videos and stage productions around New York City. In 2012, Warheit was drawing cartoons on post-it notes in his lab office, and posting them daily to his Tumblr blog, which led to Above Average Productions ordering an animated web series based on his post-it drawings. The resulting series, Waco Valley, ran 6 episodes online before Comedy Central ordered a half-hour TV pilot of the series. The pilot script that Warheit wrote ended up in the hands of Seth Meyers who was looking for writers for his Hulu series, The Awesomes, and hired Warheit to write and direct for the show. A month later, Meyers was named the new host of Late Night, and brought on Warheit as a staff writer. Warheit regularly performs on the show as characters and as himself, and created some of the show's signature pieces, including Ya Burnt, Back In My Day, and Seth's Nephew Derrick. In 2019, Warheit appeared in the psychological thriller Joker and romantic comedy A Rainy Day in New York. In 2020, Warheit recurred on the murder-comedy Mapleworth Murders for Quibi.

“Joining Shannon and Benjamin are a wide variety of comedians I’ve hand-picked and arm-twisted to create a well-rounded show. Additional comedians, as well as creatives from every discipline are encouraged to come and share their talent during the open stage portion of the lab,” said Funny Robert, Host of the October 22 Collaboration LAB. From visual and performing artists, crafters, designers, writers, architects, and historians to representatives of civic and cultural organizations, Collaboration LAB has seen a vast variety of creativity shared at its LABs from 2020 to present.

As October’s LAB is the final show for 2023, the theme, appropriately, is “This is the End: Each ending is a new beginning; as creatives, where do we go from here?” After the comedians perform for the party-like LAB, and the open stage performances end, there will be a drawing for $100 in prizes. This month, the prize donors are Starbucks Coffee at 3091 Stanford Ranch Road in Rocklin and Starbucks Coffee 9450 Fairway Drive in Roseville. The monthly drawing is an incentive to remind presenters and attendees to register for the LAB as seating is limited.

The LAB is conveniently located on the Roseville/Rocklin border and offers wine, draft microbrew beers, soft drinks, and the full Cool River menu of items available for purchase, as Placer Rep provides a couple free pizzas in the room so everyone can have a slice and enjoy the show. Visit Placer Repertory Theater on Eventbrite.com to register for this FREE live event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/collaboration-lab-tickets-515729529907.