The Hatch to Present COMICS ON A MISSION Benefit At The Latchis Theater

For those lovers of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! there's now a chance to see the comedians live on stage at Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro-and all for a good cause.

"Who doesn't love the generous amount of stupid Floridian news we cover," says National Public Radio and Motel 6 ad personality "We'll leave the light on for you" Tom Bodett, and, of course the fart jokes. Tickets, available at CatamountArts.org, range $25 to $60.

Come Saturday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! personalities Maeve Higgins, Jordan Carlos, and Tom Bodett, as well as New York City comedians Erin Jackson and Matthew Broussard, will regale the audience with laughter and fun-a welcome tonic to the fever dream news cycle we seem trapped in. All to benefit HatchSpace a nonprofit woodworking school and workshop in Brattleboro whose mission is to celebrate the traditions and skills of handmade craft.

Higgins, a contributing writer for The New York Times, and co-host of the Mothers of Invention podcast with Mary Robinson, will host the evening's comics. She's performed all over the world and says, "I've never been to Brattleboro before and the best reason I can think of to go? To do comedy for HatchSpace of course! Woodwork and giggles, we love to see it!"

HatchSpace founder Bodett says HatchSpace provides satisfying and saleable skills to its members and students of all ages by teaching the traditions and the methods to succeed as a craftsperson and maker.

"I look at it like this: Our world is filled with synthetic digital connection and media. HatchSpace sharpens an appreciation for the work of human hands through the learning, practice, and teaching of woodworking," Bodett says.

He adds, "Like any other handcraft-whether its pottery, glassblowing, photography, painting, cheesemaking, or woodworking-it's not only rewarding, but also healing and empowering. It's the antidote to an ugly world, bringing something beautiful into the world. It's a kind of therapy that keeps me going."

HatchSpace has grown from a membership community of woodworkers-with a few classes-to more of a community space offering more and more classes for woodworkers of beginning, intermediate, and advanced skill.

HatchSpace is reaching out to other nonprofit organizations, including Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro, teaching children to build their own skateboards from scratch. And this April they're offering a frame making class in partnership with River Gallery School Inc. Last summer they made a bar for Retreat Farm for its Food Truck Roundup nights.

It's not for men only. Custom cabinetmaker Gail Grycel teaches a class for women who have had little to no experience working with wood or tools. Participants explore their creative and practical problem-solving sides and learn about safety, design, wood, power tools and some hand tools in a supportive environment.

One woman's story is typical. She came to Grycel's class as an experiment, needing fulfillment and a boost in self-esteem after going through a nasty divorce. By session's end, she told Grycel, "I now feel I can go out and do anything."

Whether they're kids who want to play with wood, teenagers sniffing around for what to do with their lives, hobbyists who want to up their game or are tired of working alone in their garages, women who want to try something new, or master craftspeople ready to share what they've learned, all intersect in the welcoming maker place that is HatchSpace.

Proceeds from ticket sales will be dedicated to the educational curriculum of HatchSpace including its new CNC work skills program. In addition, in order to keep HatchSpace accessible and affordable to all comers, HatchSpace raises additional money through direct donations and the raffling or selling of premium handmade goods.

Since November 2019, the Latchis Gallery space in Brattleboro has showcased hand-crafted furniture and wooden studio art produced by HatchSpace members and supporters, some of which will be available for raffle and auction in the weeks leading up to the event.

Comics on a Mission is presented by The Hatch, a nonprofit, which produces live events with the goal of broadening listeners' minds and hearts while having fun and generating funds to support other nonprofits in Vermont. Since its inception in 2013, The Hatch has raised more then $250,000 for local causes.

Comics on a Mission Lineup

Maeve Higgins - A contributing writer for The New York Times, a regular panelist on the NPR news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and co-host of the Mothers of Invention podcast with Mary Robinson, she also is a comedian who has performed all over the world.

Jordan Carlos - Appearing in the upcoming season of Black Mirror on Netflix, comedian Jordan Carlos has a resume that's all over the map. He's written for Samantha Bee's Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner last year, and the White House Correspondents' Dinner the year prior. You might know him as the nerd in Guy Code vs. Girl Code on MTV. Jordan is often referred to as "that dude from that thing." His other credits include The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, The Colbert Report, Nurse Jackie, Girls, and Broad City, and most recently, Golden Globe winner The Affair. Jordan can also be counted on for a presidential impression with over a million YouTube clicks and counting. You can also catch him every week doing that impression at the world famous Comedy Cellar in New York City when he is not writing for season 3 of HBO's Divorce.

Erin Jackson - One of the fastest-rising comedians in New York City, Erin works nightly in the city's top comedy clubs and has appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, CONAN, The Ellen Degeneres Show, This Week at the Comedy Cellar, truTV's Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks, Last Comic Standing, and Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Erin co-hosted three seasons of Exhale, a panel talk series on the ASPiRE television network, and has been a panelist on sports and pop-culture programs on MSNBC, NFL Network, VH-1 and TV Guide Network. Her debut comedy album, Grudgery, was released in 2018 and debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes comedy charts. She is a proud alumna of Howard University and a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Matthew Broussard - Born in New Jersey, raised in Atlanta, and, in 2012, named Houston's funniest person, Broussard isn't exactly sure where he's from. After earning a degree in applied mathematics, he started doing opens mics while dayjobbing as a financial analyst. He then left that job to pursue comedy full time. And also because he got fired. He has appeared on Adam DeVine's House Party, The League, and The Mindy Project. He was featured as a New Face at the 2015 Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, where also was runner up to Jimmy Carr in the International Roastmasters Invitational. Check out his webcomic, mondaypunday.com.

Background: Who's in The Hatch? Tom Bodett - Seven-year veteran of the Dummerston Selectboard, Vermont State E911 Board Member, commissioner on Vermont Energy Siting Policy Commission, Brattleboro Hockey Association, author and humorist.

Elizabeth Catlin - President, Green Mountain Camp, VP Latchis Corp., Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund board member, Girls on the Run Vermont, coach and board member, Brattleboro Retreat board member, principal at Bluestone Wealth Management.

Richard Korson - Television producer and media executive. Credits include The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, TV Funhouse, Important Things with Demetri Martin, and Night of Too Many Stars.

Rita Ramirez - President and coach, Girls on the Run Vermont, Hilltop Montessori Capital Campaign, Groundworks Collaborative board member, Dummerston Social Services Committee member and town service officer, and MSW, Windham County court guardian ad litem.