Hey Funny People, the Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival Wants You!

This is a guest post by the Sabes JCC.
The Sabes Jewish Community Center in Minneapolis is pleased to announce a Call for Artists for the 4th-annual 2013 Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival (MJHF), taking place January 12-26, 2013.

Background:

The Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival combines one-act plays, one-person shows, music performance, stand-up and improvisational comedy, story-telling, film, visual art, workshops, and so much more – all in celebration of the Jewish contribution to the world of humor.

MJHF Seeks:

Jewish and non-Jewish performing and visual artists, teachers, and arts collaborators.
We seek to produce a variety of work that somehow touches on Jewish tradition, family, identity, religion, culture, or ideas. We recognize that this is a broad canvas, and that “Jewish” can mean vastly different things to different people. Jewish content in proposed works can be very obvious or quite subtle, or somewhere in between. We seek solo performers as well as performing groups, and we are open to diverse topics and forms of performance and encourage experimentation and the development of new work – including music, comedy, puppetry, theatre, spoken-word, dance, multi-media, etc.
We have a broad “target audience”– we hope to have something to offer to every age and interest. Past artists/comedians have included cartoonist Ken Krimstein, stand-up comedians Julie Goldman, Dave Goldstein, and Keith Barany, a night of comedy, music and burlesque with Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, a Laughter Yoga Workshop, NY’s The Shelby Company, comedian and writer Joel Chasnoff, one-woman performances by Amy Salloway, classic funny films, as well as a handful of other great events.

ARTIST RESPONSIBILITY:

Selected artists must pay for and provide all of their own props, costumes, or set pieces. The JCC will be able to provide off-stage and on-stage tables, chairs, and stools if needed. If not performing original work, artists must secure and pay for the rights to produce published work (i.e. a one-act play). Events/workshops must be 60-90 minutes in length – however, local stand-up comedians may propose a set of 5-15 minutes and be considered for “opening acts” for other headlining comedians.
Artists will also be expected to assist in grassroots publicity efforts (i.e. distributing postcards, email blasts, etc.). *Out-of-town artists may need to provide or help provide their own transportation to Minneapolis for the Festival. MJHF staff will help locate travel funds and/or locate free local housing/hotels as needed.

WHAT WE NEED:

A completed proposal, due Friday, August 31, 2012 (this is not a post-marked deadline). Proposals received after August 31st may not be considered. If sending information via email, please send to: [email protected].

If sending information other than via email, please send to:
Claire Avitabile, Director of Performing Arts
Sabes Jewish Community Center
4330 Cedar Lake Road S
Minneapolis, MN 55416

If you would like to drop material off, the Sabes JCC building is open 7:30 am – 6:00 pm Monday – Friday, and proposals may be left at the Front Desk. Any questions at all – please call Claire Avitabile at (952) 381-3447.
(Photo: visual.dichotomy)