Calling all funny Jews! The Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival wants you

This is a guest post by Emily Cutts.
Knock knock. Who’s there? Boo. Boo Who? You don’t have to cry about it! Okay, so maybe not all of us are cut out to tell jokes or be funny. But there are some who are destined to make us laugh and now is the time for those people to make the community laugh as well. The Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival is calling for artists for the 2011 festival.
Last year, the 10-day festival had 20 artists put on performances ranging from films, plays, workshops to one-man/woman comedy shows. These funny people came from all over to make us laugh and all together it was a roaringly good time. TC Jewfolk gave away free tickets and even interviewed to one of the hilarious performers, Alix Sobler (read last year’s interview here). But we weren’t the only ones who were jazzed for the festival.
Minnesota Monthly wrote of last year’s festival:

“Hard to believe this hasn’t happened before. Not because the Twin Cities are known for the size of their Jewish community, but because the talent that lies within has made an outsize impression, starting but hardly ending with the Coen brothers and Al Franken. And this weekend, as the Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival gets underway at the Sabes Jewish Community Center in St. Louis Park, running through March 7, that talent will be showcased in all its diversity, from stand-ups to storytellers to sketch comedians, as well as a host of visiting comics.”

Joel Chasnoff opened last year’s festival with his performance “Joel Chasnoff: The Jewish Comedian Who’s Redefining Jewish Comedy.” The American Jewish World interviewed him about Jewish humor.

“’As a comedian, I have more of a comedic point of view toward a serious situation,’ Chasnoff said. ‘Humor is vital to sustaining, to surviving an experience like the army for a year. The guys who did best in the army were the soldiers who had a sense of humor, and who could know when not to take things too seriously. It’s just such a stressful and strenuous life, you’d be crushed emotionally if you didn’t have a sense of humor.’”

If you are funny and think performing in-front of a large crowd is for you then apply to be one of this year’s performers. For more information on the festival, check out our coverage form last year. For an application, contact Claire Avitabile, Director of Performing Arts at [email protected] / 952.381.3447 – or visit www.sabesjcc.org.
(Photo credit: Sabes JCC)