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Comedy

THURSDAY MAY 24

Austin Sketch Fest

The Sketch Fest so amazing that those Coldtowners had to move it out of Coldtowne! The Sketch Fest that ate Spider House and Hyde Park Theatre! The Sketch Fest that – oh, you get the idea. And, yes, there are troupes from all over the country coming to perform their best bits. And, yes, Paul F. Tompkins will be doing his new stand-up show as part of this festy thing and no other in town. So check the Coldtowne website for details and tickets (best bet: The Fest Pass) but see here for the shorthand of what you really don't want to miss out on:

At Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd: Spirit Desire and Hot Property Thu., 8pm. The P! Company and One Across Thu., 10pm. Astronaut Theatre and Stag! Comedy Fri., 8pm. Fantasy Sex Picnic and Ghetto Sketch Warlock Fri., 10pm.

At Spider House Ballroom, 2908 Fruth: Paul Tompkins: Driving & Crying Sat.-Sun., 8pm. Delicious Moments and Your Terrific Neighbors Sat., 10pm.

Esther's Follies

The most popular sketch troupe in town brings comedy that skewers the high-and-mighty with sketches and riotous song parodies, right there on Sixth Street. This is some hilarious, well-crafted stuff right here, people – especially now that that Matt Hislope is part of the motley mix again. And there are Ray Anderson's nonpartisan spectacles of magic, too! Reservations recommended. Thu., 8pm; Fri.-Sat., 8 & 10pm. $22-27.

Esther's Pool, 525 E. Sixth, 512/320-0553

www.esthersfollies.com

It's Hideoutrageous!

Here's your one-stop emporium of laughter Downtown. The Threefer brings you three troupes in one night. Thu., 8pm. $5. Free Fringe Firth & Arjet bring you improv experiments like Del Close droppin' science. Thu., 10pm. Free. Maestro Raw Like those Hunger Games, maybe kind of, but with improv battles among students. Fri., 8pm. $5. The Spectacle matches Parallelogramophonograph with Bad Boys. Fri., 10pm. $12. Rock Opera! No, really. Improvised with all the anthemic yowling and costumed pomp you'd expect from superstars. Sat., 8pm. $12. Maestro It's improviser against improviser, a whole stage-full of them, battling for victory. Sat., 10pm. $12. The Weekender Sun., 8pm. $5.

The Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress, 512/443-3688

www.hideouttheatre.com

Josh Blue

The comedian who "puts the cerebral in cerebral palsy" returns to Austin for a weekend of the comedy stylings that've won him NBC's Last Comic Standing, gigs at all the big festivals, and the adoration of millions. Kerri Lendo, who puts the "cerebral" in "cerebral galsy," opens. May 24-26. Thu., 8pm; Fri.-Sat., 8 & 10:30pm.

Cap City Comedy Club, 8120 Research #100, 512/467-2333

www.joshblue.com

The New Movement

This comedy epicenter's got a brand new space Downtown – an underground space, literally, right there on the corner of Seventh and Lavaca. And this is what's up: The Student Union Aaaah! TNM students take over the space! Thu., 8pm. Block Party It's a comedy open mic, hosted by James Patrick Robinson and Rob Gagnon. Thu., 9:30pm. The Dillo Dirt Comedy Jam Now here's a hot line-up of cool comedy, with Nik Ciccone, Bob Carlton, Rachel Farris, Pierce Cox, and Victoria Taylor. Fri., 7pm. $15.. Cubbies with Cardboard Fri., 9pm. $5. Off the Record Are you satisfied? Sat., 9pm. $5. TNM Ten The top ten TNM sketches of all time, here tonight. Sat., 10:30pm. $5. And look a week ahead to The Megaphone Show on Wednesdays! Wed., 9:30pm. $5.

New Movement Theater, 616 Lavaca, 788-2669

www.newmovementtheater.com

This Week in Coldness:

Thursday Night Social Club puts you in the comedy groove with free whiskey and '70s-style mingling for those who show up early. Thu., 8:30pm. The Cage Match Raw is war, even when it's improvised. Fri., 8:30pm. Coldtowne Stand-up Fri., 10pm. Mike & Irene & Miller & Purselley Well, of course! Call for reservations. Sat., 8:30pm. Stone Cold Improv brings Midnight Society and the Frank Mills in a show that'll put conniptions in your funnybone. Sat., 10pm. Midnight Society Gong Show Sat., 11pm. And … the Sketch Fest is coming! The Sketch Fest is coming! That's right, the ATX Sketch Fest, featuring awesome shit that would've made Belushi-era SNL jealous, starts here on Wednesday. See website for details, but also "Rise of the Planet of the Skits," for more.

ColdTowne Theater, 4803-B Airport, 512/814-TOWN

www.coldtownetheater.com

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