Stage 773 Announces Submission for 3rd Annual Chicago Women's Funny Festival June 5-8, 2014

Applications
are now open to participate in the annual festival celebrating the best in
local and national female comedy this summer

CHICAGO – Stage 773,
founder and producer of the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, is proud to
announce submissions for the 3rd Annual Chicago Women’s Funny
Festival, taking place June 5 through June 8. Curated by Chicago Sketch
Comedy Festival Executive Director Jill Valentine, the Chicago Women’s Funny
Festival will feature all forms of comedy including stand up, sketch, solo,
vaudeville, improvisational, musical and more. The event packs over 70 shows,
100 groups and 400 performers into four funny-filled days. Applications for
participation may be sent in through March 17 by visiting http://chicagowomensfunnyfestival.com/apply2014.

Chicago
Women’s Funny Festival was founded in 2012 when producers Jill Valentine and
Liz McArthur wanted to build a comedy festival where women could come together
and celebrate all forms of comedy under one roof. The first festival boasted 66
shows and 400 performers in five days. Women’s Fest also hosted events
throughout the week where women from across the country could come together,
network and more importantly, see each other's work. The response from
comedians and audience members was overwhelmingly positive – which is why the
festival is coming back for a third year. The 2014 festival is bigger – putting
all four of Stage 773’s theaters to use each night of the festival. 

Jill Valentine has been the
Executive Director of the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival since the festival’s
inception in 2000. She is also Stage 773’s Director of Operations and performs
in several popular and critically acclaimed groups in Chicago, including The
Cupid Players, Off Off Broadzway, Feminine Gentleman, The Deltones and several
others. Valentine can also be seen as Donna, International Delight’s
national spokesperson.

Liz McArthur hails from St. Louis
and has worked with The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival since 2005. McArthur can
be seen with groups such as Off Off Broadzway, OneTwoThree Comedy, and Feminine
Gentlemen. McArthur is also the founder of SMUSH a Monday night open mic room
at Stage 773 and also a part of the hit zombie comedy Musical of the Living
Dead.

All performances will take place at
Chicago’s home for the city’s most innovative, creative and passionate off-Loop
performing artists, Stage 773, located at 1225 W. Belmont. Stage 773 is a
non-profit Chicago company that produces The Cupid Players, Bri-Ko, The Chicago
Sketch Comedy Festival, Street Tempo Theatre and other programs, as well as
offering subsidized theater rental space to the hundreds of Chicago’s itinerant
off-Loop companies and performers.

The 3rd Annual
Chicago Women’s Funny Festival runs June 5 – June 8, 2014. Performance
times are Thursday, June 5th at 8, 9 and 10 p.m., Friday, June 6th
at 8, 9, 10 and 11 p.m., Saturday, June 7th at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11
p.m., and Sunday, June 8th at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m.  All
performances take place at the recently renovated Stage 773 building, located
at 1225 W. Belmont. Ticket prices range from $14-$15 and may be purchased
at www.Stage773.com,
by phone at 773.327.5252,
and in person at the Stage 773 box office. Tickets can be purchased at a
discounted rate of $12-$13 if purchased before May 19.