Kevin Douglas and Inda Craig-Galván, who perform in Chicago and elsewhere as the sketch comedy duo known as kevINda, have nabbed a coveted spot on the schedule at the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen.

Inda was kind enough to share with the Bastion some thoughts on kevINda's history and experience, the virtue of creating one's own opportunities, and some valuable comedy festival lessons:

"Kevin and I met in a Second City Outreach class about six years ago. It was a week-long intensive taught by Tom Green and Michael Gellman, and my first introduction to improvisation. After that wonderful week ended, Kevin and I didn't see or talk to each other again until we were both cast in a Second City Training Center writing show a few years later.

"In the meantime, Kevin studied writing at Second City and I completed their Conservatory program and their Writing program. I also understudied The Second City etc stage for Nyima Funk. Kevin and I were then cast in Brownco, Second City's "minority" ensemble. We got to work with Josh Funk, Keegan-Michael Key, David Pompeii, John Hildreth and Claudia Wallace. It was a great experience, but we both wanted more. Wanting can be a scary, stupid, painful thing sometimes. So we decided to stop waiting on people to hand us opportunities which, by the way, are fewer and harder to come by when you're a Black person trying to do sketch comedy. We both continued steady acting careers in regular theatre (I was Jeff-nominated, we both have received Black Theater Alliance Award nominations - - I won one) and we've also got a bunch of commercials between us.

"After two Brownco revues together, Kevin began hounding me about doing a two-person show. I resisted, but he's like the Borg. I gave in, and in October 2004 we performed for five weeks in Donny's Skybox. We called the show "These Coloreds Don't Run," and that's been our theme and a reminder to ourselves whenever one of us starts to shy away from certain topics in our writing. Jonathan Pitts saw our opening night, waited for us after the show, and invited us to perform in Chicago Improv Festival in 2005. He's been one of our biggest supporters ever since, and was the one who insisted an HBO producer come check us out at this year's CIF. Two callbacks later, and we're on our way to Aspen in February!

"Valuable comedy festival lessons:

1. If it's their first festival, wait until they have their second and they've gotten some of the kinks out. Especially if you aren't traveling with a tech person.

2. Travel with a tech person.

3. Never travel the day of the festival. Kevin and I have had REALLY bad travel karma of late. We're actually better off if we fly separately.

4. Write with integrity and a strong point of view."