Another successful weekend of comedy was had by the Bastion this past one. It began in the intimate Rogue Theater in Andersonville Friday night, with the third installment of Rogue 8, a “superhero comedy” that debuted this past July, with a second installment in September. The 11 p.m. sold out house was a lively one and the 11-person ensemble moved fluidly in action and dialogue. Nary a beat was dropped in the 45 minute performance, and several hearty laughs were shared. Playwright Dan Telfer told us, “The show originally cast out of auditions, with one part written with a Rogue company member in mind (Amanda Lanier as Tilt). Then I became closer with company member Dan Foss and created the role of Unfairy for him in Issue 2. In Issue 3 I looked outside the Rogue Company and cast my personal friends Caitlin Savage and Fuzzy Gerdes as the Maladroitress and the Ninja respectively. Then Nate White, the artistic director, told me he wanted some of the spotlight and I wrote him the part of the Amalgam in Issue 3.

“It's the best selling show Rogue has had, to my knowledge. It's a new space, so hopefully the company will find enough resources outside my show to keep the space afloat.” The show runs every Friday and Saturday at 11 p.m. until March 10.

Saturday afternoon we popped by the Music Box to take in one of the several Chicago screenings of the third annual Animation Show, which featured shorts by Don Hertzfeldt, Run Wrake, Shane Acker, Bill Plympton, and Joanna Quinn, among others. We ran into Chicago Underground Comedy's Tony Sam, who commented after Hertzfeldt’s film: “I need to reevaluate my life. Excuse me, I have some writing to do.” We couldn’t have said it better. We were incredibly glad we happened upon this show at nearly the last minute.

The grueling winter weather couldn’t keep us down, however, and shortly after we visited the Playground Theater for the weekly game show, “Don’t Spit the Water!” Sasha handled the Noob’s absence and substituted more-than-usual banter and sexual innuendo with Big Dummy to fill the void. If that last sentence left you clueless, you’re obviously missing out on one of comedy’s most fun nights in the city – grab a bottle of wine (or six-pack of beer, or flask of tequila, or whatever be your poison) and head over to the show next week. As a special bonus, we hear the monthly Demon Who Never Appeared has been rescheduled for the midnight slot directly after DSTW, as it was cancelled from its usual slot last weekend due to the aforementioned Chicago winter, a brutal mistress as of late.

Photo of game show winner Breanne with the DSTW cast courtesy of Don't Spit the Water.

- Kristy Mangel