I wanted to try something new for this round of Funny Ha-Ha -- to let you get to know our cast before the show, I sent them a series of questions, and here's what a few of them had to say back!
What's the last live show you did? What did you perform, and did you kill it?
J.W. Basilo: I do the Uptown Poetry Slam every Sunday, where I host and perform spoken material and sit in with the band occasionally. The last live show I did that wasn't "my show" was the Paper Machete. I played a character named Coach Obradovich trying to teach Sex Ed in a hellscape where Ted Cruz won both nomination and presidency. Yes, I killed it. Thanks for asking.
Wendy McClure: I think it was Witty Women Writers at the Book Cellar last fall. I did a piece on periods, because I am a woman writer. Women understood. Because women.
What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Lily Be: The unsolicited dick pic I received that was flaccid and sad looking.
J.W.: I got a concussion last week and one of those "Weirdest Yearbook Photo" clickbait things almost made me pass out in laughter. Head injuries are not a game.
Which person in the Funny Ha Ha lineup are you most excited to see perform and why?
Jasmine Davila: Lily Be! I've seen her perform all over the place, but I never get tired of her style -- she seems so easy-going but the emotional stakes are always considerable. Does that even make sense? Also she makes me laugh, and think.
Wendy: Jasmine Davila because she is hilarious and smart. And seeing her in person and not just an avatar pic on my Tumblr feed is very exciting.
What's on your rider in order to have a good show?
Wendy: Some sort of standing podiumish object between me and the audience, plus one bourbon.
J.W.: A shot of Malort. I always threatened to put Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hot Stepper" in my college rider as mandatory walkout music. As a joke, I told a producer in Cleveland about it. Sure enough, the emcee brought me up and as soon as I touched the stage the song started blaring through the house PA. It was the best moment of my entire life and I once saw two otters hold hands.
What TV shows are you most heavily into right now?
Wendy: "The Great British Baking show." I even love those extra little history bits they have afterwards: "These muffins were invented during the Industrial Revolution! Factory workers loved to throw them at orphans on Friday nights!"
What's one signature Chicago summer activity that everybody loves but you find overrated?
Jasmine: Movies in the park
Lily: Anything in and around Grant Park.
Wendy: Sitting in the sidewalk patio section at a restaurant. There are dirty birds hopping around, and random people walking by with their phones, and cars parallel parking along the curb with their exhaust and stuff. The only thing that even slightly redeems the whole experience is dogs. It's really just overpriced dog-watching.