The Khyber Sketch Comedy Series

This January, I will be launching a new series at the Khyber Centre for the Arts! http://www.khyber.ca/

The Khyber Sketch Comedy Series will be a monthly comedy show held on the third floor of the Khyber starting in January 2013. This series will act as a sister series to the 'Lilah Kemp Reading Series' and the show will be promoted through the L.K. series. There will also be a KSCS blog page and a Facebook page to attract performers and patrons. 

Essentially, the Khyber Sketch Comedy Series is an open-ended sketch comedy group. It's a sketch show that will welcome a variety of different comedians, actors, and writers to participate each month. The show will be limited to sketches, humourous short plays (or scenes from plays), funny lectures and character monologues, novelty music, performance art, and readings. Stand-up comedy is not allowed. 

The show will also involve participants of the Lilah Kemp Reading Series, and will hopefully attract fans of the L.K. series.

The KSCS will feature performances from professional artists, as well as emerging artists who are looking for opportunities to perform. As far as I know, there aren't many active sketch comedy troupes in the city right now, so this show will be a perfect opportunity for comedy writers/actors to get together and put on a great show. This series will be a partnership between myself and the Khyber. We will charge a $5 cover and there will be an intermission. Each episode will be approximately 90 minutes long, and the show will be organized according to theme.

Bill Wood will be hosting the first episode which will be happening on Thursday, January 17th. It's essentially the comedy version of Lilah Kemp and it's going to be amazing.

I've been wanting to do this for a long time and it's finally happening. I think that there are many people in Halifax who would like to join a comedy troupe and perform sketches. This series will give those people an opportunity to do that.

Anyone interested in performing for the Khyber Sketch Comedy Series can reach me here:
c.m.mombourquette@gmail.com
(for now)
There will be a separate contact email once I get the new blog page up and running. More details to come!
-C.M.

Christmas Specials

The Suburbs instalment was truly great!
It was certainly one of the most interesting episodes we've done so far and I can't thank the performers enough. Here is a link to the recording of the show:http://www.mixcloud.com/coreymombourquette3/lilah-kemp-reading-series-suburbia/

I love Christmas specials more than the holiday itself. My sisters and I had a tradition of staying up all night on Christmas Eve and watching holiday specials until we passed out. We had them all on a VHS tape, recorded from 1980's television, commercials and all, and even though our tradition is now broken, that tape was probably my favorite part of the holidays.
So, this Holiday special will be organized like a cheesy Christmas special you'd see in the '70's or 80's. There will be a set and decorations. I will be hosting the event in a sweater, holding a cup of hot cocoa, with a dumb smile plastered on my face the whole time. I'm basically pretending that the event is a Dean Martin Holiday Special that you'd see on CBS in the 1970's. There will be readings from Carol Bruneau, Christina Canales, and David Huebert, a theatre piece by Johnelle Sciocchetti, stand-up comedy from Dave Burke, and MAGIC from the great Bill Wood!
This episode is titled "Lilah Kemp Reading Series: Holiday Spectacular!" and it's happening on DECEMBER 19th at the Bus Stop Theatre (2203 Gottingen street)
8:30pm
Pay what you can!
Here is a link to the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/lilahkempseries#!/events/456422951060394/

SUBURBIA

Last month's show was spectacular!

Thanks again to Kathleen Higgins, Matthew Lee, Shane Beehan, Trevor Corkum, and Kaleigh Trace for sharing their sex stories. If you have not yet checked out L.K. @ the Bus Stop, you are missing out. Listen: http://www.mixcloud.com/coreymombourquette3/lilah-kemp-reading-series-written-on-the-body/

                                               Chelsea Hoyt sketches as Matthew Lee reads poems


The last two shows have been fantastic and the next one, titled "Suburbia" will our most ambitious episode to date.

Actor Glen Matthews, ('Roller Town', 'Hobo With a Shotgun') will be performing in a preview scene from the new play "Poem for the Smallest Boy", written by Kristin Slaney. 'PFTSB' will be premiering at the Bus Stop Theatre on November 22nd (the night after L.K.) and will run for two nights. We will most likely be using their set.

There will be dioramas, music, and stories from Chris Benjamin, Shashi Bhat, Andie Bulman, Rachel Caroline Derrah, Nick Dourado!

                                             "SUBURBIA" 

      WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21st @ THE BUS STOP THEATRE
                                       (2202 Gottingen Street)

                                                  8:30pm

                                           pay what you can

Spots are already filling up for January & February. 

There are still a few open for our Christmas special next month. Got Christmas stories?

If you would like to be involved, contact me here:

c.m.mombourquette@gmail.com

See ya on the 21st!

WRITTEN ON THE BODY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24th @ THE BUS STOP THEATRE!

Theme: Sexuality
Stories and poems from our relationships. Attraction and frustration. Nature v.s. nurture. Sexual identities and sexual crises.

With READINGS and LECTURES from:
SHANE BEEHAN
TREVOR CORKUM
KATHLEEN HIGGINS
MATTHEW LEE
COREY MOMBOURQUETTE
KALEIGH TRACE

and LIVE ILLUSTRATIONS from:
CHELSEA HOYT

8:30pm
Free!

Lilah Kemp: Season 3 (Part 2)

Here are the themes for January-April 2013:

EPISODE 5: DO YOU WANT MORE?

Theme: Addiction

Substance abuse, sex, and shoplifting. Denial and dependance. Stories about overcoming addiction or failing to break the habit. Poems about headaches, cold sweats, and tremors. 

(Wednesday, January 9th @ the Bus Stop Theatre)

EPISODE 6: LABYRINTH

Theme: Escapism

Mental diversions from our daily lives. Dungeons & dragons, television box sets, and video games. Magicians, monsters, and fantastic worlds that exist only in our minds. Escapist societies with seashell radios. Films like 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'Brazil' should also be considered.

(Wednesday, February 20th @ the Bus Stop Theatre)

EPISODE 7: IT'S OVER

Theme: Break-ups

Poisonous couples. Stories about rejection and heartache. Poems about the one who got away or torturous tales of unrequited love. Painless break-ups or open wounds that will never heal.

(Wednesday, March 6th @ the Bus Stop Theatre)

EPISODE 8: BUMP IN THE NIGHT

Theme: The Paranormal

Ghost stories. True stories that cannot be explained by science. Tricks that our powerful minds can play on us, or miraculous mysteries that will never be solved. Encounters with angels and demons. Noises that keep us awake at night.

(Wednesday, April 3rd @ the Bus Stop Theatre)

Still looking for artists!

If you are interested in participating, contact me here:

c.m.mombourquette@gmail.com

BACK TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE

This month we will launch the 3rd season of the Lilah Kemp Reading Series. There have been a few developments over the summer. Here's the news:

1. Lilah Kemp has found a home at the Bus Stop Theatre! http://www.thebusstoptheatre.org/
The next four episodes are already booked at the venue, and you can find the dates via the updated post below.

2. This is going to be a long season. I will be organizing and hosting an episode every month from now until summer 2013

3. I am very pleased to welcome poets Mathew Henderson and Matthew Tierney to the series this month. Lilah Kemp will be the first stop on their East Coast Poetry Tour, beginning on Wednesday, September 26th! For more information on the tour and their upcoming poetry collections, click the link below:

http://www.chbooks.com/events/sept-26-mathew-henderson-and-matthew-tierney-lilah-kemp-reading-series-2012-09-26 

The theme for this month is Heroes.
There will be LITERARY READINGS from Cody Hawes, Mathew Henderson, Josh Tibbetts, and Matthew Tierney
MUSIC from the very talented Panos Giannoulis
and a PERFORMANCE ART piece from Brian Riley

The premiere of the 3rd season will happen on Wednesday, September 26th @ the Bus Stop Theatre. The show will start around 8:30pm
P.W.Y.C

Lilah Kemp: Season 3

                                                    - Peter Lockerbie (L.K. June 2012)



The third season of the Lilah Kemp Reading Series will launch on September 26th, 2012.
Here are the episode descriptions:


EPISODE 1: BACK TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE

Theme: Heroes
Life-savers. Influential and inspirational figures. Stories about people who devote their lives to helping others. Poems about courage and bravery.
This episode will feature 4 literary readings, music, and performance art.
(September 26th, 2012 @the Bus Stop Theatre)


EPISODE 2: WRITTEN ON THE BODY

Theme: Sexuality
Stories and poems from our relationships. Attraction and frustration. Nature v.s. nurture, monogamy v.s. promiscuity. Sexual identities and sexual crises.
This episode will feature 4 literary readings, stand-up comedy, and live illustrations.
(October 24th @ the Bus Stop Theatre)


EPISODE 3: SUBURBIA

Theme: The Suburbs
Stories from boxed-in communities on the outskirts of cities. Nosy neighbours, bored teenagers and overprotective parents. Growing up in the suburbs v.s. growing up in the city.
This episode will feature 4 literary readings, music, and a short film screening.
(November 21st @ the Bus Stop Theatre)


EPISODE 4: Lilah Kemp Reading Series HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR!

Theme: Holidays
This episode is not just limited to Christmas stories - any holiday will do. Poems written while on vacation or holiday horror stories. Incredible Christmas tales or unforgettable New Years Eve parties.
This episode will feature 4 literary readings and stand-up comedy.
(December 19th @ the Bus Stop Theatre)


The next four episodes will run from January-April 2013. (I'll post the descriptions in the fall.)

Anyone interested in participating can contact me here:
 c.m.mombourquette@gmail.com

This reading series is open to any kind of artist.
Looking for painters, musicians, performance artists, comics, actors, and filmmakers!


-C.M.