Chemically Imbalanced Comedy's Blog

As we get ready to hold auditions for our upcoming production of Cartoon Jay Gish is turning out the tunes for the show. Here is another song for the character Esther.

As we start work on our Spring show Cartoon Jay Gish has finished his first draft of the Cartoon Theme song (Lyrics by Steve Yockey) it will change from now to opening night so we thought we would share as we go along.

Auditions for Steve Yockey’s Cartoon are set to happen Thurs Dec 11 from 7pm-10pm and Sat Dec 13 Noon-4pm. Please prepare a 2 min comic monologues and 16 bars of a song to be done acapella. To sign up for an audition please email auditions@cicomedy.com with the day and time you would prefer. The show is set to open April 3, 2009. Rehearsals will start the second week in January.

We are able to finally announce our Final Main Stage Show of our 2008-2009 Season will be Steve Yockey’s “Cartoon”

The show will open in April and will be the Chicago Premier Directed by Angie McMahon.

We will keep you updated on further developments.

Info on the Show:

Join the exploits of a band of mismatched cartoon stereotypes on a wild ride through this animated world, Presented in the style of a Commedia dell’Arte scenario gone berserk, Cartoon is a devilishly violent social commentary that explores the rapid coalescence of media, politics and consumer giants. A young, idealistic upstart named Trouble steals the giant hammer that Esther, the bratty dictator, uses to maintain a monotonous but peaceful order. Chaos ensues. Bombs explode. Puppets are set free. Anime girls fight. And as the bodies pile up, the violence begins to creep off the stage and into the audience. There’s nothing like a punch in the face to really get the blood moving.

“Fast-paced, funny, and drenched in pop culture. If you see only one play about cartoon characters killing each other this year, make it this one.” – East Bay Express

“Yockey’s piece plays like an Eastern European communist-era political comedy, with farce and cruelty artfully intermingled to create horrifying situations… whose frequent leaps from cartoony cuteness to over-the-top violence are both shocking and hilarious.” – LA Weekly

“Cartoon poses profound questions with every laugh…it will leave you thinking and discussing the play for the remainder of the evening.” – Backstage

“At its core, Cartoon is a response to society, to violence, to corrupt leadership, and to twisted romance….” – TheatreForum Magazine

“The play slowly reveals itself as being more than just a wacky comedy about violence in the media… it speaks to a deeper, darker truth about people’s ability to turn on one another without visualizing the cost of that betrayal. It is in these moments that Cartoon shines.” – TheatreForum Magazine