Doors at 7:30 pm; Show at 8 pm
Tickets are $15-$20 Sliding Scale
*Ashkenaz is an all ages venue, but due to adult content, this show is not recommended for children under 13
Berkeley, CA… Bay Area comedian/comedy producer, Lisa Geduldig (of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy), and Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center joined forces last Fall to bring the East Bay a new monthly (the second Thursday of the month) comedy series Comedy at Ashkenaz! featuring a different line-up each month.
The next show in the series, Black History Month Comedy with Diane Amos and Friends, will take place on Thursday, February 8, will feature Diane Amos, Donald Lacy, Tim Jackson, and Valerie Vernale.
Diane Amos is a San Francisco-based actress, improv artist, and comedian who is known as The Pine Sol Lady for having starred in their national commercials for over 20 years. She has appeared in numerous films including Nine Months, Copycat, Angels in the Outfield, EDTV, Twisted, and Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine. Diane was a semi-finalist in Star Search, has been on A& E's Evening at The Improv, Lifetime's Girls' Night Out, and Comedy Central's Women Aloud. She has also been a winner on the game shows: Wheel of Fortune, $25,000 Pyramid, and Super Password. She was raised in SF by two lesbian mothers and attended Washington High School in the Richmond District, where took an improvisational comedy class…and the rest is history.
Donald Lacy is a writer, director, actor, comedian, and radio talk show host. In 2013, he was inducted into The Bay Area Blues Society Hall of Fame as a comedian. He has been seen on BET's "Comic View” and HBO's "Def Comedy Jam” and has 2 comedy CD’s “Uncensored” and “Free Speech Costs Plenty” and a comedy DVD “Live at Laughs Unlimited.” Donald spent his Thanksgiving holiday in 2001 entertaining the troops abroad on a Far East tour that included; Japan, Okinawa, Korea, and Singapore, and returned on the same tour in 2004. As a headliner, he has appeared in clubs from Chicago to Germany. He has 2 BA degrees in Theater Arts and Black Studies. His TV/film acting credits include: Cherry, Other Barrio, Jack, and Hangin' With Mr. Cooper. His latest film Hidden Treasure screened in 2017 at Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival. He also toured with the Harlem Globetrotters as "The Voice.” He founded the LoveLife Foundation (LLF) for his slain daughter, LoEshe’. LLF was proclaimed in Congress by Congresswoman Barbara Lee. In 2016 Oakland adopted: “LoveLife” as the official motto of Oakland. All Entering Oakland signs say “LoveLife” to honor all victims of violence.
Tim Jackson, celebrating thirty years of comedy, has been seen on BET Comic View, Comedy Central, HBO Def Jam, and colleges around the country connecting with audiences of all ages. Tim's observational humor and boundless energy is a delight to watch on stage. Drawing from his lifetime of experiences, his storytelling ability keeps audiences engaged in his world as he sees it. Currently, Tim has assembled a crew of veteran Bay Area comics “The Power of Laughter Tour,” featuring Diane Amos, presenting Donald Lacy, Carla Clayy, Valerie Vernale, John Alston, Dana Garret, and Aundre the WonderWoman, in a special night of comedy.
Valerie Vernale, a San Francisco native, was named one of the six comics to watch by the San Francisco Chronicle. Valerie performs all over the Bay Area at venues like Comedy Oakland, the San Francisco Punch Line, and your favorite dive bar. Valerie’s sharp, detailed writing, and stage presence has made her a favorite among audiences and her Bay Area peers. She is like a cross between Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and Angela Davis, sometimes a fed up, disaffected outsider, and at other times a passionate idealist. Unafraid to take risks on stage by being painfully honest and sometimes taking unpopular or extreme stances on issues, Valerie can make you laugh or want to punch something, but either way she’ll make you pay attention to her. She’ll also be a performer at SF Sketchfest 2018, in January.
Lisa Geduldig (Comedy at Ashkenaz curator) is a Bay Area-based comedian and comedy producer who is the creator, producer, and MC of a variety of comedy shows including Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ - Jewish comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant (which celebrated its 25th Anniversary this past December!) and Comedy Returns to El Rio! (now in it 10th year). Lisa moonlights as a bilingual (Spanish-English) freelance publicist. www.KosherComedy.com • www.SFPublicist.com
