Does Comedy Matter?

Magnet Theater’s Inaugural Comedy Symposium Will Find Out

On Friday, February 3rd at 9:30 PM, Magnet Theater, one of NYC’s finest improv and sketch theaters, will host its first symposium on comedy. The question to be addressed is “Does Comedy Matter?” Of course, if the answer turns out to be ‘no,’ the comedy symposium series will promptly end.

To help answer the question, Magnet has enlisted the services of New York Times Magazine contributing writer John Hodgman, Onion features editor Joe Garden, Late Night with Conan O’Brien writer Brian Stack, New Yorker cartoonist Sam Means, Weekends with Maury & Connie executive producer and Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead, and Magnet Theater’s own Armando Diaz.

Audience members will be invited to participate as well, and speakers will have 3-5 minutes to irrefutably prove their stance. Participants can be funny, serious, poetic, and/or historically inaccurate – whatever it takes to get the answer.

To help lubricate the event, Magnet Theater will be featuring specials on the aptly-named house wines, Magnet Pinot Noir and Megawatt Zinfandel from the Sin é Wine Company.

Established in early 2005 by Armando Diaz, Shannon Manning, Alex Marino, and Ed Herbstman, Magnet Theater offers classes in improv and sketch comedy from the best teachers in NYC. In addition to its dedication to teaching the craft of comedy theater, Magnet features shows four nights a week, including the distinctive show series, The Rep, and Magnet’s resident improv ensemble night, Megawatt.

Tickets for this symposium are ten dollars at the door and can be reserved in advance by calling Magnet Theater at 212-244-8824. Magnet is located at 254 W. 29th St. between 7th and 8th Ave. For more information, other show listings, and course offerings at Magnet, please visit www.magnettheater.com. Questions regarding this event should be emailed to Producer Scott Sherman at scott@magnettheater.com.