If you live in the C-U area and enjoy comedy, theatre, or any combination thereof, you may already know the name Jason Dockins. For a little over three years now, Jason has been doing stand-up in local and not-so-local venues, including Memphis on Main, honing his act and exploring the fine art of finding the funny. To this end, he has also participated regularly with the newest incarnation of The Abe Froman Project, an improv comedy group that performs almost every Monday night at Mike N’ Molly’s. If that weren’t enough, he has also undertaken local theatre roles at the Station Theatre, getting more and more comfortable with the craft of acting and the precarious place that a stage often proves to be.
All of these elements come hurtling together in Jason’s new comedy venture, Stumbling Through Tuesdays, which combines the talents and personalities of several local comedy and theatre performers to the delight of local audiences every Tuesday of the month at Mike N Molly’s.
In a recent talk with Dockins, he laid out the “mission statement” of Stumbling Through Tuesdays, which includes the following noble aspirations:
*Increase the awareness of the comedy scene in Champaign-Urbana by partnering with other local comedy organizations to actively cross-promote each other’s events and performances.
*Develop weekly comedy programming that stretches beyond stand-up and improv, creating brand awareness and establishing a “pay what you can” model to promote the notion that comedy has (monetary) value.
*Create an arena for local performers, writers, and artists to improve and develop their skills as well as a forum for creative people to network.
From my own perspective (that of a fan of comedy and a lover of live theatre), the best thing about this idea, other than its great potential for entertainment value, is the focus on the local: local comedians, local artists, and local venues. Going forward, Dockins would like to develop and include other kinds of content, including online videos and podcasts, but as a way of enhancing the local live shows, still utilizing the talents of local performers.
Currently, Stumbling Through Tuesdays employs the following recurring lineup of special events, with rotating programming every Tuesday night:
On the first Tuesday of the month, Stumbling presents X Versus O, an old-fashioned panel game show night where participants recreate classic TV games like Match Game and Win, Lose, or Draw in front of the audience. The ever-rotating panel of players includes Nate Jones, Tanino Minneci, Katie Baldwin, and James and Aubrey Wachtel, among others.
Second Tuesday of the month brings Stand-Up Hot Seat, which involves improvised stand-up from Dockins and other local stand-up greats, including Rich Castle, Jesse and Justin Tuttle, and Andrew Voris, and another (in my opinion) rather brilliant segment called B(minus) Movies: Making Bad Movies Badder, which involves showing the audience the first ten minutes of a schlock film or TV movie-of-the-week, then enlisting improv comedians to complete the film, live and in-person.
On the third Tuesday of the month, Jason joins Minneci and Jessica Coburn for The New Sincerity, a panel talk show.
And, on the fourth Tuesday? A variety show called Everybody’s Doing It, featuring the talents of Dockins, Shara Keen, and Rich Castle, among others.
“Among others” is a recurring idea within the Stumbling Through Tuesdays organization. Since Champaign-Urbana is such a fertile breeding ground for talent, it’s not uncommon for participants to come and go due to other commitments like a theatrical run or an out-of-town stand-up gig. Luckily, there are always more great comedy stylists waiting in the wings.
When I asked Katie Baldwin who else performs with STT, she laughed and replied, “That’s kind of like asking, ‘So, who does shows at the Station?’ There are regulars, sure, but we welcome anyone interested/interesting with something to contribute.”
Baldwin, who is a fixture of the local theatre community and a founding member of The Abe Froman Project, has already performed in the game show segment X Versus O, and she is one of the featured performers in B(minus) Movies along with fellow Fromanites Dockins, Tanino Minneci, and Mikel Matthews, and James and Aubrey Wachtel of Zoo Improv.
Why does she enjoy working with Dockins and the rest of the Stumbling Through Tuesdays crew?
“Jason is as steadfast, ambitious, and systematic a creator as you could hope to work with,” Baldwin says, adding, “I like variety, in all things. I love practicing my skills, and I adore being on stage. Stumbling Through Tuesdays gives me a chance to grab as much attention as I can get my hands on.”
This is obviously a pretty common feeling amongst those of us who tread the boards or stand in the spotlight, whether it’s in a black-box theatre, a huge arena, or an open mic night. Surely, though, there is more to this than a desire for the adulation of an audience. When asked what his long-term plan for STT is, Dockins answered:
“I really just want Champaign-Urbana to be a super cool comedy town. As far as STT goes, I would like if the shows were to become an integral part of the C-U comedy scene. Ultimately I would love for the shows to provide some level of income for myself and the others involved, but that is truly secondary to it just being awesome.”
He continued, “I want Stumbling Through Tuesdays to be a concept that performers and writers can bring fresh and unique ideas to. I want the shows to constantly be pushing ahead and breaking into new and exciting territories.”
So, there you have it, Champaign-Urbana. Good things are continuing to happen on the already vibrant C-U comedy scene. To witness Jason Dockins and his Stumbling compatriots in action, check out their website or facebook page, and discover a whole new way to enjoy your Tuesday night.
Go find the funny; it’s waiting for you.
Photos by Eric Ponder. (Except the one of Jason Dockins, which I stole from facebook. –MG)