Join us for a free screening of Phunny Business: A Black Comedy, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Jeanne Sparrow featuring:

• • John Davies, director
  • Raymond Lambert, producer
  • Knowledge Beckom, comedy promoter

Phunny Business: A Black Comedy chronicles the rise and fall of the South Side Chicago based club All Jokes Aside™, which for a decade, was the preeminent Black Comic showcase in the United States. This mostly unheralded “star factory” impacted US pop culture in a huge way, giving early exposure and early paychecks to major talent. The artists haven’t forgotten “the best little club no one ever heard of” and have been sitting down in front of our cameras to share their memories and relive the glory days of All Jokes Aside™. Using stills, archival performance footage and interviews, Phunny Business: A Black Comedy chronicles the rise and fall of All Jokes Aside™ and salutes the legendary showcase for its major contribution to comedy history.

Free; RSVP required.

The screening of the documentary Phunny Business: A Black Comedy is underwritten by the DAVE TRUITT Historical Documentary Series.

Questions? Contact Eric Miller, development coordinator, at miller@chicagohistory.org or (312) 799-2110.