Chowdah

Chowdah Sketch Comedy
Founded:	2004
Recognition:	ABC
Membership:	10
Executive Board:	Gabe Miner, director Matt Kantrowitz, producer
Category:	Performance
Website:	{{{Website}}}
Contact:	{{{Contact}}}

Chowdah is a sketch comedy group. Chowdah has performed at Caroline's Comedy Club, the 2006 Annual Brandeis Sketch Festival, the West End, the Upright Citizen's Brigade, has opened for Bob Saget, and has performed at various locations on the Columbia campus.

History

Chowdah was founded in Spring, 2004 by Uri Weg, Matthew J. Wilstein, and Dave Verbitsky. On April 27, 2004, it performed its first show at The West End. The group performed at off campus locations until it gained recognition from ABC in November, 2004.

The Name

The choice of the name 'Chowdah' remains a mystery to all, including the group's founders who claim not to remember. Guesses that it is a reference to the Simpsons episode, "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" have been denied.

Students of Color Stage Ejection

In Spring 2006, Chowdah was invited by the Barnard Office of Multicultural Affairs to perform a show at a Students of Color Days on Campus event. The show was performed on April 22, 2006 and ended with the sketch "A Whole New World... of Paranoia and Airport Security" (video of different performance can be seen here), which featured Aladdin and Jasmine trying to board a magic carpet but being detained by airport security on the basis of racial profiling. Upon hearing the line, "Ooh, you better watch out Patty, this mother fucker is almost a burnt sienna," event organizers stepped onto the stage and ordered the performers to end the show. Chowdah was paid in full for the event and the incident is generally looked back on with much fondness by members.

Current members, as of Fall 2011

• Patrick Aloia - Writer / Actor
• Loren Berman - Actor
• Annie Birinyi - Actor
• Chava Creque - Actor
• Alex Curtis - Actor
• Charlie Dinkin - Writer / Actor
• Jon Edelman - Writer / Actor
• Lori Goldman - Writer / Actor
• Molly Heller - Actor / Writer
• Sarita Kvam - Actor / Writer
• Rami Levi - Actor
• Olivia Levine - Actor
• Simone Norman - Actor / Writer
• Torsten Odland - Actor / Writer
• Sam Schipani - Actor
• Max Silver - Actor

Former Members

• Pat Blute
• Josh Bolotsky
• Halle Bondy
• Reni Calister
• Shira Danan
• Lily Feinn
• Yoni Golijov
• Evan Hamilton
• Joe Kamien
• Matt Kantrowitz
• Alex Katz
• Gilad Landan
• Ross Lerner
• Mike Lynch
• Bess Miller
• Gabe Miner
• Martha Norrick
• Nick Sanz-Gould
• Matt Shields
• Yelena Shuster
• Jeff Stern
• Sarah Sternberg
• Elizabeth Varner
• Dave Verbitsky
• Laura Vican
• Uri Weg
• Michael Williams
• Matt Wilstein
• Olivia Whelan
• Michael Grinspan
• Sasha Stewart

External links

• Chowdah Official website (no longer updated...because we lost the password...)