The November 2014 Broad Comedy’s All New Show will hit the Emerson Crawford Theater Thursday, Friday & Saturday November 20 - 22, and mark the Broad’s 15 year anniversary.

If you do the math you will note that Broad Comedy founders Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel started writing Broad Comedy the year that Bush came into office. “NOT a coincidence. Looooots of material suddenly became available. Ya work with what you’ve got.” says Goodman.

At the time Katie and Soren were the Artistic Directors for what was the Equinox Theatre Company (now Verge Theatre) in Bozeman and they were producing plays like mad. Katie began to notice that while her cohorts were able to write full length plays, her attention span was more limited to quick, punchy sketch and songs. Couple that with a history of a career in women’s issues, Broad Comedy was the perfect outlet for a frustrated feminist.

A lot has changed in Bozeman over the past 15 years, Broad Comedy began in Bozeman, and has travelled throughout the world. Katie explains “People outside of Bozeman are always so surprised to hear we try out our material here in our home town before taking it on tour. Isn’t Bozeman supposed to be “rural”?? Now that I live in New York City full time, I myself am amazed at how similar people’s awareness of politics and comedy are across the nation. Bozeman has a huge and sturdy progressive activist population. We sell 2,000 tix every year and it’s only growing. That’s a giant percent of the population of such a small town. I think because people are so well-travelled and also because since we started Broad Comedy, the internet became, A Thang, so now everybody everywhere is watching the same stuff on the news and reading the same articles. We are all informed, so we all get this stuff.”

The humble beginnings of Broad Comedy came about in three words: Leaf & Bean. The first show happened there at Christmas Stroll 1999. A lovely little gang of gals did some familiar songs and a few original songs and sketches. After this first show the broads realized they could pump out material fast enough and so they did. Surprisingly three of the four original actresses have been along for the ride for over 12 years. Some had babies, some got married, some became blonde... It’s been a long and really loving silly ride.

If you’ve seen Broad Comedy in the past you may wonder what will be different about this 15th anniversary show? Katie quips “Besides the increase in hair dye??? It’s a whole new show of new material (it’s not a Best of type show - we’re gonna save that for later) and we’re gonna hit hard on a few issues we haven’t before. One of them you can’t print in these pages....” For our newest Bozemanites, Who will love Broad Comedy? “Oh goodness, everyone! Unless you are veeeery sensitive to rated-R material. Or you, um, hate liberals. Or gays. Or social justice. Or women who speak up. In which case, what are you doing in Bozeman?!?!” You’d better not miss this one!

You can get a taste of Broad Comedy at http://www.youtube.com/broadcomedy/  Tickets for the November 20 - 22 shows are $21 in advance, $25 at the door. Reserved seats $35. Students $15 Thursday only and are available at Cactus Records or www.broadcomedy.com/