Bitter Sweet
The Rigby 119 E. Main St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Tyson Purcell
press release: A Story SLAM and Stand-Up Comedy Showcase
8 p.m., Friday, April 13, The Rigby Pub and Grill, 119 E Main St
Free Admission
Local Madison comedians are bringing the second installment of a unique showcase comprised of storytelling paired with stand-up comedy to The Rigby Pub and Grill at 119 East Main Street on Friday April 13 at 8 p.m. This quarterly show is free admission, exclusively featuring local Madison comics: Tyson Purcell, Will Isenberg, Cynthia Marie, Allie Lindsay, and Jake Snell.
The passion project of Purcell, he built this showcase to tell how hardships dealt with levity turn tragedy into humor. The first act is comprised of all five performers telling serious stories, then after a brief intermission, the same five performers return to the stage in the second act to show how cathartic humor can be.
“The last show was featured in Isthmus and The Rigby was packed,” says Purcell. “There’s a real hunger for storytelling here Madison, and this show is special in that all the stories are curated—so you know they are going to be expertly told. We take the audience on an emotional journey through some serious topics, but we also make it a point to end every show with laughter.”
Purcell recently performed at The Madison Story Slam and was featured on the Madison Story Slam podcast. “We have had tons of funny stories, and we’ve had a handful of serious stories here; but I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so gracefully and skillfully mix a very serious story with a very funny way of telling it” said Adam Rostad, host of Madison Story SLAM, of Purcell’s performance at the March 17 event. Rostad continued: “I will again applaud what you’re doing on Friday the 13 of April at The Rigby; because, that was phenomenal, and I would encourage everybody here to pack The Rigby—make them call the fire marshal because there are too many people there; because that was really great” stated in regard to the Bitter Sweet storytelling and stand-up comedy showcase.