Words with Nerds

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courtesy Holly Rucker

A close-up of Holly Rucker.

Holly Rucker

Cheshire Cat Comedy celebrates its 200th show with an edition of one of its most popular creations: Words with Nerds, which CCC describes as “like TED Talks, but way funnier.” That should be an easily-cleared bar with this lineup of speakers: David Fisher, a former Madison's Funniest Comic winner; Matthew Mandli, local comic and former winner of the Minnesota State Yo-Yo Championship; and Holly Rucker, a molecular biologist and Atlas Improv performer.

media release: Join us for this special edition of Words with Nerds celebrating Cheshire Cat Comedy's 200th show! It's like TED Talks, but way funnier.

Speakers and topics at this show include:

David Fisher (winner of Madison's Funniest Comic Competition) -- "The Secret Pattern that Controls Everything"

Matthew Mandli (winner of the Minnesota State Yo-Yo Championship) -- "The Art of Yo-Yo: A Cringe Hobby that Can Actually Make You Pretty Cool"

Holly Rucker, MS (PhD candidate in Cellular and Molecular Biology) -- "Born in the Wrong Eon: Reminiscing on Life in the Proterozoic"

By day, Holly Rucker, MS is a scientist studying how environmental factors on early Earth impacted the activity and evolution of nitrogenases. She uses ancestral sequence reconstruction to engineer modern microbes with ancestral nitrogenases and then resurrect ancient biosignatures in the lab. By night, Holly is an improviser with Atlas Improv Company!

Plus: Come for a special appearance by an adult man who is definitely not two kids in a very long trench coat.

Tickets are $10 on Eventbrite, $15 cash at the door. SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR STUDENTS: $5 cash cover with a student ID!

RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/593815339684623

Seating is first come, first served. It is recommended that you arrive at the venue when doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime in order to get your pick of seats.

Recommended for ages 18+. Per venue rules, attendees under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. You will be asked to show a photo ID upon check-in. Lineup subject to change. We do not offer refunds, but if you purchase a ticket and are unable to attend, please contact Cheshire Cat Comedy at cheshirecatcomedyco@gmail.com to redeem for free admission to a future show of your choice.

Past presenters span local entrepreneurs, professors, researchers, activists, union organizers, surgeons, engineers, and stand-up comedians with an itch to nerd out on stage.

Words with Nerds is produced by Best of Madison-winner Cheshire Cat Comedy and began in 2022 as a monthly event on the third Thursday of every month at Crucible, Madison’s premier alternative arts club. The showcase has since blossomed into a feature showcase at locations such as The Forward Club at Breese Stevens Field, Chicago's Lincoln Lodge Theater, and Comedy Cabin in Janesville, Wisconsin.

Every now and then, Words with Nerds adds in a little splash of something extra; past examples include Rick Sanchez of Rick and Morty performing a burlesque number and Batman doing stand-up comedy.

Parties interested in presenting at Words with Nerds are invited to send their pitches to cheshirecatcomedyco@gmail.com.