Real Arguments? That's Up for "Debate Sardines"

Lindsey Korytowski

Britty Lea [foreground] lays out the ground rules for the cast of Debate Sardines: Claire Mohr [left], Nick Warren, El Walker, Char Newport, and Karalyn Headley.

Saturday, Jan. 10

"First of all, of course a hotdog is a sandwich — when you come right down to it, it is meat within a bread casing — literally the textbook definition of a sandwich" Char Newport argued. 

But, is a hotdog a sandwich? 

This initial prompt invited guests to audition for the latest improv venture from Britty Lea. 

The filmmaker, artist, podcaster, and 40 Under 40 alum follows up last year's The Fishbowl performance (now available on YouTube) for another piscine production of improvised comedy. 

Five debaters will take the stage at Gannon's Schuster Theatre. There, they'll be broken into two teams, as Lea will instruct the audience on the rules of the show. While at the podium, debaters will be given a side to support, being encouraged to "die on that hill" by coming up with whatever points they can muster up (whether logical or illogical) over a four-to-eight minute span. 

Debaters will continually change teams following a topic, with some teams being potentially packed or solo based on the outcome (with the host's call of "shark!" equally shaking things up). The audience will determine the "winner" along with a specially-selected Tie Breaker. 

"I am so excited to once again be hosting a comedy show, and I cannot wait to watch the debaters argue for incredibly silly topics" Lea admitted. "These debaters are incredibly top notch so it's sure to be a great time!" she exclaimed, adding that "for the record I don't think a hot dog is a sandwich." 

Newport, on the other hand — after citing the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and disavowing the so-called "rabid anti-sandwich hotdog contingent," continued. She confessed that "improv is scary — for me, I can easily get caught in my head and panic if I don't know how to respond." She reasoned that "it's intimidating but also a total blast."

7 p.m. // Gannon Schuster Theatre, 620 Sassafras St. // $15 // Adult Language // For tickets and more information, visit EventBrite 

Nick Warren is in this show, along with the actual talents of Britty Lea, Char Newport, Claire Mohr, El Walker, and Karalyn Headley.
This special event is part of the Krilliant Celebration of Shrimpania's Day of Jest. For more info on what that means, visit Britty Lea on Patreon.