ABOUT STAND UP STAND UP
SUSU’S MISSION
Since 2012, Stand Up Stand Up has been a staple of Chicago's comedy community. Hailed as one of the city's legacy showcases, SUSU's claim to fame has been providing audiences a chance to see some of Chicago's incredible stand-up talent work out extended 30-45 minute sets in contrast to the traditional 10 minutes they can see everywhere else. In these last 10 years, they've amassed praise from multiple outlets as being one of Chicago's best stand-up showcases, including Best Weekly Showcase (Vulture) and "a must-see for true comedy fans" (Chicago Tribune). SUSU is proud and excited to bring one of the best casts of stand-ups Chicago has ever seen to The Den Theatre every Wednesday at 7:30 PM. If you love comedy, there's no better way!
SUSU’S FOUNDERS
JAMES WEBB
A comedy fan all his life, James co-founded Stand Up Stand Up with his 3 pals, Keith, Todd, & Kenny back in 2012 after the theater they all met at closed down (RIP CCPA). For the past decade, James was the man behind the curtain at SUSU, overseeing the vast majority of the show's production, venue changes, and numerous cast & producers. After a residency at the legendary Zanies Comedy Club in 2022, James secured and oversaw their move to The Den Theatre, where the show is currently thriving every Wednesday night at 7:30 pm. After the move, he handed the keys to up-and-coming superproducer Julia Stoyanova, who's been killing it harder than James ever had. Julia is also who you should email all of your compliments or complaints from here on out. Please, don't ever e-mail or DM James. Thanks so much. - James
@theChicagoPro
TODD MASSEY
Originally from Brookfield, IL, Todd first stepped on stage in 2008. After one year in college, he decided to go a different route and moved to Chicago to pursue a career in stand-up. Since then, Todd has graced stages all over the Midwest, from Zanies to hole-in-the-wall country joints. His act is extremely informal and perfectly crass and includes a selection of stories taken from his encounters with the opposite sex, poor job selection, drugs and alcohol, and his disdain for both the rich and overly religious. He’s been likened to a more sincere Bill Burr due to his snappy quips about commonplace situations and opinionated observations of the world around him. His comedy is unrelenting and in-your-face funny, and he’ll leave you scrambling desperately to find the Add Friend button on his Facebook page after his shows.
@todd.massey
KEITH PAESEL
Hailing from Sauk Village, Illinois, Keith got his first taste of performing jokes for the masses when he was 17, and then returned to the scene 6 years later in 2010. His return began at the Edge Comedy Club housed in the (now dark) Chicago Center for the Performing Arts. It was there where he met and became friends with those who would eventually become his partners in his future showcase, Stand Up Stand Up. More lover than a fighter, Keith’s act is extremely personal and real, ranging from the hilarities of trailer park living to learning important life lessons from crackheads to being a human hot dog. He’s brutally honest about both the world and himself and is highly relatable no matter what your background.
@keithPaesel
KEN WITZGALL
Ken is an experienced MC and featured performer, boasting regular hosting gigs at the Edge Comedy Club, the Old Town Pub, various open mics and even a short stint with his own production company, the now-defunct Gorilla Comedy. Elsewhere, Ken has been performed as a feature at showcases throughout the Chicagoland area, such as Rotten Comedy (at the Oakwood Tavern), the Two Hour Comedy Hour (at the Gallery Cabaret), Bada Brew (Crest Hill, IL), Laugh! (Bloomington, IL), the Strutt (Kalamazoo, MI), and the Round Lake Comedy Rounders (Round Lake, IL). Plus, one time he opened for TJ Miller, which is pretty badass. When not booked, Ken can be found co-producing the ONLY regular stand-up show in Wicker Park, Stand Up Stand Up at the Crocodile Lounge every Thursday at 9 pm and co-hosting the infamous open mic Power Hour at Gallery Cabaret every Friday at 7.
@kWitzgall
SUSU’S PRODUCERS
JULIA STOYANOVA
Julia Tony Stoyanova graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Acting for Puppet Theatre from the National Academy of Theater & Film Arts (NATFA) in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2016. Literally two days after, she moved to the US and began her journey as an actress, improviser, and stand-up comedian. In 2020 Julia graduated from the Second City Conservatory in Chicago and shortly after she became a member of the Rose Valley Theater Group. Julia is one of the founders of the RED ROOM Comedy Club and produces comedy shows all over Chicago such as “Fresh Off The Plane”, “Stand Up Stand Up”, “Dead Drop Comedy” and “Luck o’the Irish.”
@julia.tony.st
MICHAEL MEYERS
Michael Meyers is a Chicago-based comedian. He has traveled throughout the country doing stand-up including being a featured performer at the Limestone Comedy Festival. In November of 2020, he released his second album, which was a socially distant stand-up experience. "From Afar" went to number three on iTunes propelling him to be the nation's top bug noise comedian. His dry delivery and soothing voice will make for a stand-up experience you might soon forget.
@meMichaelMeyers
MO GOOD
Mo Good is an up-and-coming female comedian from the south side of Chicago. This mother of two has headlined at comedy clubs all over the country including The Laugh Factory, Riddles, Zanies, The Comedy Bar, and The House of Blues. Best known for her hilarious storytelling on and off stage. Hosting several events and producing local showcases all while working in Healthcare, this artist never runs out of relatable material.
@moGoodComedy
ERIC EMERSON
Eric Emerson is a stand-up comedian originally from North Carolina, now living and working in Chicago, IL. Eric began performing stand-up in his college town of Boone, NC. Since moving to Chicago, Eric has begun headlining, featuring, and hosting at comedy clubs, shows, and events throughout the city and across the country. In 2022, he started a podcast called “Turnip and Stone.”
@twoBikesStevens
HARRY JENSEN
Harry Vigo John Jensen is a standup, writer, and comedy producer based in Chicago. Harry produces Sketchup at Zanies, Harry’s House, and Standup Standup. He is the host of the comedic grief Monday Mourning podcast and loves naming his projects after pop culture phenomena that bury his own in Google searches.