Comedians yuk it up

Thirteen-year-old comedians usually settle for cracking up their classmates. Jeff Bessen is different.

The young comic is one of three acts at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center's second annual comedy night, a Dec. 18 event featuring local comedians Bessen, Reggie Walker, and headliner Jay Penn.

Bessen got his start when he signed up for an afternoon comedy class at Scottsdale Community College.

"I was the only kid in the class," he recalls. Still, he was a success, and went on to perform at Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix and the Tempe Improv.

Jay Penn is no stranger to the Tempe Improv, either. Penn moved to Arizona four years ago and has since won the "Funniest Person in the Valley" contest twice, an honor that has allowed him to open for nationally recognized comics like Brett Butler, Jim Breuer and Larry the Cable Guy.

Penn's act consists mainly of funny stories culled from life with his wife and 8-year-old son, and he prides himself on his ability to make audiences laugh in a family-friendly way.

"I typically work clean; I don't cuss," he says. "I've worked with a lot of guys who can be really, really dirty, and sometimes I wonder why the audience is even laughing."

Bessen also likes to take on topics that are appropriate for everyone; in his act, he plans to address sports, reality TV and his trip to Las Vegas.

While he enjoys comedy ("It's a rush," he says), Bessen isn't sure he wants to pursue it as a career. "It's tough to do," he says. "You're always moving, you're always at a different city. It'd be tough to have a family, and it's tough to write new material all the time."

Details

What: JCC comedy show
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18
Where: Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Cost: In advance, $25 JCC members, $35 nonmembers (includes two drinks and dessert); $5 more at the door
Call: Tricia, 480-483-7121, ext. 1206

Home

Comedians yuk it up

JENNIFER GOLDBERG Staff Writer

JENNIFER GOLDBERG
Staff Writer