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PAGE 12A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. APRIL 2, 2009
Comedy
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
“Open Mic Nite,” will enjoy
a homecoming of sorts.
Officially titled, “It Was
Open Mic Nite At Ye Olde
Rustic Inn,” the two-wom
an comedy show returns to
where it debuted two years
ago, Comer’s Saving Grace
Cafe, Friday and Saturday at
8 p.m.
The brainchild of Madison
County’s own Stephanie
Astalos-Jones and “Seinfeld”
alum Lisa Mende, “Open Mic
Nite” is a collection of ficti
tious comedic acts, includ
ing the Schmeckles, a pair of
Yiddish sisters who appear to
have struck a chord with fans
locally.
“Everywhere we go there’s
people like, ‘I want to see the
Schmeckles sisters again,’”
said Astalos-Jones, who lives
in Carlton.
The duo debuted at the
Comer venue in 2007 and
has since toured the act in the
Southeast.
Astalos-Jones thinks the rest
of the U.S. is ready to meet
the Schmeckles Sisters.
“Our goal is to tour it
nation-wide, for sure,” said
Astalos-Jones, noting that she
and Mende have contacts in
Los Angeles.
Astalos-Jones is a veteran
of both television and film,
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‘Some restrictions apply.
act returns ‘home’
Lisa Mende (left) and Stephanie Astalos-Jones (right),
dressed as the “Schmeckles sisters,” will perform the
two-woman comedy show, “It was open mic nite at ye
olde rustic inn,” this Friday and Saturday at Saving
Grace Cafe in Comer.
most recently appearing in the
2008 picture “White Lightin.’”
Mende’s resume includes five
episodes of Seinfeld from
1992-1997 as well as other
screen and film credits.
After two years of “Open
Mic,” the comedic dynam
ic between Astalos-Jones
and Mende is such that the
two simply turn on the tape
recorder and improv.
“We end up creating things
that we are really happy
with and work well, without
consciously thinking it out,”
Astalos-Jones said.
Tickets for the show are
$15. For more information,
call 706-797-3787.
ENCORE OF
‘A GOOD LIFE?’
There are no plans right
now to re-perform, “A Good
Life,” a local play consisting
of Madison County stories
that debuted in the summer
of 2008.
But Astalos-Jones, who
wrote the play, foresees
another run in the future at
some point. She said she’s
talked with several who
wanted to see the show again,
or weren’t able to catch it last
summer.
“It’s still in the air, and it
will happen again,” Astalos-
Jones said. “I’m just not sure
how we will do it.”
Jackson EMC Foundation
grant supports Madison Co.
Special Olympics athletes
Jackson EMC Foundation board member Dr. Bob Hooper
presents a $8,473 check that will help Special Olympics
atheletes participate in local and state games.
A $8,473 grant from the
Jackson EMC Foundation
will help Madison County
Special Olympics pur
chase equipment and pay
athletes’ fees for local
competitions as well as
the Georgia Summer and
Winter Games.
Special Olympics com
petitions provide an arena
where persons with intel
lectual disabilities can
develop athletic skills,
gain self-esteem and life
skills. Through the games,
those athletes gain expo
sure to those who are
typical residents, helping
to change attitudes, form
friendships and help oth
ers understand their true
capabilities.
Grant funds will be used
for team T-shirts, warm
ups, swimsuits, bowling
ramps and fees.
Grants are made pos
sible by Jackson EMC
members’ contributions to
the Operation Round Up
program, which rounds
up electric bills of par
ticipating members to the
next dollar amount and
uses the spare change to
do charitable work. The
Foundation has awarded
nearly $3.2 million to
date through 284 grants
to organizations and 124
grants to individuals.
Any individual or chari
table organization in the
ten counties served by
Jackson EMC (Clarke,
Banks, Barrow, Franklin,
Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson,
Lumpkin, Madison anc
Oglethorpe) may appl)
for Foundation funding b)
completing a grant appli
cation, available online a
http://www.jacksonemc
com/Guidelines-for-
Funding. 106.0.html or a
local Jackson EMC offic
es. Applicants need no
be a member of Jacksor
EMC.
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