Ali Farahnakian
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Ali Farahnakian
Ali Reza Farahnakian (born October 26, 1967) is an American actor, writer, and improvisational comedian. He is the founder of The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT) in NYC and co-starred in the Adult Swim comedy series ''Delocated''. Life and career Farahnakian was born in Iran but grew up in North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1990. After college he moved to Chicago in 1990. While in Chicago he became involved in improvisational comedy and was a performer at Chicago's Second City, ImprovOlympic and was one of the original founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) along with other original UCB members such as Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Rick Roman, Horatio Sanz, and Adam McKay. In 2002 he founded The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT) in New York City in honor of his mentor Del Close. In 2001, his one-man show "Word of Mouth" was featured at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Farahnakian wrote for ''Saturday Night Live'' in the ...
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The Peoples Improv Theater
The Peoples Improv Theater (PIT), also known as the PIT, is a comedy theater and training center in New York City, founded by comedian Ali Farahnakian in 2002. Shows combine improvisational comedy, sketch comedy, stand-up, theater, and variety. Each show is hosted by a combination of "house teams" of comedians hired by PIT and by outside comedians. After closing several of their theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The PIT now only resides in its PIT Loft location in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Notable alumni of the PIT include ''The Office'' actress Ellie Kemper,house improv team: Big Black Car comedian and voice actress Kristen Schaal, and comedian and actor Hannibal Buress. History The Peoples Improv Theater's Loft location was founded by Ali Farahnakian and Armando Diaz in 2002. The PIT moved its headquarters to 123 East 24th Street, New York on December 31, 2010. From September 1, 2015, the original location of the PIT became known as The Pit Loft and officia ...
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Del Close
Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was one of the influences on modern improvisational theater. Close is co-founder of the iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as "ImprovOlympic"). Life and career Early life Close was born on March 9, 1934, in Manhattan, Kansas. He ran away from home at the age of 17 to work in a traveling side show, but returned to attend Kansas State University. At age 19 he performed in summer stock with the Belfry Players at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. At age 23 he became a member of the Compass Players in St. Louis. When most of the cast—including Mike Nichols and Elaine May—moved to New York City, Close followed. He developed a stand-up comedy act, starred as the Yogi in the Broadway musical revue ''The Nervous Set'', and performed briefly with an impr ...
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Living People
Related categories * :Year of birth missing (living people) / :Year of birth unknown * :Date of birth missing (living people) / :Date of birth unknown * :Place of birth missing (living people) / :Place of birth unknown * :Year of death missing / :Year of death unknown * :Date of death missing / :Date of death unknown * :Place of death missing / :Place of death unknown * :Missing middle or first names See also * :Dead people * :Template:L, which generates this category or death years, and birth year and sort keys. : {{DEFAULTSORT:Living people 21st-century people People by status ...
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1969 Births
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to London's Gatwick Airport, killing 50 of the 62 people on board and two of the home's occupants. * January 14 – An explosion aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS ''Enterprise'' near Hawaii kills 27 and injures 314. * January 19 – End of the siege of the University of Tokyo, marking the beginning of the end for the 1968–69 Japanese university protests. * January 20 – Richard Nixon is First inauguration of Richard Nixon, sworn in as the 37th President of the United States. * January 22 – Attempted assassination of Leonid Brezhnev, An assassination attempt is carried out on Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev by deserter Viktor Ilyin. One person is killed, several are injured. Leonid Brezhnev, Brezhnev es ...
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Channel 101
Channel 101 is a non-profit monthly short film festival in Los Angeles, which has a sister festival in New York City, Channel 101 NY. Channel 101 is a creation of Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab in which participants submit a short film in the format of a pilot under five minutes in length. The event is structured such that a panel of previously successful submitters choose what pilots are shown, and a live audience at The Downtown Independent decides which pilots continue as a series for the next screening in much the same way TV programs are rated and managed. According to the Channel 101 website, "Channel 101 is a chance to sit in the worn-out chair of the fat network exec, drunk on the blood of lowly artists whose right to exist is given in exchange for their ability to nourish... You run the network. You pick the programming." Concept Roughly once a month, a screening for Channel 101 occurs at the Downtown Independent theater in Los Angeles, with usually ten shorts being screened. ...
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Human Giant
''Human Giant'' is a sketch comedy show, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer, and directed primarily by Jason Woliner. The show ran for two seasons on MTV. In interviews, the group has mentioned that they were offered a third season by MTV but were unable to complete it due to Ansari's commitments to the hit NBC show ''Parks and Recreation'', while Ansari mentioned on Howard Stern that the show's end was more because it is hard to keep a sketch show consistently funny over several seasons. The group has stated that MTV has left the door open for the group to complete a third season at a later date or to produce a special for the network. In 2010, Ansari, Huebel and Scheer reunited to do a skit for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. In November 2008, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' noted the group was developing a feature film with Red Hour Productions, the production company run by Ben Stiller and producer Stuart Cornfeld. Premise The show, which premiered on A ...
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Jon Glaser
Jonathan Daniel Glaser (born June 20, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his work as a writer and sketch performer for many years on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', creating and starring in the Adult Swim series ''Delocated'' and ''Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter'' as well as the truTV series '' Jon Glaser Loves Gear''. Glaser had a recurring role as Councilman Jeremy Jamm on the NBC series ''Parks and Recreation'' and appeared as Laird on the HBO series ''Girls''. Glaser was also a writer on the Comedy Central sketch series ''Inside Amy Schumer''. Early life and education Glaser was born and raised in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, Michigan. He attended Southfield-Lathrup High School, graduating in 1986. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he performed in the sketch comedy troupes Comedy Company and Just Kidding with Jon Hein, H. Anthony Lehv, Matthew Schlein, Kristin Sobditch, Sara K. Mathison, and Craig Neuman. He is of J ...
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Louie (U
Louie may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Louie'' (American TV series), by comedian Louis C.K. * ''Louie'' (French TV series), animated series about a young rabbit who draws pictures which come to life * "Louie" (song), by Blood Raw * ''Louie'' (album), a 2022 album by Kenny Beats People * Louie (given name) * Louie (surname) Fictional characters * Louie, one of Donald Duck's nephews * Louie De Palma, dispatcher in the television series ''Taxi'' * King Louie, in the 1967 Disney animated film ''The Jungle Book (1967 film)'' * Big Louie, a gangster-mafia boss in the 1987-1996 animated television series ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' * Louie, in the soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Louie, a character in the strategy video game series ''Pikmin'' * Louie, a comic strip created and drawn by Harry Hanan * Buzz Saw Louie, a character in the ''VeggieTales'' video, ''The Toy That Saved Christmas'' Mascots * Louie the Bear, the St. Louis Blues mascot * Louie the Laker, the G ...
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30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show depicted as airing on NBC. The series's name refers to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, where the NBC Studios are located and where ''Saturday Night Live'' is written, produced, and performed. The series was produced by Lorne Michaels's Broadway Video (which also produces ''Saturday Night Live'') and Fey's Little Stranger, in association with NBCUniversal. ''30 Rock'' episodes were produced in a single-camera setup (with the exception of the two live episodes that were produced in the multiple-camera setup) and were filmed in New York. The pilot episode premiered on October 11, 2006, and seven seasons followed. The series stars Fey with a supporting cast that includ ...
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Special Victims Unit
A Special Victims Unit (SVU) is a specialized division within some police departments. The detectives in this division typically investigate crimes involving sexual assault or victims of non-sexual crimes who require specialist handling such as the very young, the very elderly, or the disabled. United States New York City The New York City Police Department's Special Victims Division investigates sex crimes. It is housed in separate Borough Patrols (Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn). The Special Victims Division only investigates the following types of cases: * Any child under 11 years of age who is the victim of abuse by a parent or person legally responsible for the care of the child. * Any child under 13 years of age who is the victim of any sex crime or attempted sex crime. * Any victim of rape (all degrees) or attempted rape (all degrees). * Any victim of a criminal sexual act (all degrees) or attempted criminal sexual act (all degrees). * Victim ...
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Arthur (2011 Film)
''Arthur'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written by Peter Baynham and directed by Jason Winer. It is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name written and directed by Steve Gordon. Its story follows Arthur, a wealthy and alcoholic philanderer who, after a drunken run in with the law, is forced by his mother to marry Susan, a suitable spouse, or else he will be stripped of his inheritance, but things suddenly become complicated once he meets and falls in love with a free-spirited woman named Naomi. It stars Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, Greta Gerwig, and Nick Nolte. The film was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and was released on April 8, 2011. It grossed $12.2 million during its opening weekend and $48.1 million worldwide, against a budget of $40 million. It received generally negative reviews and has rating based on votes on Rotten Tomatoes. Plot Boozy Arthur Bach and his chauffeur, Bitterman, dress up in Batman and Robin costumes for a ...
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Edge Of Darkness (2010 Film)
''Edge of Darkness'' is a 2010 conspiracy action thriller film directed by Martin Campbell, written by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell, and starring Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone. A British-American co-production, it is based on the 1985 BBC television series of the same name, which was likewise directed by Campbell. This was Gibson's first screen lead since '' Signs'' (2002), and follows a detective investigating the murder of his activist daughter, while uncovering political conspiracies and cover-ups in the process. The film was released on January 29, 2010. It received mixed reviews from critics, though Gibson's and Winstone's performances were praised, and grossed $81 million against its $80 million production budget. Plot At South Station, Boston, homicide detective Thomas Craven picks up his daughter Emma, who comes home to visit and vomits while getting into the car. As Craven prepares dinner at home, Emma suffers a nosebleed and vomits again. Thomas realizes he needs t ...
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