LOL at Des Plaines' two-day comedy festival

Veterans of the Chicago and suburban comedy scene — The Reckoning of Improv Olympic fame, and performers from Second City, ComedySportz and Schaumburg's Laugh Out Loud Theater — will headline this weekend's two-day Des Plaines Comedy Festival at the historic Des Plaines Theatre.

The festival will feature sketch, improv and stand-up comedy showcasing acts from throughout the Midwest and even from as far as California and Texas, said Bill Meincke, festival director.

“We'll have over 100 performers coming in ranging from newer groups to veterans of comedy,” he said.

Meincke, who grew up in Des Plaines, said he decided to mount the festival at the 1920s-era vaudeville theater because of its nostalgic appeal.

“I went to the theater when it was a movie theater,” said Meincke, a 2006 graduate of Maine West High School. “But ever since it changed into an actual performing arts theater we thought it would be cool to have a show there. The stage looks beautiful.”

Much of the publicity for the festival has been through online forums and word-of-mouth, Meincke said.

Meincke hopes the festival takes off and becomes an annual Des Plaines event.

“The first year is obviously the one that determines what to do the next year,” he said. “Comedy is our passion and we work hard on it.”

Meincke, 23, has been doing comedy for roughly four years now. He started his own troupe, Delirious Confetti Comedy, with fellow Second City alums. The troupe performs every Sunday at The Playground Theater in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.

“When I was just a freshman in college, I realized that I really liked to perform in front of people,” Meincke said. “I really kind of wanted to be onstage and make people laugh.”

Meincke said the impetus to organize the festival also was to benefit his former school. A majority of the proceeds from the festival will go to the Des Plaines Elementary District 62 Foundation, which helps teachers with classroom supplies.

“Doing comedy for money is great and it's a lot of fun, but I think doing comedy for other people is better,” Meincke said.

Friday night performances will feature more improvisation and sketch comedy with groups playing selected slots before a closing headliner. Saturday kicks off with family-friendly shows in the afternoon with a short break before the evening performances start up again with improvisation sketches and a special hour dedicated to stand-up.