August 9 – Private Corporate Event – Reynoldsburg, OH
August 23 – Northern Kentucky University – Highland Heights, KY
August 24 – Saint Anselm College – Manchester, NH
August 25 – Emory University – Atlanta, GA
August 28 – Bowling Green State University – Bowling Green, OH
August 29 – Anne Arundel Community College – Arnold, MD
August 31 – Ohio Northern University – Ada, OH
September 1 – Denison University – Granville, OH
September 2 – Southern New Hampshire University – Manchester, NH
September 5 – University of Wisconsin Oshkosh – Oshkosh, WI
September 7 – Concordia College – Moorhead, MN
September 8 – University of New Hampshire Durham – Durham, NH
September 13 – Urbana University – Urbana, OH
September 20 – University of Kentucky – Lexington, KY
September 25 – East Carolina University – Greenville, NC
October 8 – Buena Vista University – Storm Lake, IA
October 18 – Rowan University – Glassboro, NJ
October 20 – Private Event – Westerville, OH
November 10 – Private Event – Athens, OH

If you would like information on bringing me to your campus or corporate event, please let me know ASAP and we’ll get a date reserved for you!

By Margaret Quamme

A new show, Smoke and Mirrors, doesn’t break much ground, but it’s a pleasing, high-energy example of what the troupe can do when working as an ensemble; the emphasis is on teamwork rather than individual efforts. It might be more profane and raucous than some of Shadowbox Live’s recent shows, but it’s also undeniably entertaining.

The theme is illusion, and the tone is set by magician Michael Kent, who opens both acts of the show with bits that nimbly shift from comedic to amazing.

Read more of the review here.

I’ve got some exciting news! I’ve been working with Columbus’s Shadowbox Live - a long-running Sketch Comedy and Rock theatre – on their newest production. Smoke and Mirrors is a show themed on Magic and Deception. Starting in March, I’ll be a special guest in the show* as myself presenting some of my original concepts. I’ll also be in some scenes making surprise appearances.


Shadowbox has a long history in Columbus – going back to the late 80′s. In the 90′s, I used to frequent their old theatre on Spring St. when I was a teenager (they sucked at checking ID’s at the time), and I’m happy to see them back downtown in the new Brewery District location (next to World of Beers).
*I will be continuing my tour schedule during the Run of Smoke & Mirrors, so I will be only appearing on selected nights. Visit my tour schedule for a schedule of which nights I’ll be appearing!

Smoke & Mirrors w/ special guest Michael Kent @ Shadowbox Live
503 S Front St
Columbus, OH 43215
(Brewery District)
Select Dates from 3/8 to 5/5
General Admission: $30
Student, Senior, Active Military: $20
Box office: (614) 416-7625
shadowboxlive.org

Despite the fact that I spend over 200 days a year on the road, I’ve been coping pretty well. On some days, I have extreme travel adversity – like last month when I had 4 cancelled flights, 3 delays and a closed airport and STILL made it to the show on time (barely). I felt like I was in a scene in one of my favorite movies, Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Here are some things I do to keep myself sane while traveling.

• Routines. I have strict routines that I follow when I travel.  I could probably fill a book of tips and tricks that I use to make the airport and hotel more of an enjoyable and stress free experience.  For instance – the first thing I do when I arrive in the hotel is unplug the alarm clock. It sucks for the housekeeper who has to plug it back in and set it again when I leave, but it keeps me from worrying about wrong times, wrong alarms, etc. My iphone is the sole time clock that I use for everything, because I know it’s always right. I never change the clocks on my computer/watch/etc. – I only use my phone for accurate time.
• TripIt.  Tripit.com is a website for organizing your travel details. You simply forward the confirmation email and it sorts it out for you. I can access this from any web browser or via the app on my phone and get details about flights, hotels, rental cars and directions whenever I need them. I highly recommend it to anyone who travels a lot. It’s a very recent discovery for me. After a few months of using it, I have no idea how I ever went without it.
• Water & Vitamins. I drink one bottle of water for every flight. So if I have a connection somewhere, I’ve had two bottles of water by the time that I get to my destination. This is important when flying because the air that is cycled through the cabin is void of any moisture, which dries out your sinuses, leading to an increased chance of getting sinus infections and head colds. Keeping your nose and sinuses hydrated is huge. Also, I’m a big fan of B6, B12 and C supplements. I use the powder called “Emergen-C” that you can buy at just about any market. And wash your hands.
• Staying Connected. Some call it a burden, but I am constantly staying connected with friends, family and fans through social media as I’m traveling. It keeps my mind occupied and my brain going during down time and lessens the feeling of being away from home.
• Be friendly. At 5am, I don’t feel like being friendly to the TSA. I find them to be invasive and sometimes power hungry. But I think of my body as having a finite amount of energy for each day. Every worry, every complaint, every conflict, every time I have to figure something out or solve a problem – those all deplete my finite amount of energy. So I simply pick my battles. When the guy in front of me is taking a really long time to use the kiosk at the airport, or when the redneck in front of me in the TSA checkpoint line forgets that he has a Buck hunting knife and shotgun shells stowed away in his boot, I try to always remember to pick my battles. It’s my choice – It’s up to me to decide what I’m going to waste energy on and what I’m going to let breeze by. Using this philosophy, I’ve found my travel days are MUCH less stressful.

Like I said, I could probably write a book about traveling. These are just some of the tips that came to mind as I was writing this post? What are your travel tips? I’d love to hear them! Share your travel tip in the comments below!

I’m excited to be returning to perform at Wild Goose Creative THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18 at 8pm. My last performance at the venue was at last year’s sold-out Columbus Comedy Festival.

Opening and hosting the show will be Columbus comedian, Anthony O’Connell. Ticket sales from the show will help support programming at WGC in 2012. Info here!

Saturday, February 18 at 8pm
Tickets $10 at the door
Suggested for audiences 18+