News

To get to know the new ensemble, we played hide and seek. But just with Esther. She loves hide and seek. #comedy #aapi #hideandseek #findme #gameswithfriends
We’re looking for AAPI talent to submit to our bi-weekly community showcase in Argyle! Find more details on our website www.stirfridaynight.com and submit! #aapi #emergingartists #chicagogram #nonprofitsofinstagram #performingarts #musicians #standup #drag #storytellers
Thank you for nominating us for “Best Sketch / Improv Troupe” in the @chicago_reader ! The voting window is open from Dec 1st thru Dec 31st. Link in Bio to cast your vote as well as the link below: https://chicagoreader.com/best-of-chicago-2025-arts-culture/ We thank you for your continued support and are excited to share what cooking up for 2026!❤️‍🔥
Are you based in the Chicagoland Area? Are you AAPI? Do you have something you want to showcase to the community whether you’re a singer, dancer, poet, storyteller, historian on AAPI history, Drag Queen, SFN is looking for you. This showcase will be partnered with the new community space @hai_bayo and run bi weekly! Link in bio! Submit today!! 🙌🏽👏🏽✨ . . . . . #aapi #asian #asiancomedy #chicago #chicagogram
SFN had such a fun time performing at @jasc_chicago for Holiday Delight! We love to connect with the greater JASC community in the space we have called home for decades!
Another year, another fresh crop of AAPI talent. Introducing SFN’s 2026 COHORT From L to R: Satvika Ananthanarayan, Shashwat Arya, Loreto Delgado III, Michael Elluru, Kathleen Hansen, Jessica Keung, Rupesh Kumar Mahendran, Josh Mattingly, Zalia Maya, Joyce Mojica, Marie Molina, Becca Nix Tham
We’re excited to announce that Stir Friday Night was awarded a City Arts program grant from DCASE! This grant will allow SFN to expand our programming across the Chicagoland area, continuing to challenge stereotypes of Asian Americans in media and the arts! #DCASEgrants #DCASE #Chicago #Chicagotheater #Chicagotourism #Chicagogrammers
Outside of posing at step and repeats, SFN members Jonathan and Esther drove down to Urbana-Champagne for the One State in the Arts and Humanities Conference hosted by @illinoisartscouncil @ilhumanities. They learned so much about the non profit space and are excited to bring the connections they made and information they learned back to the group!
30 YEARS OF STIR FRIDAY NIGHT 🥳🥳🥳 Last weekend we celebrated Stir Friday Night with our 30th Anniversary Show SFN XXX: Talk Thirty to Me. Mixing some of the best of the archives with all-new original sketches, videos from out of town alumni, and an improv mega mashup montage of alums across all of SFN’s long history, we were honored to perform for two back-to-back SOLD OUT nights! We had SFN alumni in attendance from all three decades, including several founding members! We are humbled, honored, and immensely grateful to continue the legacy of Chicago’s longest-running AAPI comedy troupe. Huge thank-yous to all the alum, and to the following folks: 🎬 Director @lepetv 📸 Photos @sieannaphoto 🎭 Theater @american_blues_theater 🎹 MD @joshua_chc 🎥 Video @mtmelzer SFN FOREVER
Two packed houses! We couldn’t be more elated. That said we will be adding seats. So get on that waitlist ASAP if you want to secure a spot! Also a couple of people have dm’d us because they’re no longer able to attend certain days. Let us know and we can connect you with them! We’re so excited for the weekend!
SATURDAY IS SOLD OUT! We can’t believe it! There’s still a handful of tickets for Friday and a waitlist has started for Saturday! If you’ve been procrastinating getting your tickets TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
Here’s a little preview from our show this week. Originally from SFN’s 2006 revue The Caste and The Furious: Tokyo Drift that originally starred alumni @steveyeun as well as Carl Anderson, Melissa Canciller, Sun W Hong, Sayjal Joshi, Andrew Lee, Jennifer Liu, Ronald Mok, Harrison Pak, Ranjit Souri, and Neal Dandade
ICYMI: Stir Friday Night was on the news this past Friday promoting our show this week at the @american_blues_theater TICKET LINK IN BIO! You don’t want to miss it! Tickets are running out! #comedyinchicago #livecomedy #aapi #chicagogram #thingstodoinchicago #theater #comedy #improv #sketchcomedy
COUNTDOWN TO SFN 30 Oct 17th and Oct 18th (ticket link in bio) Meet the Current Ensemble of SFN! (excluding @abhshk1 and @robert.kalia.kapaku because they weren’t available that day) This cohort comprises of SFN Members from 2019-Present Some highlights from this year include performing in Steppenwolf’s Lookout Series and traveling all over the US including both coasts (LA & New York), Detroit, and Minnesota! This year, we’ve also had the pleasure of working with the Chicago Public Library, Molson Coors, UIC, Oakton College, and Asian and Friends Chicago!
COUNTDOWN TO SFN 30 Oct 17th / Oct 18th (ticket link in bio) Meet SFN Member Maia Palma (@atfirstnamelastnamenospace)! SFN Member Since: 2024 Amongst her peers, Maia is considered “alive and well”. She’s currently at-large in 48 U.S. states and territories, her dream is by the end of 2025 she’ll be wanted in all 50 states. Recently, she was found impersonating a cadaver at the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and booked her first one-woman cell at the Johnson County Jail. She has never auditioned for America’s Got Talent, Great British Baking Show, or any community theater production in recent history. She holds the world record for highest recorded bounty at $300 Million and 1 (one) dollars. She requests you don’t seek her out but you may accidentally cross her path if you find her performing around Chicago with her indie team Weekend Lawyer.
COUNTDOWN TO SFN 30 Oct 17th / Oct 18th (ticket link in bio) Meet SFN Member Joe Yoon (@the.inside.joe)! SFN Member Since: 2024 A Chicago native and vulnerable millennial, is an actor, improviser, writer, and stand-up. He honed his craft at the Second City Conservatory, iO Theater, and The Lincoln Lodge. Known for his unique blend of dry humor and insecurities, Joe captivates audiences with his ability to laugh at the absurdities of his upbringing in a religious home, having an incredible language barrier with his parents, and being raised by his teenage siblings. In addition to his live shows, he hosts a one-man podcast that no one listens to, The Inside Joe. Follow him on Instagram: @theinsidejoe.
COUNTDOWN TO SFN 30 Oct 17th / Oct 18th (ticket link in bio) Meet SFN Member: Abhishek Ravi (@abhshk1)! SFN Member Since: 2023 Favorite Moment in SFN: A deep educational experience at the Sex Museum when we were invited to perform at the Boom Chicago Festival is Amsterdam What you’re looking forward to at SFN 30: Celebrating AAPI comedy Other places to see you perform: Tikka Masala! Improv at the Den Theatre on 10/4! Final Thoughts: Stir Friday Night has been a much needed comedy family and helped me find like-minded laughter thousands of miles from home
COUNTDOWN to SFN 30 Oct 17th / Oct 18th (ticket link in bio) Meet SFN Cast Member: Luke Moghimi Connell (@prooflukeexists)! SFN Member Since: 2024 Luke right now is deep in the woods of Wisconsin without WiFi or cell service so one day we’ll come back to this and edit it with all of his information!!! But for now here’s his bio: Luke Moghimi Connell (he/him) is actor, writer, and director. He is one of The Second City’s inaugural Victor Wong Fellows. You may have seen him in It’s A Bao Damn Time (Second City), Assignec Reading (10), Hit Me With Your Best Plot (Blackout Cabaret), or performing at various festivals in Chicago and the Southwest. He is incredibly excited to be joining Stir Friday Night and working with this incredible group!
We interrupt our regular SFN 30th Anniversary Show posting to let you all know, auditions are HAPPENING for Stir Friday Night! link to sign up in bio! Make sure to read all the detailed instructions in the sign up genius! Questions? Comment, dm, or email us @ stirfridaynight@gmail.com We’re so excited!!!! #chicagoauditions #actor #comedy #audition
COUNTDOWN TO SFN 30 Oct 17th / Oct 18th (ticket link in bio) Meet SFN Member: Christina Hilliard (@christinaahilliard) ! SFN Member Since: 2023 Christina played it RIGHT and hopped in our photoshoot MERE DAYS before she abandoned the team and fled the city. This was MONTHS ago. She hasn’t been seen or heard from in MONTHS. MONTHS have passed without a peep from this girl. MONTHS. Favorite memory with SFN: hey sloots! Wow it’s such an honor to be posted on the gram :) I love being here. Fave memory would probably be when we were in Amsterdam. I also really loved when we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for the bit and ended up really regretting it in every way!!! So many great mems. God how long has it been? Months? What you’re looking forward to SFN 30: Though I will unfortunately not be at the 30th bday as I am far far away (god how long has it been? Months?), I look forward to living vicariously thru everyone reuniting and having a good time! :) I know the show’s gonna be completely awesome and I hope everyone can make it!