As the gray days of winter set in, outdoor activities are limited and a jump off the fiscal cliff seems more and more likely, the Lafayette Hotel's weekly Comedy Club may be just the ticket for those who need their funny bones tickled.
The Comedy Club, held in the hotel's Gun Room Restaurant from 9 to 11 p.m. every Saturday through March 30 "gives attendees something to do on a Saturday," said Lafayette Hotel lounge manager Angelia Thompson.
"They just want to go have a good time, laugh and share their time with friends," she added.
Abby Harra, 35, of Marietta, who has been to the hotel's comedy club twice this year, was in agreement.
"It's just a fun, different thing to do in town," she said. "I've always gone with a group of friends. We kick back and laugh, and the comedians are always good."
Aspiring comedian J.C. Clarke, 43, of Marietta, said he enjoys making people laugh.
"With all the stress in life, people just love to get a break and come out for a night of entertainment," Clarke said.
Clarke was an audience member at one of the Lafayette Hotel's comedy clubs earlier this year.
Noticing the event had no emcee, Clarke asked the hotel's management if he could serve as comedic emcee for the weekly events.
"Before I knew it, I was on stage," said Clarke.
"Once you get that first laugh as a comic, there's no coming back," he laughingly added.
After Clarke warms up the crowd in the Gun Room Restaurant and tells a few jokes, two comedians booked by Hysterical Management of Macedonia, take the stage. First, there's the comic who does the opening act, then the headliner.
"Some comedians will get the crowd involved in their show," said Sheila Rhodes, general manager at the Lafayette Hotel. "Some incorporate music into their acts."
Comedians who have incited laughter at the Lafayette Hotel's Comedy Club include Dan Ellison, Carol Pennington, Mike Conley and Tyrone Davis, said Rhodes.
Davis will serve as headliner this Saturday. Gathering comedy material that he calls "fact/fiction" from real life, Davis has entertained audiences across the U.S. and military troops in Kuwait and Iraq.
The cost is $10 per ticket. Seating is limited to 140, and tickets must be purchased in advance. To make a reservation, call 373-5522.
"We sell out for a lot of the comedy clubs," Rhodes said.
After holding its comedy club from November through April for seven or eight years, this year's season at the Lafayette Hotel will end on the last Saturday in March.
"Once April rolls around and it starts to warm up, ...people start getting a little bit more into doing things outside and attendance numbers drop off a little bit," said Rhodes.
