High Desert Hijinks
Comic Art Krug, who headlines comedy clubs across the country, will return to his hometown, Bend, to star in the next installment of Two Twisted Sisters High Desert Hijinks on Friday, October 14 at 8pm at the Old Stone Performing Arts Center on Franklin Street.
Since leaving town to make his way in the world of comedy, Art has played the Improvisation and Comedy Underground chains throughout the US and Canada,as well as major venues like the Bing Crosby theater in Washington. He’s shared the stage with comic luminaries like Drew Carey and Jake Johansen and appeared on Showtime and Canada’s CBC network.
Art fondly remembers growing up in Bend, which at that time was a small mill town on the base of a big mountain. But while his peers enjoyed skiing Art steered clear of Mt. Bachelor: he saw too many friends coming off the slopes with casts or neck braces. The son of a preacher who owned a home across from the local High School, his friends’ parents affectionately referred to Art as “the kid who didn’t drink.”
Art’s youth as a “lava bear,” along with a career that included a long-standing gig waiting tables at Mexican restaurant in Portland, prompted him to launch a career as a stand-up comedian in 1983. His ironic view of everything from diets to wine tasting quickly earned him spots at comedy clubs throughout the Northwest and Canada.
A few years later, Art moved to LA and became a regular at the most selective club in town, Bud Friedman’s Improvisation, the venue known for identifying and nurturing the smartest comics in the business. These days he travels throughout the country and frequently appears on cruise ships.
Two Twisted Sisters, the mysterious impresarios and producers of High Desert Hijinks, became unusually animated when Art agreed to travel from his home in Portland for this special, one night event on Friday, October 14. “We love it when a local boy makes good, and we expect this one will make Bend proud. “
Beyond nabbing Art Krug for a local appearance, the Sisters’ have expressed great enthusiasm for the upcoming show. “After filling the Old Stone for our first storyteller show, To Tell The Truth, we had to come up with something real good,” the older sister cackled.
“And you better believe we have,” her sister chimed in. “We’ve got musical guests who’ll blow the roof off the Old Stone, and wicked videos that’ll scandalize the entire town.”
When asked to be more specific the Sisters’ demurred. “We’ll spill the beans a little closer to the actual event,” they insisted. But when pressed by their representatives, Howard Schorr and Dan Cohen, they provided a tantalizing hint. “We know how wild the local populace is about canines, so we’ve contrived to include a few of our four legged friends into the mix of comedy and variety.”
The second installment of Two Twisted Sisters’ High Desert Hijinks, an evening of comedy and variety starring Art Krug, will take place on Friday, October 14 at 8pm at the Old Stone Performing Arts Center on Franklin Street.