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Read the press release here.

Celebrate Andersonville's Milestone Anniversary With Comedy Show

By Mina Bloom | June 2, 2015 5:33am
 The show,
The show, "Yes, Andersonville!," features pH ensemble members Tristan Tanner, Kayce Alltop, Austin Campion, Bill Letz, Johnnalee Kutzke, and Michael Aviles.
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Courtesy/pH Comedy Theater

ANDERSONVILLE — For the first time ever, the pH Comedy Theater is putting on a production that's focused entirely on the neighborhood it calls home.

It's for good reason, as Andersonville is celebrating its 50th anniversary of becoming a neighborhood this year.

The show, "Yes, Andersonville!," tells the story of the neighborhood's history using facts — some real but mostly made up — through love stories, according to writer and director Brett Mannes. 

It opened May 9 and is running through July 11 at 1515 W. Berwyn Ave.

Those who come out might learn something new about the neighborhood. For example, there's a character who plays Charles Strandel, an architect who helped build Clark Street's commercial district in the 1920s, according to Mannes.

And it recounts when Swedish immigrants started moving into the neighborhood after the Chicago Fire in 1871.

But much of the show takes a comedic approach. Case in point: It begins in 1217 because it jokes that Andersonville has been around for 800 years, not 50. 

Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students; they can be bought online.

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