About the Performers

Matty RyanMatty RyanMatty Ryan is a Chicago classic. Born, bred, and beer-battered in an Irish neighborhood on the city's South Side, Matty has been touring and performing throughout Chicago and beyond for the past several years. His rapid-fire delivery and deft takes on his burgeoning (and unwanted) adulthood, things he's learned from the elderly, and the fine art of the outdoor nap have made him a favorite at showcases and clubs throughout the country. An alumnus of the Second City, Matty has appeared at Zanies, The Laugh Factory, The Improv, and the Hollywood Comedy Store. He currently co-produces The Blackout Diaries every Saturday at The Lincoln Lodge, and Parlour Car every Thursday at Bar Deville; both in Chicago. Also, please tell your parents he says hello.

Charlie VergosCharlie Vergos is an easily distracted 24-year old little brother who grew up working in his family's barbecue restaurant in Memphis, TN. He began doing comedy there in 2009, until he saw something shiny and followed it to the comedy scenes of New Orleans, Cape Town, back to Memphis, and now Chicago. Charlie's energy has been described by important people as 'part-contestant on Kids' Jeopardy, part 74-year old bluesman.' His act may or may not include drawings, piano, juggling, off-brand Mad Libs, or getting lost on the way to the stage.

Charlie has performed comedy in four different countries, worked in the Onion's graphics department, served as the editorial cartoonist for two newspapers in New Orleans, opened for Sean Patton, and won a pie-eating contest in Branson, Missouri when he was in 5th grade (No hands). Oh, and he's really funny.

Tim BarnesTim BarnesTim Barnes is a comic and writer from California who has worked with the creators of Comedy Central's 'Dr. Katz' on various projects. He currently performs all over Chicago and writes for the satirical website "The Whiskey Journal."

Cameron GilletteCameron GilletteCameron Gillette grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, raised by excessively conservative parents and for the first 20 years of his life was very, very bored. Finally, at 20, he tried his first stand up open mic, and his consciousness was awakened. He was eventually performing regularly at the Stardome Comedy club, but quickly became frustrated with the lack of opportunities for stage time in Alabama. Along with a group of like-minded comedians, he started putting on shows at bars and coffee shops around the city. After 2 years, these shows were gaining a big following. Although Birmingham was beginning to have a comedy scene he could be proud of, he decided he wanted to pursue comedy full-time in a big city. In January of 2010 he moved to Chicago and was quickly recognized as one of the funniest up-and-comers up-and-coming. He has performed all over the city since then, at places like The Lincoln Lodge, The Laugh Factory, and Comedians You Should Know.

Megan GaileyMegan GaileyMegan Gailey grew up in Indianapolis, the perfect town to raise a delusional upper-middle class Midwestern socialite. With a love of flirting and vacationing, it was a natural fit to leave the monotonous exercise schedule for a life of stand-up.

In the past year, Gailey was a finalist in NYC's Laughing Devil Festival, a featured performer at Just For Laughs, the Traverse City Winter Comedy Festival and selected as one of Comedy Central's Chicago Comics to Watch. Megan was recently featured in Chicago Magazine for her comedic risk taking and amazing dresses. And she has finally performed alongside enough famous people that her older brothers no longer hate her.

Gailey is a must-have at top National Clubs like the The Laugh Factory (Chicago), Hilarities (Cleveland) and The Comedy Club (Rochester, NY). Opening for Brad Garrett, Kevin Nealon, Amy Schumer, Paul Reiser, Doug Benson, April Macie and TJ Miller. Megan also loves all the stages in Chicago, performing for fellow downtown yuppies at Comedians You Should Know and Second City, hip Northside crowds at The Lincoln Lodge, and even for crowds that should inherently hate her but wind up loving her at Mikey O's Comedy Cantina.

A founding member of Chicago's stand-up and sketch group "Your Funniest Friends" and co-host of the Chicago comedy podcast "Naked Sports Live", Megan works and applies makeup at a fanatical pace. She continues to search for a rich husband, just in case.

Martin MarrowMartin MorrowMartin Morrow is originally from Birmingham, AL where he started doing stand-up, improv, and belonged to an award winning sketch/stand-up hybrid "Tubbi and Martin". Martin has performed in clubs, colleges, and festivals all over the country including Atlanta, Austin, Cleveland, Las Vegas, and New York and has worked with some of the top names in comedy including Eric Andre, Hannibal Buress, Kyle Cease, Judah Friedlander, Jamie Kennedy, Natasha Leggero, Tim Meadows, Tig Notaro, Sean Patton, Paul Rodriguez, Craig Shoemaker, Amy Schumer, and Baron Vaughn.

Currently residing in Chicago, IL, Martin has performed in several shows with Second City as a part of their Outreach & Diversity ensemble, in addition to being a Second City PUMA scholarship recipient, and has put on several one man shows at The Playground Theater and MPaact Theater, and was a season 13 cast member of the longest running independent comedy showcase, the Lincoln Lodge. His work has been featured on the Huffington Post; he was a finalist in the seventh season of the Impress These Apes comedy competition, and performed in the 2013 Just for Laughs Festival. Despite his accolades in comedy, Morrow is perhaps best known from his work in the 1953 Walt Disney classic Peter Pan, as Peter Pan's shadow.

About Nathyn Gibson, HostNathyn GibsonNathyn Gibson is the host of the ORNOT Gallery's Comedy Showcase: Art You Can Laugh At. Nathyn moved to Chicago last summer to pursue comedy. He also co-produces a monthly showcase in Logan Square called Black Star Comedy and is a regular performer in the A Night of Comedy series in Crown Point, Indiana. "Chicago has an amazing comedy scene, and I want to be an outlet to show what this town has to offer," said Nathyn.

Like "Art You Can Laugh At" on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/artyoucanlaughat. The Facebook event can be found at http://www.facebook.com/events/194215210756450.

About ORNOT GalleryREADY Coffee brings to the Bucktown-Wicker Park area of Chicago a new space to feature local artists whose passion often involves controversial, poignant, and social statements.

"We are looking to be a real player in the Chicago art scene," said READY Coffee's owner, Adam Banks. "We're used to coffee shops hanging art up on the walls as a secondary attempt to 'be local', but we are focused on being local in the best sense of the word. We are looking to really support local artists and we're not afraid of pushing the edge."

To further showcase artwork, READY Coffee has an Art-o-Mat machine, a uniquely refurbished vintage cigarette vending machine that has been converted to sell small pieces of art wrapped in cigarette boxes. The art sells for only $5. "The Art-O-Mat is the coolest machine that I have ever seen," said Banks. "There is one in the National Portrait Gallery (a Smithsonian Museum) and it's really a beautiful piece of art in and of itself." Anyone interested in providing art objects for READY's Art-o-Mat should call the store at (773) 360-7041.

Like ORNOT Gallery on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ornotgallery and follow on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ornotgallery. Interested artists should contact Cody at ornot@readycoffee.com.

About READY CoffeeREADY Coffee, located at 1562 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. For more information, call (773) 360-7041 or visit the website at readycoffee.com, like them at http://www.facebook.com/readycoffee and follow them on Twitter @ReadyCoffee.