Philly Fringe Vital Stats: Cecily and Gwendolyn
Meet Kelly Jennings and Karen Getz, veteran funny women and members of ComedySportz Philadelphia. For this year’s Fringe the two are dropping their pants (More nudity, score!) and hiking up their Victorian petticoats (Oh wait, no.) as Cecily and Gwendolyn, British women from the time of chamber pots and pots of tea, and they’re here to gather research about…our kind (cheesesteak lickin’, keyboard snoozin’, 21st-century Phillians). You can read up on Cecily and Gwendolyn in the Washington Post review of their appearance at last year’s Capital Fringe, and then browse their Vitals after the jump.
Name: Cecily Marlborough and Gwendolyn Hamm.
Age: Cecily: 144. Gwendolyn: 149.
Where were you born? London, England
Where do you live now? In our time-traveling hot air balloon and amongst our test subjects for as long as we are able until being run out of town.
Show Title: Cecily and Gwendolyn’s Fantastical Philadelphia Anthropological Inquisitorial Probe [Our research has taken us to Phoenix Fringe Festival, Cincinnati Fringe Festival, St. Lou Fringe, Capital Fringe Festival and we will have recently returned from Minneapolis Fringe and Boulder International Fringe Festival before landing in Philly]
Explain your performance in 2 sentences. To an 8-year-old. We are time travelers, we come in peace, and we are here to learn about you!
What was your favorite toy as a kid? A globe of the world.
What do you love (or hate) most about Philadelphia audiences? We prefer the more scientific term “test subjects” but are aware that when conducting our research at “Fringe festivals” scientific terms can be off-putting. We love Philadelphia audiences who never seem shy about participating and aiding us in collecting our data. We have made our base camp in Philadelphia, although cloaked it always a pleasure to conduct our studies “at home.”
What would you do if you just inherited a pizzeria? Immediately set up a blind from which to continue in-depth research on the food rituals of Philadelphia citizens. We would I suspect also need to hire someone to operate the establishment.
Did you go to college or grad school? If so, where? Alas in our time formal education of women was entirely in the home. However, England is home to many wonderful libraries and museums. Also, once we acquired the ability to travel through time and space we were able to call the knowledge of entire universe throughout all time our Alma Mater. The library at Alexandria is particularly delicious.
Your refrigerator: condiments and beer, or real food? We travel far and keep odd hours so fresh comestibles are essential to maintain good health. That said, we do enjoy an occasional extraordinary wine, fine whiskey, or beer. Sweets are never unwelcome.
Marvel Comics, or DC? Both have their merits. Gwendolyn is particularly fond of Spiderman. Cecily enjoys Wonder Woman.
What’s the worst piece of advice you ever received? Did you follow it? Once, when traveling across the Sahara we were in need of water and directions. On the advice of a local Berber trader we stopped off at a small camp site near a delightful oasis. Unbeknownst to us this was no ordinary camp. It was a retreat for several holy men in training sworn to silence for 40 days. Needless to say our arrival caused a stir and we were only just able to fill our literjons before riot ensued.
What’s the most disgusting thing you’ve ever seen on SEPTA? A lack of social etiquette.
Do you have relatives more famous than you? It would not be polite to brag and frankly when we return to our time with our book “The complete, definitive and absolute history of human cultures; From nascent toolmakers to the baffling architects’ of their own self perpetuated, seemingly, inevitable doom” we will be more famous than anyone.
ComedySportz Presents Cecily and Gwendolyn runs September 12, 13, and 14 at 8:30 pm, and September 20 and 21 at 7:00 pm, at The Playground at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street. $15.
–Audrey McGlinchy