Comedy Show “Cromania!” Coming to Kalamazoo Valley

Comedian Crom Saunders brings his family-friendly show, “Cromania!” to Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Dale B. Lake Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Sept. 21. His performance features skits that incorporate pop culture, impersonations, improvisation, American Sign Language, puns, and physical feats into one big laugh fest.

Saunders, who is deaf, teaches American Sign Language at Columbia College in Chicago. He also teachers at other institutions and travels nationwide teaching workshops on ASL linguistics and theatre interpretation. He has interpreted dozens of plays, from children’s theatre to musicals, recent work including the touring Broadway shows Spamalot and Rent. He also tours regularly with ASL Comedy Tour, hosted by the nationally acclaimed ASL comedian, Keith Wann.

In Kalamazoo, Saunders will do his “Quickspeare” performance, a ten-minute, 12-character, modern version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He’ll also tell stories about his life – from childhood to college and beyond. Saunders grew up in Northern California and graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a M.A. in Creative Writing.

To check out some of Saunders’ work, go to http://cromsaunders.tripod.com or search “Crom Clog” on YouTube.

Tickets to Saunders’ Sept. 21 performance in Kalamazoo are $10 for children under 12; $15 for deaf patrons, seniors, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College students (with ID); $18 for all others. $20 at the door. The show is voice interpreted and open to all.

Tickets will be available through the bookstores at both Kalamazoo Valley campuses beginning on Sept. 12 and at the door. Patrons with special needs should contact ASL Kalamazoo Valley instructor Su Cutler at scutler@kvcc.edu.