Marjorie Preston is a member of Rockwell 9 (improv) and The Public Squares (improv/sketch) in Cleveland, Ohio.
Originally from Ohio, Marjorie Preston worked in New York City in the 90s, primarily in public relations, and moved to Cleveland in 2000. Preston studied with Second City Cleveland, churning out two dozen sketches and blackouts, until it closed in early 2004.
Preston then studied with Second City cast member and instructor Kiff Vanden Heuvel (now in Chicago), writing sketches, parody songs, ’The Onion’-style headlines, comic essays, slogans, stand up, short stories, even a roast and a mini book. If you ever need a Ricky Martin song parody or cabaret homage to Bea Arthur, she’s got it covered.
In early 2005, she tried out at the Cleveland Improv and was immediately given stage time. Preston says, "During the eight years I lived in New York, it never once crossed my mind to try standup. But in Cleveland, well, of course!"
Since June 2005, she has thrice attended the standup workshop of radio host, author Dave Schwensen, and in December 2005, took the workshop of comedian and David Letterman booker Eddie Brill. In November 2005, she attended a solo performance workshop with Cleveland playwright and actress Sarah Morton.
Preston has performed several times at the Cleveland Improv as well as Wilbert’s, the Bassa Vita Lounge in Lakewood and Max McQ’s in Akron. She has graced stages in New York (Parkside Lounge), Seattle (Giggles, The Comedy Underground), Chicago (Cozmo’s) and Minneapolis (The Corner Bar). Credits include the So You Think You’re Funny? VI contest at the Bassa Vita Lounge and the Ground Floor Theater comedy contest.
She studied short-form improvisation with the Cleveland Improv Institute and Ground Floor Theater, and led a Danish match with BATS Improv’s Theatresports Raw in San Francisco in the summer of 2006. She participated in the filming of the Last Call Cleveland sketch "Happy Hour" and HBOLab projects.
Preston is a graduate of the Second City Chicago Training Center Writing Conservatory and co-wrote the original sketch revue "Home is Where the Hurt Is." She has performed with "Cleveland Jams!" improvisation troupe, is a member of Rockwell 9 improv troupe and former member of Something Dada, and has improvised with students in Second City Chicago’s Musical Improvisation program.
She plays alto and baritone saxophone, handbells and guitar, sings, and has puppetry, theatre and dance experience. She won a karaoke contest in 2005. She is a correspondent for the Sun Newspapers chain, Today's Family magazine in Lake County Ohio, and other local and national publications.
Preston says, "Being a dabbler in life has come in handy, because comedians draw on life experiences to make the humor more universal."
Website
marjoriepreston.com
Influences
Augusten Burroughs, David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell
Members
Marjorie Preston, lead vocals
TV Shows
watch for the next election reform rally in Cleveland...
Anything from Top Secret! (a fave from when I was a kid) to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. I have a soft spot for slapstick humor like in Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey movies, but also enjoy documentaries more than anyone I know. Interesting dialogue is essential.
Television
Ellen, Cash Cab, Wife Swap, Supernanny, Rescue Me, My Boys, American Idol, 30 Rock, The Office, Scrubs, What Not to Wear, Clean House, Saturday Night Live, The Suze Orman Show.
About me:
I am the president of Marjorie Preston Public Relations, which offers media relations, writing and editing services. See clips and read testimonials at marjoriepreston.com. I am a correspondent for Today's Family magazine in Lake County, Ohio, and for the Sun Newspapers chain, the largest chain of newspapers in the United States.
I have been peforming standup and improv since 2005 and began performing sketch comedy in 2007, though I have been writing it since 2003. I am a member of Rockwell 9 (improv) and The Public Squares (sketch/improv), though I cut back considerably after having a baby. I take classes with FWBimprov.com and perform with Rockwell 9. I am a graduate of the Second City Training Center's Advanced Writing Program, where I co-wrote the 2007 original sketch comedy revue "Home Is Where The Hurt Is." I performed in the first-ever Cleveland Comedy Festival in November 2008 and was featured on the cover of the Friday! Magazine in the Plain Dealer.
We're actually fighting the nap right now. At the moment I'm discovering that my 3-year-old will only respond to what I say when I talk like a dog. "Time for a nap, ruff, ruff, ruff."
Thanks for the add. ¶ The electoral sprint is over, and we've had a couple of weeks to catch our breath, but we still have a long trek ahead. We need to find a sustainable pace again. ¶ And it will be a new pace, because the terrain has changed. We've reached a higher elevation. I don't know how much more Obama will accomplish, but already he has led us to reject fearmongering, racism, and lies as electoral tactics. Over half our society has now affirmed that understanding is more important than "toughness." And some of the remaining people will now become easier to reach, because they are driven to conform to whatever they perceive as the majority, and that's now us. They may linger in denial for a time, but that will pass. ¶ Our struggle will be less obvious now; our adversaries will be more diffuse. I doubt that we'll be calling for impeachment. I expect that we'll rally in support of Obama on some issues and against him on others, but really it will be about the issues, not about him. ¶ We are still possessed by institutional and cultural demons: the military-industrial complex, consumerism, materialism, alienation, apathy, and other side effects of laissez faire. Those will all be exorcised only when our society understands our present situation and our alternatives. That understanding is spreading, but slowly; the corporate news media isn't helping. ¶ To change the world, we must change our culture; to do that, we must see more clearly; to do that, we must change ourselves. For a start, just talk with people -- that may not sound like much, but really it's huge. Share whatever you've understood about who we are and what we can become. Each of us knows only part of the song. Keep singing, hoping, resisting, questioning, loving. Hand in hand, we may heal this world. We're all in this together. -- Eric
Where there is light, there is hope. Where there is friendship - peace and truth. Christmas is a time for celebrating the special people in our lives. When we cannot find our way, we light a flame.
