By Kit Fitzgerald
The Englert Theater will host Hollywood actor, playwright, and author Jesse Eisenberg today for a Q&A.
The Campus Activities Board annually hosts one large comedic event, and this year it will be held today at 8 p.m.“Every year, we try to have a big comedy event, and we have been working diligently this year to try to bring a big show, this semester specifically,” CAB adviser Shelley Hartman said. “We looked at a couple options, and after speaking with a middle agent, they brought up Jesse’s name.”
CAB Comedy Director Evan Hood, who was in charge of the event, said he decided on Eisenberg because the actor is one of his favorites. Hood said Eisenberg has also done a lot in the writing scene, such as pieces for *The New Yorker* as well as plays.
“I think it will be interesting to see a person who you see on screen all the time but is also a proficient writer and knows the business,” Hood said. “It will be interesting to see it from that perspective instead of just hearing it from a lecture of another professor.”
Hartman agreed with Hood’s choice.
“It’s a great way for people in our community and students to not only get to know a performer, or an artist, or actor better but also for him to kind of get an idea of what it’s like in Iowa City,” she said.
UI student and comedian Alosha Robinson will open the show. The winner of the CAB event Last Comic Standing, he will perform an eight- to 10-minute set.
“Yeah, it will be one of the bigger crowds,” Robinson said in jest. “It will probably be the biggest crowd I’ve ever performed for that came to see Jesse Eisenberg.”
Robinson said he’s anxious because he’s doing standup, and Eisenberg is discussing his career and those are such different things.
“It will be cool to be making jokes, you know, insinuating we have equal billing. Obviously I just got tagged onto this,” Robinson said. “But really, it’s cool to be on the same event as any person who’s making a million dollars.”
Hood said the planning for this event came together within a three-week period.
“Usually, a show like this can take at least a couple of months, but we wanted to get this running …” Hartman said. “We’ve kind of hit the ground running.”
Hartman also said Eisenberg has recently started talking at colleges and enjoys speaking and interacting with students. This has made it easy to plan with him.
Hood said it will be good to see art bring the community and the UI students together for one big event.
It will give students an opportunity to connect with someone who has made a name for themselves, Hartman said.
“That’s very important for our students to kind of gain this worldview of what’s out there and what’s outside of Iowa City,” Hartman said. “But experience that here in Iowa City.”
