EDGY MANHATTAN THEATER BRINGS TOGETHER TV’S NEXT GENERATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 1, 2007 -- New York City’s Peoples Improv Theater, or the PIT, has been named “The Best New Development in Comedy” by Time Out New York. Classes at the PIT have been named the “Best in New York” by New York magazine.

Now, a group of PIT alumni have produced an original television pilot, “What She’s Having,” that will screen at the prestigious New York Television Festival. Held annually, the NY TV Festival is the industry’s first recognized independent television festival, uniting artists, industry, and fans. In past years, pilots that debuted at the Festival were purchased by networks such as NBC Universal and A&E.

Sarit Catz, the writer and executive producer of “What She’s Having,” teaches sitcom writing at the PIT. The two stars, Kimmy Gatewood and Canedy Knowles, took Sarit’s class. Kimmy also teaches a course at the PIT and both she and Canedy have performed at the PIT many times, as has Matthew C. Johnson, the director and producer.

“I was having coffee with Sarit and the idea came up,” explains Matt. “Since we all know each other, the whole thing came together naturally. Then the real work began.”

Sarit elaborates, “When I was working on Hollywood sitcoms, there were hundreds of people each doing one job. On ‘What She’s Having,’ there were only a few of us and we were each doing a hundred jobs. When we finished principal photography, I felt like I’d been hit by a Mac truck.”

“And then we had to load it with equipment and I had to drive it back to the City!” adds Matt.

“What She’s Having” screens Saturday, September 8 at 2:15 pm and Sunday, September 9 at 5:45 pm at New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., NYC.

About Sarit Catz:

A recognized comedy expert, Sarit Catz began her career creating, writing and producing three award-winning comedy services for ABC Radio Networks and other national services. Sarit went on to become a TV writer/producer with credits like “Coach,” “Full House,” “Soul Man,” “Café Americain,” and “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” Sarit wrote and sold options on two screenplays, won 3 Writers Guild of America Awards and been named a semi-finalist in the ScriptapaloozaTV screenwriting contest. She plays all the top comedy clubs, was a semi-finalist in “The Great Canadian Laugh-Off” and is a three time winner of “Clash of the Comics.” She is in pre-production on “The Buzz,” a talk show which Sarit will host. For more info, www.princessofcomedy.com.

About Matthew C. Johnson:

Matthew C. Johnson has written, directed and edited numerous shorts with his sketch group, The Royal We, including their pilot for TV Land. The Royal We was nominated for an Emerging Comics of New York Award for Best Sketch Comedy Group and has enjoyed sold out runs in New York and at comedy festivals across the country. The Royal We was a Time Out New York critic's pick, which proclaimed “See them now, before they're sponsored.” For more info, www.mcjohnsonfilms.com.

comedy     festival     matthew c. Johnson     ny     s having     sarit catz     televison     tv     women