Despite his impossibly difficult last name, Joe Kwaczala has established himself as one of Chicago's smartest and funniest young comedians. He first started doing stand-up while attending the University of Notre Dame and somehow was able to make the student body laugh without mentioning Jesus or football. Quickly, Joe became a known comedic presence on campus: he hosted his own late-night talk show for campus television and founded the first University-recognized club for student stand-up comedians. Midway through his junior year, he moved to Chicago to temporarily study with The Second City for an intensive semester-long college-credit program called Comedy Studies. This opportunity acquainted him with the city's comedy community, and he would return there after graduation. Occasionally, Joe will go back to his hometown of Pittsburgh to perform comedy there as well. Inexplicably, he manages to make Pittsburghers laugh without mentioning football or football.
Considering that he was born when Ishtar was #1 at the box office, Joe has accomplished a lot for his age. Not only does he have a polished act that meshes an accessible on-stage presence with an off-beat sensibility, but he has also opened for a slew of comedians such as Aziz Ansari, Todd Barry, and Joel McHale. In addition to his stand-up pursuits, Joe has directed and acted in several short films, written and performed for a number of sketch revues, and debuted a one-man show Standpoint in April 2010.
