UPDATE – CANCELLED Oct.9: Our Funny University – with Writer Andrew Bergman
UPDATED Oct. 6, 2015 – The UW-Madison Libraries, UW Parent Program, UW-Madison Department of History and Wisconsin Public Television regret to announce the year’s Our Funny University is cancelled.
Madison – Honeymoon in Vegas, Blazing Saddles, and Fletch – these films are considered some of the greatest comedies of all time, and they all share a common tie to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. On October 9, Our Funny University welcomes Andrew Bergman, the mastermind writer behind these comedic greats, back to campus. Join us as Bergman shares his story of working on his dissertation at UW–Madison (entitled We’re in the Money: Depression America and Its Films) to becoming a successful screenwriter.
Bergman has written the screenplays for The In-Laws, Fletch, and Soapdish, as well as writing and directing Honeymoon in Vegas, It Could Happen to You, So Fine, and Striptease. The American Film Institute nominated five of his films as among the greatest comedies of all time; Blazing Saddles, The In-Laws, Fletch, Soapdish and The Freshman. Bergman also helped established The Andrew Bergman History Writing Prize at UW–Madison. It is awarded annually for the best undergraduate paper written for a history course, based on quality of writing and research, with special attention to clarity and accessibility of writing.
For generations UW–Madison students have forged successful careers by using comedy. Last year’s inaugural Our Funny University event brought Jim Mallon and Scott Dikkers back to campus. Mallon was elected President of the Wisconsin Student Association on the Pail and Shovel Party ticket – famously known for its comedic approach to student politics. He went on to win a Peabody Award as executive producer of the Mystery Science Theater 3000. Scott Dikkers is a founding editor of The Onion and a #1 New York Times best-selling author. He co-wrote and edited The Onion’s Our Dumb Century, for which he received a Thurber Prize for American Humor, and is developing a new Onion TV show for Comedy Central.
Our Funny University is sponsored by UW–Madison Libraries, UW–Madison Parent Program, UW–Madison History Department, and Wisconsin Public Television.
Event Schedule:
- Friday, October 9, 2015
- 7:00 p.m. Panel Discussion with Andrew Bergman (Free Community/Campus event)
- Andy Moore from WI Public Television will serve as moderator/interviewer
- Marquee Theatre, Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St., Madison, WI