The improv-comedy group Stir Friday Night is back with a brand new campaign! Next week, GM Masood Haque is leading the cast into the world of Monster of the Week. Get to know the cast and get excited for this collaborative story-telling game filled with magic, monsters, and a little bit of horror (possibly a lot of horror). Join them all on March 24 at 5pm PT as they embark on this new campaign together.
Masood Haque is a comedian, actor, writer, and TTRPG streamer based in Chicago. He has completed NBC's Bob Curry Fellowship and graduated from Second City's Advanced Directing Program. Masood is a founding member of the comedy troupe Club Asia, performs regularly with Stir-Friday Night (SFN), and has lent his voice to various VO projects. He plays D&D regularly for Roll20 as a part of Indoor Recess and with SFN, and he is also a member of Rivals of Waterdeep. You can find out what Masood's up to on Twitter and Instagram @mahrudeboi, or just see pictures of his cats.
I’m super pumped for us to play Monster of the Week! Having SFN set our world based on a Chicago that is touched by the supernatural is so invigorating because we all get to share our passion, love, and criticism of our city. We also get to play in a world that is relatable but still surreal in all the best ways. And I’m just really pumped to GM for my cast. I always have a blast crafting a narrative with my friends, and we’re pretty good at it, which helps. So I can’t for you all to come watch SFN’s new Monster of the Week show starting 3/24 at 5 PST! - Masood
Xu Mason is a bilingual first-generation Asian American actress/writer/comedian. She came up through the Chicago improv scene, where she studied at The Annoyance, iO, and The Second City. She has been on multiple iO Harold Teams, and was a 2019 Second City in conjunction with NBC Universal Bob Curry Fellow. Her writing has been found in Points in Case, Belladonnas, Flexx Mag, and Funny-ish. She currently plays games online with her improv team StirFriday Night, and more. Find her on twitter and instagram at @hellotherexu.
I'm really excited about playing a character who is ageless, and starting to lose touch with her humanity. It's a fun premise for a role! I also love the world we're building within Chicago as it reminds of the times when I used to go outside and interact with the city. That was fun. I hope I get to do it again one day. - Xu
Harrison Hapin is an Actor/Improvisor from the Bay Area California. He has worked with many theatres in Chicago including Writers Theatre, iO Chicago, Teatro Vista, and Chicago Dramatists.
I am super excited to fight some evil monsters and have fun with my friends. I’m looking forward to seeing how we grow as a team and how we can overcome any ridiculous character Masood sends our way. - Harrison
Erica Geiser is a writer and comedian based in Chicago. Before the pandemic, Erica enjoyed performing with Stir Friday Night, the Harold team Slice at iO, and Dick Wolf Improv at the Annoyance Theatre. These days, Erica is riding out the winter in Texas and doing virtual standup and storytelling shows. She is also a contributor to The Lunar Times satire site. You can find her online at @bebica_says on Instagram.
For this campaign, I'm excited about returning to Chicago to hunt down monsters. My character, Dolly, may look sweet, but she’s a stone-cold badass out for revenge and always ready to fight. - Erica
Joan Moon is originally from Skokie, Illinois. She studied at The Second City Conservatory Program and iO, and studied political science and history in college. She has a background in copywriting and is addicted to KBBQ and YouTube.
I've always been obsessed with consuming all things horror and paranormal, so I'm excited to explore the world we're building. I know we'll make it unique since Asian Americans aren't usually the main characters in these genres. It's like we're going to be starring in the horror movie I would've loved to have watched as a kid. - Joan
Asra Khan is a comedian, writer, and yoga instructor based in Chicago, Illinois. In the before times, Asra enjoyed performing with her teams Stir Friday Night, Club Asia, and Two Chicks at theaters such as iO, The Second City, and The Annoyance. Nowadays, she's attempting to podcast, teach yoga online, and write comedic essays. You can follow her journey on Instagram and Twitter at @khanye__west.
I'm super excited about the character I've chosen, a stubborn, badass 17-year old with powers?! This is the teenage experience I dreamed of! I also LOVE performing with Stir Friday Night, so I'm stoked to play another campaign with my friends! - Asra
Ben Cumings is an actor, improviser and writer from Chicago, Illinois. He began improvising while attending Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and threatens to continue. In the heady days of live entertainment, he performed regularly throughout Chicago at the iO Theater, The Annoyance, and The Second City. Though he has DMed numerous tabletop RPGs for his friends, he has never once received any thanks. Ben is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent and can be found on Instagram and Twitter @bencumings.
I'm thrilled to be joining this campaign with my dear friends! I haven't played Monster of the Week before, but I love the ruleset so far and am really looking forward to trying to use it as creatively as possible. I'm excited to play a sort of "every person" character, providing a little comic relief but more importantly a different POV for this weird and mysterious world we've built. And - of course - as a Chicagoan I can't wait to play in this fantastical Chicagoland area we've created, where we will visit really underground, locals-only places that tourists do not know about, such as the Bean, Navy Pier, and those architecture tour boats on the river. - Ben