SYNOPSIS

Comedy Thingy, a four-man troupe formed in 2013, features the original sketch and improv comedy of Clay Sander, Dave Bonde, Rick Davis, and Jeff De Leon. All four members originally hail from the Quad Cities area and have over 25 years of experience performing together in a variety of comedy shows including iO Theater, The Second City, Stage 773, Bit Theater, ComedySportz, and numerous other theatres across the Midwest. Their acclaimed show, Leopold!, has been featured numerous times at the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, and their web short series, Coach Cliche, was an official selection to the All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival.

In 2017, Comedy Thingy launched their podcast, All You Care To Eat, with each episode recorded in front of a live audience. The podcast was rebooted in 2023 and now records out of The Bit Theater in Aurora, IL.

THE GUYS

CLAY SANDER

After moving to Chicago from his hometown of Camanche, Iowa in the early 90’s, Clay has accumulated over 20 years of writing credits for stage, radio, and television. Most notably, for the co-authored play, Losers Bracket (Dramatic Publishing), Bad Judgment Day (stage play), and the comedy pilot, Happy Bobby Gulliver.

Upon graduation from St. Ambrose University, Sander's comedy writing/performing credits include The Second City, ImprovOlympic, WNEP Theater, Herky Wilbur Productions, ComedySportz Chicago, 670 The Score, Comedy Thingy, Spark Creative Comedy (LA/Chicago), script consultant, commissioned playwright, and writer for various corporate videos and live shows. He also received a Master’s Degree in Blathering Nonsense from Trump University.

DAVE BONDE

Dave Bonde became involved in theatre in theatre at St. Ambrose University and continued his education at Humboldt State University where he received his M.F.A. in Directing in 2002.

He has performed improv with ComedySportz, Amprov, and the Heavy Bread improv troupe which toured extensively throughout eastern Iowa and the Chicago area. Alongside writing partner Clay Sander [see the drivel listed above], Dave helped create two comedy albums: Four Levels of Jumpchin and It's Picture Day. In addition, he co-wrote and produced numerous original comedy shows at the WNEP Theater in Chicago, including TomorrowCo and Krumpft.

As a writer, Dave has had his plays produced in different venues both locally and on the west coast. He has written and directed several short films  - one of which received an award for Best Comedy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

RICK DAVIS

{To be read to the tune of 'Rock Me, Amadeus' by Falco] 
1974: Coyne Center, Illinois. August 13th. Rick Eugene Davis was born.
1978: At the age of four, Davis begins entertaining.
1988: He stars in four sketches at his high school variety show.
1992: Rick Eugene Davis officially marries diabetes.
1993: Rick Eugene Davis becomes a professional improv comic. (stand-up, voiceover)
1998: Davis composes and performs in The Chairman is Coming (a one-man character show).
On December 15th of that same year, Davis dies.
2013: Quad Cities regenerated performer Rick E. Davis records, 'Rock Me, I'm Rick Davis.'

JEFF DE LEON

Jeff De Leon is a co-founder and instructor with G.I.T. Improv, and is in his 29th year as a roster member of ComedySportz - previously with Quad Cities, and now as a satellite player with the Boston team. He co-founded the sketch and improv troupe, HeyWire, at Augustana College. He has trained at The Second City Conservatory, iO Theater, The Annoyance, The Playground, and Wirth Creative in Chicago. Jeff has performed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Detroit Improv Festival, Third Coast Improv Fest, Phoenix Improv Festival, Last Best Comedy Fest, Countdown Improv Festival, DuoFest, Traverse City Comedy Arts Fest, Flyover Comedy Festival, Twin Cities Improv Festival, Improv Festivus, Floodwater Comedy Festival, Green Gravel Comedy Festival, headlined the Compass Improv Festival from 2012-14 - and again in 2020, Eau Claire Improv Fest, C-U Improv Festival, Des Moines Improv Festival, So ILL Comedy Festival, Chicago SketchFest, numerous ComedySportz Championships, opened for the Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company, as well as being a guest performer with Midnite Show, Chicago Improv Productions, pH Comedy Theater, Tantrum, Midnight Blue, The Hot Karl, and was in the international touring cast of Crime Of The Hour while in Scotland. He is a co-founder of the long form show, Wisenheimer, a performer in Shakespeared!, and veteran of numerous Late Nite Shows at The Establishment and The Black Box Theatre including 309, Forge, Full Disclosure, Nocturne Falls, True Story, proXy, Critical Hit, R&D, Survivor, It’s Your Fault, Movie: The Musical. and is a multi-time Improv Comedy DeathMatch 3000 champion. He co-wrote the television pilot, Reality Check, which was an official selection at the Chicago TV Pilot Competition and ITVFest in Los Angeles.

SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMERS + COLLABORATORS

Jim Adamson, Mark Allen, Mary Jo Bolduc, Patrick Brennan, Mike Brose, John Hannon, Lindsey Harrington, Cory Johnson, Matt Kissane, Rebecca Langguth, Tom Maicke, Gunnar Malstrom, Ryan Miera, Leslie Mitchell, Jesse Mohr, Chris Moore, Jay Pauer, Kathy Sander, Jeff Shivar, Mike Starcevich, Jay Sukow, Brent Tubbs, Mike Ward, Jessica Nicol White, and Joe Zerull