With team names such as 5-Spice, Lick the Wax Tadpole, SFUU Man Chu, The Yangtzers and Disoriental, five groups of Asian Canadian performers and writers have officially formed in response to an open invitation from Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT) to gather, perform and compete at its ninth annual Asian Comedy Night, titled: SKETCHOFF!#$%!! Etch-YOUR-Sketch 2! at the Roundhouse on May 9 and 10.

All teams have two weeks to write and rehearse at least two sketches, one of which must incorporate a creative element provided by VACT that each team will choose at random.

Through this two-week process, teams will have access to comedy consultants to help during this tight timeframe.

On May 9, each team will be given a six to 10-minute set to perform their sketches in front of a live audience, where a panel of celebrity judges will select a winner for the coveted Vancouver Rice Bowl.

On May 10, the audience will be the judges.

SKETCHOFF!#$%!!

has been a sold-out event every year and the annual show has provided a rare showcase for various Asian stand-up comedians and sketch teams from all over Canada and the U.S.

As a developer of new talent, VACT had previously incubated such successful local Asian-Canadian sketch comedy troupes as Hot Sauce Posse and Assaulted Fish.

VACT aims to produce quality plays in which Asian-Canadians take on culturally or artistically significant roles, dispelling Asian stereotypes and creating positive images.