Hello America,

I am working at the London Ontario Lesbian Film Festival and last night I saw the film CloudBurst, starring Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker.  It was great. Olympia plays a hard drinkin, flannel wearin, lesbian lovin dyke and she is very loveable even with a foul mouth.  It was  kinda like Thelma and Louise meets On Golden Pond.   I would recommend this to anyone.   Tonight I am looking forward to seeing T’aint Nobody’s Bizness: Queer blues Divas of the 1920′s and then seeing Bitch and Ferron Perform.   I will be performing at the Brunch on Sunday.   I hope they don’t serve Haggis.

So after leaving LA, I have been back on the East Coast for not quite a year now. I have been working in Rhode Island getting a lot of local gigs. I also find myself hosting a Public Television Talk show called Reach Out, that airs on Verizon channel 25 on Tuesdays at 3:30. My co/host is Ron Paolino and we help non-profits have a voice. We goof around a little and then we get serious about the group we are talking to. And now, I am going to try and keep these plates spinning and move my operations to New York, where I have a girlfriend, and I have started an acting class with the intention of getting an agent. I need to get into acting. Jane Lynch has got my career, sorta, and I need to get a piece of that for myself. I’m funny, I’m a good actress and I can sing. Glee needs me. I need Glee. Anyway, I have gig at Gotham Comedy Club on November 30th, called Homocomicus and one in New Hampshire on Dec 2nd. So I am running all over New England. I have also recently joined forces with HRC and they will be my sponsor for my Tour with The Queer Queens of Qomedy that is starting up January 22-25th. We are going to the South playing in Louisville, Nashville, Atlanta and Birmingham. I am looking forward to this. The Show line-up is Me, Barb Neligan and Vickie Shaw. Thank God Barb plays the banjo. So here is to wishing all your dreams and mine come true. Peace Out Girl Scout.

The long and winding road home.

When I graduated from South Kingstown High School in 1976 I had no idea I was going to become a professional comedian.  The only thing I thought was: I want to go play basketball at URI.  Diane Falk and the Drama dept did give me a Theatre scholarship: 90 dollars worth of dance lessons. (Not inspired sorry)

So, after playing for URI and the WRAMS for two years I realized there were no professional teams, so I had to choose another profession.  Theatre that was what I was good at.  Well, one thing led to another and soon I was on track to becoming a comedian.  I went to NY, Texas, Chicago and finally LA.  I came out as a lesbian in 2000 on stage at the Hollywood Improve, and was immediately given a show in Las Vegas!  So coming out did not hurt my chances at becoming famous.  I have been on a few specials, one on LOGO and one on SHOWTIME. (That one is currently running now!)

Los Angeles is great but many times when sitting at my desk, writing and booking gigs, I thought, I could be doing this just as easily from Rhode Island.  So, when my father made his earthly exit in January of 2010 and left me a little place, in the woods, in South County, with my brother I started to think it might be possible.  And that summer I met the woman of my dreams and she lives in NY. Now, all the signs are pointing to the East.   So I did it, I moved home!  At 53 years old.  And so far I am loving it. I am busy.  I am in love. I love working on the little house, and I am near my family and old friends.

Now the down side:  I can’t really go out and write late at night and by late I mean past 9:30. The only thing that is open and quiet is the Cumberland Farms in Charlestown.  Another negative for me are the bugs. Wow, we did not have so many bugs in LA. The smog must kill them all.  Rhode needs some smog.  Damn – what are they? I was very Zen Buddhist when I first got here.  I thought all living things deserve to live – but now, after 5 months, they’re all going down. BAM! Kill them all!  If it has more than four legs I am killing it.  Now spiders are walking past me up on two legs –“Just the two Poppy, see?” WHAM!  And the worst was when the hair stylist found a tick in my hair-“Auughhh!” How embarrassing.  In LA I used to go out and put on Angel perfume, now when I go out I have to put on Frontline.”

Oh we’re Rhode Island born and Rhode Island bred and when we die we’ll be Rhode Island dead so, go go Rhode Island go go Rhode Island Island go Rhode Island U R I.

Poppy Champlin is headlining at The Comedy Connection in East Providence

On August 26^th and 27^th

39 Warren Ave

East Providence, RI. 02914

401-438-8383

www.ricomedyconnection.com

www.poppychamplin.com

Hey Folks,