The 10th annual Comedy Night, a benefit for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, will take place Saturday, June 26 at the Village Theatre, 233 Front Street, Danville. Johnny Steele a San Francisco comic headlines the show and has been participating in this annual fundraiser since 2002. Johnny’s sister Debra Lopez, is an Ovarian Cancer survivor and an advocate for NOCC.



Tickets are now on sale Click Here , or by calling (925) 314-3400 Click Here for Comedy Benefit. Proceeds benefit the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to public awareness and education about a disease that’s the 5th leading cause of cancer death in U.S. women, according to the American Cancer Society.



Bay Area comedian and writer Charleen Earley, stage name Charlie B. Earley, will take the stage as MC. Other performers for this year’s show include Kellen Erksine and returning comic Jeff Applebaum.

Earley co-produced Comedy Night along with Stacey Hartmann for eight years 2001-2008, until Stacey lost her battle to ovarian cancer on Jan. 3, 2009. Their first show in 2001, in a rehearsal hall at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, featured comedian/radio personality and author Brian Copeland. In 2002, the show moved to Danville, where it became a hit and had a successful run of sold-out shows for several years at the Village Theatre, raising about $5,000 annually. Three years ago, with the sponsorship support of the John Muir Women’s Health Center, the show moved to the Lesher Center for the Arts. This year the show returns to Danville at the Village Theatre.



Stacey and Charleen’s comedy-producing partnership evolved from a professional association that began nine years ago when Stacey was a magazine editor and Charleen was a freelance writer and budding stand-up comedienne. Within a few months of their first meeting, Stacey was struck at age 39 with a devastating diagnosis: late stage ovarian cancer. At the time of her diagnosis in the summer of 2000, statistics gave Stacey a 20 percent chance of surviving five years. Undaunted, Charleen rallied to her side with funny e-mails, jokes and good cheer. When Stacey completed her months of grueling treatments, it was Charleen’s idea to put on a cancer benefit comedy show.



Charleen performs her comedy routine and serves as MC for Comedy Night. Charleen’s also responsible for recruiting the other comedians who perform at the benefit. Using her contacts in the Bay Area and national entertainment scene, Charleen has lured the talents of, Johnny Steele, Kellen Erskine, Jeff Applebaum, Brian Copeland, Chicago Steve Barkley, Regina Stoops, Larry “Bubbles” Brown, Carlos Alazraki (from Reno 911!) and many more to perform for Comedy Night.



Charleen, 45, is a Knightsen-based single mom. While comedy is her passion, Charleen makes her living as editor of a 44-page monthly magazine for Trilogy in Rio Vista and as a part-time ROP journalism teacher for Deer Valley High School in Antioch. She also freelances for several Bay Area publications, including the Stockton Record and 65-Degrees Magazine in Monterey.



At age 47, Stacey lost her battle with ovarian cancer. She worked part-time in marketing for the Town of Danville, and volunteered her time with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition/San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Stacey served as the marketing, promotional and overall organizational core of Comedy Night. Filling Stacey’s shoes now is Charleen’s sister Rita Caruso, a senior mortgage consultant for RPM Mortgage in Walnut Creek. During Stacey’s last few months of life, she told Charleen she didn’t have to carry on Comedy Night on her behalf. At the time, Charleen didn’t want to discuss it, and just focus on Stacey and her new journey ahead of her. About a month after Stacey’s passing, Charleen felt the need to continue the show, based on a headline she had read in a local paper entitled, “Strong voice for ovarian cancer silenced.” Charleen felt that wasn’t and shouldn’t be the case. “Stacey’s voice has not been silenced, and I will help to keep her voice for ovarian cancer awareness alive.”



Beating statistics, Stacey reminded all of her friends and family that if they were looking for a miracle, it had already happened. “I lived three years longer than what statistics told me I would,” she wrote Charleen in an e-mail. Stacey felt a sense of humor was vital to her recovery, and said the healing power of laughter had helped her deal with setbacks, such as an early stage breast cancer diagnosis in 2002 (successfully treated) and the return of ovarian cancer in 2004. Under the circumstances, Rita Caruso was moved to help fill Stacey’s shoes as co-producer. “I was drawn to the love and commitment to this event that has been carried on by Stacey and Charleen. I knew that whatever needed to be done, I was more than willing to be there, to support such a tremendous event!” Ruthann Gore a new resident of California has coordinated the logistics to make the 2010 event extra special, her mom Lucille Deschene passed away from the disease 6 years ago. “I wanted to get involved in promoting awareness of ovarian cancer and happened to move to Danville the year NOCC needed someone to handle the show logistics and marketing.”

I never knew Stacey, but I wanted her voice to live on, through the Annual NOCC Comedy Night.” said Ruthann.

For more information about the show or the NOCC, call 925-383-3072, Click Here or send email to charleen@ecis.com.

About Ovarian Cancer

In women age 35-74, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. An estimated one woman in 58 will develop ovarian cancer during her lifetime. There is no effective early diagnosis screening test for ovarian cancer. As a result, about 70% of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with advanced disease. The five-year survival rate for these women is 20 to 30%, whereas the five-year survival rate for patients with early-stage disease is more than 90%.

What are the symptoms?
Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort

Vague, but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea, and indigestion

Frequency and/or urgency of urination in absence of an infection



Unexplained weight gain or weight loss



Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness



Ongoing unusual fatigue



Unexplained changes in bowel habits

If symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks, consult your physician.

About NOCC

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is a nonprofit organization working to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, promote education about the disease, obtain funding for research, and improve survival rates and quality of life for patients. The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter provides information to newly diagnosed women and makes free presentations to community groups. Contact the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter at 925-974-8189 or visit www.ovarian.org.

About the John Muir Women’s Health Center



The John Muir Women's Health Center is dedicated to providing accessible comprehensive health programs in a caring and supportive environment for women of all ages who are embracing motherhood, maintaining wellness or making life transitions. The beautiful facility has a health and wellness resource library with brochures, books and videos. The John Muir Women's Health Center is located at 1656 N. California Blvd., Suite 100, (across the street from the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts) in Walnut Creek. The telephone number is (925) 941-7900.