Special guest Rene Hicks will lead the line-up at Rx Laughter, an evening of comedy featuring top Bay Area talent. Topical humorists Will Durst and Johnny Steele will join Hicks and Bob Sarlatte at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre on Saturday, November 16 at 8 pm. Master of Ceremonies will be Ron Feingold.

San Francisco-born Hicks, who Ms. Magazine called “outrageously funny,” was the first African-American woman nominated for an American Comedy Award for best female standup comic. Hicks has promised the audience “a healthy heaping comedy meal, chock full of nutritious funny.”

Durst, a five-time Emmy nominee and host/co-producer of the award-winning PBS series "Livelyhood," is also a regular commentator on NPR and CNN. The L.A. Times called Durst "a modern day Will Rogers.” His fellow satirist Steele, known to radio and TV audiences in the Bay Area, started performing standup comedy in 1984. The Sacramento Bee characterized one of Steele’s performances as "a tidal wave of social and political commentary." Bob Sarlatte, who appeared frequently on Late Night with David Letterman, also has worked as a national humor reporter for Entertainment Tonight.

Feingold will add custom-written “A Capella Comedy” to the mix. Also appearing will be the improvisation comedy team Deb and Mike.

The second annual event, this year benefiting the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, is presented by the Hospitals Auxiliary of UCSF Medical Center and the Auxiliary, UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion. John Kerner, MD, former chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a pioneer in women’s health, will be specially honored.

Rx Laughter tickets at $25, $40 and $60 are available by calling 415-885-7354. Information is available by email at auxiliary.department@ucsfmedctr.org.

For more information about the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health call 415-353-7481.

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