‘SNL’ cast member to headline LOL

Live from the UIC Forum, it’s Leslie Jones.

On Jan. 26, Jones, a writer and cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” will headline the fourth annual “LOL@UIC,” a comedy show presented by the Student Activities Board.

“It’s one of those really signature events that UIC does every year,” event lead Sunil Dommaraju said. “The main importance of it is that it’s a community-building event. We want to bring UIC students, faculty and staff together. It’s a lighthearted event that students and everyone can enjoy.”

Students, faculty and staff with a valid ID card receive free admission to LOL and alumni can buy a ticket for $15. The first 500 guests will also receive free “LOL@UIC” beanies.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with Jones scheduled to take the stage at 7 p.m. The Student Activities Board will give out approximately 25 VIP passes, which includes a meet-and-greet with Jones after her performance. Contests to win the VIP passes will be posted on the Student Activities Board’s social media pages.

Jones — who has also appeared in Judd Apatow’s “Trainwreck,” Chris Rock’s “Top Five” and the 2016 reboot of “Ghostbusters” — will perform standup for the UIC community. Her style conflates observational humor with black humor and a tinge of blue humor. She doesn’t restrain from any topic and commands the stage in her standup and sketches.

“[Jones] could relate a lot to the UIC population because she represents that diversity and she represents the ideals that UIC stands for,” Dommaraju said. “At the same time, she can also provide comedic relief to a lot of what’s going on right now in society. So, especially this year, it feels like it’s a little more important to the general environment of the campus.”

The 49-year-old comedian’s rise to the top wasn’t a quick or easy venture, though. Before impressing the likes of Lorne Michaels, Jones spent more than a quarter-century performing standup at smaller venues across the country. It was during her long road that she worked to perfect her standup skills.

“She’ll definitely be able to impart some advice on UIC students in terms of persisting towards your goals and being able to set your mind to something,” Dommaraju said. “As many years as it takes, if you keep going for that goal, you can achieve that. She’s a testament to that, so students can learn a lot and laugh a lot.”