Stage

"An Evil Gal Who Wants to Rule the World..."

Mystery Science Theater 3000 star slings jokes and stories

Rob Reid |

Mary Jo Pehl, of MST3K fame
Mary Jo Pehl, of MST3K fame

“Pursued by a woman whose name is Pearl / an evil gal who wants to rule the world…” Fans of the television cult favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000 will know the above song lyric reference to Pearl Forrester, the evil nemesis of Mike Nelson and his “robot friends.” Pearl was played by Mary Jo Pehl, who will be appearing on stage with her standup comedy act in Eau Claire on Thursday, April 27 from 8-10pm at The Plus. Mary Jo says that Chippewa Valley comedy fans can look forward to “a lot of funny” and smart, off-the-wall jokes during her set. She is bringing along the talented Twin Cities comic Rana May, who has graced The Plus stage several times in the last few years, most notably opening for Kyle Kinane last January. Mary Jo said she’s honored to play here and is excited about what she’s heard of the burgeoning comedy scene in Eau Claire. She says she is looking forward to performing in a space “where people want to hear good comedy as opposed to just drinking beer.” She recently shot a few episodes for the upcoming MST3K rebirth, which premieres on Netflix on April 14. She will recreate her role as Pearl Forrester but she is mum how that character is related to the current cast. Since the original MST3K went off the air in 1997, she worked on a livlier version of the show titled Cinematic Titanic for six years and is currently working with Bridget Nelson on the offshoot product Rifftrax Presents. Mary Jo is also a writer, with a book out titled Employee of the Month and Other Big Deals. There’s a lot more to Mary Jo Pehl as you can see on her website www.mjpehl.com where she declares: “That guy from Mystery Science Theater 3000 … that’s a woman.” 

Clear Water Comedy presents: Mary Jo Pehl • April 27, 8pm • The Plus, 208 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire • $5 ($3 with valid student ID) • All ages (18+ recommended) • facebook.com/clearwatercomedy