1978-1987: Mercy High School Sunshine Boys Steven Allen Ferchaud and Aaron Standish Mathisen form the Allen Standish Comedy Revue, which quickly becomes the best poster-hanging group in the greater Red Bluff-Chico, CA area. Piano Man Roland Allen is also in the first show, confusing everyone from the beginning. Liz Merry moves from the Bronx to the Jersey Shore to The Road to Chico, Ca., playing rock-and-roll, juggling, and doing waitress comedy for thousands (one table at a time). 1988-1990: Aaron & Roland put together a two-man act called "Comedy From The Basement". Liz conquers the Chico back-up singer scene and notices that sweaty little guy.
1990-1994 Liz writes her way into Wacky Wednesdays at LaSalle's in Chico (hosted by ASCR alumni Phil Pearson and John Bertoli) in May of 1990. She and Aaron are married by October. The name and membership of the comedy troupe changes several times (The Hump Day Players, Chico Comedy Company, Comedy 4-Play and others) finally becoming The Wild Oak Comedy Night.
1995-1999 Wild Oak is the name of the fake hippie store that Liz and Aaron opened in downtown Red Bluff in 1994. The store is still going strong at 328 Oak Street in beautiful downtown Red Bluff (530-527-7347), across the street from the historic State Theatre. It's now owned by a younger, nicer couple who isn't always making fun of their customers onstage.
2000-2007 Merry Standish owns up to the shame and starts using their real names. The number of live shows begin to dwindle as the duo attempts to figure out how to use computers to do comedy shows from their home without ever having to get out of their pajamas.
2008-2009 Replaced with clones. Unfunny clones harvested for body parts. Brains to be preserved in pepperoncini juice until nostalgia fuels a glorious comeback.
