On Jan. 19, Deep Dish Theater Company in Chapel Hill will tackle an all-too-serious need -- fundraising -- in a not-so-serious way.

The company will present its first "Side Dish" fundraising benefit -- an evening of spoofs, skits and general silliness featuring favorite actors from Deep Dish productions in short parodies of past Deep Dish shows and classics like "Hamlet" and "Waiting for Godot." The evening will begin with a champagne reception at 7:30 p.m., followed by the show at 8 p.m. and a post-show reception.

The fundraiser will be directed by Deep Dish board member Jeri Lynn Schulke, a frequent actor with Deep Dish who most recently appeared as Vivien Leigh in this fall's "Orson's Shadow." A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill's MFA Professional Actor Training Program, she has also appeared in numerous productions in the Triangle with PlayMakers Repertory Company, Flying Machine Theater Company and Burning Coal Theatre Company.

The cast will include Schulke and Deep Dish actors Katja Hill, who was seen in"Orson's Shadow"; Brad Schnurr, who was seen in "Marvin's Room"; Meredith Sause ("Good Person of Setzuan"); Byron Jennings, seen in the play "Permanent Collection"; David McClutchey ("Private Lives) and Lamont Reed ("The Exonerated").

Tickets are $40 each and are tax-deductible. They can be ordered by visiting www.deepdishtheater.org, calling 919-968-1515, or visiting the Deep Dish box office Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, located on Estes Drive and U.S. 15-501.

For more information, call 919-968-1515 or visit the Deep Dish Web site at www.deepdishtheater.org.