Get comp up to $8.50 tickets to the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center’s run of Standing in Mattoon.  In this comical, character-driven production, a small town in Illinois finds itself embroiled in a contest of endurance. A funny tale about sad people trying to change their sad (and funny) lives by winning a van, Standing in Mattoon presents an ensemble of desperate characters taking part in the contest. There’s an appealing bagel factory worker who’s thinking of leaving Mattoon. There’s a curiously enigmatic stranger. There’s even a reverend who’s losing his faith as his congregation flees for a nearby megachurch. Offbeat and unpredictable, Standing in Mattoon tells a story that is both comedic and touching.