MOUNT VERNON - Bonnie Jerdon of Mount Vernon has been a fan of the popular Fox Television show "MADtv" for years, but now she has one more important reason to watch the show.

Her daughter, Crista Flanagan, is one of the newest members of the cast, and her first performance in the sketch comedy show will be aired tonight on Fox.

"She's always had a sense of humor and was always a performer," Jerdon said.

Flanagan, 28, graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1994 and attended University of Evansville where she studied theater, then moved to California to get her master's of fine arts degree in drama and theater.

She got her start in stand-up comedy with several shows and wrote her own material for several of her own performances.

Jerdon said Flanagan has been performing since she was a little girl and had a gig in her elementary school's talent shows each year.

Robin Shook was on the high school drill team with Flanagan and said she's always had a good sense of humor.

"We just used to goof off together," she said.

Flanagan has had guest appearances on NBC's "ER" and ABC's "The Practice," as well as a role on MTV's "You've Got a Friend" according to her Web site.

"She's always had a real good comedy timing," Jerdon said.

Jerdon said she, her husband Harold and their daughter Sarah went to California to visit Flanagan during Christmas.

While they were there, Jerdon said Flanagan had her auditions for her role on "MADtv." She saw her daughter go through all the emotions of being excited about her good performance and the nervousness of having to wait for a call.

Finally, Jerdon said, they were having a little Christmas celebration when Flanagan got the call from her manager saying she got the part on the show.

"It turned into quite a celebration then," she said.

Jerdon said her daughter has been busy all week, with final rehearsals on Friday.

She'll only appear in one sketch in her first show, but the show did purchase four of the sketches she had written.

Although Jerdon is proud of her daughter and her accomplishments, she said she's still a Southern Illinoisan and likes to come back to Mount Vernon for the Cedarhurst Craft Fair as often as she can.

"We're starting to feel that (fame) as each new project gives her a little more recognition," she said.

Shook said she keeps in touch with Flanagan through e-mails. She doesn't see her that often, but she knows her high school friend is right where she ought to be.

"I knew she'd make it," she said. "She always loved to act and dance and cut up."

kristen.cates@thesouthern.com 618-529-5454 x15804