Behind the Scenes: How to Succeed at a Comedy Festival
By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 5, 2007 2:00PM
Sure, a comedy festival provides exposure and an excuse to get out of town for a weekend. But as the Sixth Annual Chicago Sketchfest gets underway, we’ve learned that comedy troupes also come here to nourish their inner fanboy (or girl) and to network. We contacted three veteran troupes to see how they make the most of these weekends.
Big News
performing January 5 & 6
Conceiving a weekly revue based on the previous week’s news can’t be easy, but L.A.-based Big News utilizes a team of 32 writers and considers submissions from brave and funny souls around the world. (For a crack at next week’s show, send your sketches to submissions[at]bignewsshow.com by Thursday, 2 pm Central Time.) Their ties to IO, Second City, and Saturday Night Live don’t hurt, and they’ve got a tremendous work ethic. Last night, soon after their weekly comedy gig wrapped, they boarded a red eye flight and, as we post this, they’re recovering from jet lag and resting up for tonight and tomorrow when, writer Mike Hughes tells us, they'll feature their best material from 2006 along with their trademark “Big News Report.” Mike provided further insight on the experience.
Why travel halfway across the country to perform at a comedy festival?
Hughes: Going to a festival gives us a chance to step back and take a good look at what we do each week and really appreciate the quality of what we accomplish. A festival also gives you a chance to really prove yourself. Laughter from an audience of 150 strangers in the best sketch comedy city in the world makes you feel you know what you're doing. It's also an amazing opportunity to see what other sketch groups are doing all over the country. Sketch comedy can be such a personal thing and it's awesome to find a group that approaches the art form in a way you never even considered. You can always learn something that you might be able to use in your own comedy.
What are the biggest challenges you face at a festival and how do you deal with them?
Hughes: You need to make sure that you can adapt your staging and blocking quickly to a news stage, particularly since you don't have unlimited tech rehearsal time… Four years of experience has given us a degree of faith in our writers and actors that we'll be able to meet the challenge. And the extra organizational responsibilities involved in getting to the festival and making arrangements have to be handled on top of the regular work of doing the show in L.A. This year, like last year, we'll be doing a show Thursday night, taking a redeye to Chicago, and then doing that same show Friday and Saturday at the Sketchfest. It's a little hectic but really rewarding.
Any advice for performers just starting out on the festival scene?
Hughes: Embrace the challenge of doing your material for an audience that doesn't know you. Keep things as simple as possible technically. Take the time to enjoy all aspects of the festival - other performances, panels, parties. Enjoy the city that you're visiting. Don't feel guilty for taking naps.
Elephant Larry
performing January 12 & 13
Returning for its fourth Sketchfest is Elephant Larry, a quintet of Cornell grads cultivating an intelligent brand of funny. Respected members of the New York comedy scene garnering national respect from their dozens of festival and college appearances and regular podcasts, Elephant Larry works a little harder for some well-earned laughs. Troupe member Geoff Haggerty says their hour-long revue of new material and a few old favorites will feature fun, energy and lots of costumes.
Why travel halfway across the country to perform at a comedy festival?
Haggerty: It's a rush. Chicago is just a great, great comedy town. If people are laughing at/with you in Chicago you know you're doing something right. And the crowds have always been great there so why wouldn't we come back?
What are the biggest challenges you face at a festival and how do you deal with them?
Haggerty: The biggest challenges usually come when you're doing a festival for the first time. You have to figure out a brand new tech situation with a brand new tech person and scout a brand new backstage that may or may not be big enough to accommodate all your (our) millions of props. Chicago Sketchfest is like a comfortable sweater. Which is good, cuz Chicago is cold.
Any advice for performers just starting out on the festival scene?
Haggerty: Two things: 1. Watch as much comedy as you can. We've seen a lot of awesome comedy at these festivals and it just inspires us to try to make some more comedy ourselves. 2. Continue being the awesome comedy we get to watch. We're selfish.
Kasper Hauser
performing January 12 & 13
Critics have deemed San Francisco-based Kasper Hauser “Pythonesque” and “Dadaesque” and liken their show to “Vaudeville-from-Hell.” These veteran headliners keep racking up accolades; their podcast was named one of iTunes’ Best of 2006. According to John Reichmuth, Sketchfest audiences will enjoy a “fast-paced multi-media show based on our new book, SkyMaul, which is a parody of the inflight catalog SkyMall.” The rest of the troupe addressed our other questions:
Why travel halfway across the country to perform at a comedy festival?
Rob Baedeker: It depends. Chicago is the biggest and broadest festival in the US, and the city is the spiritual home of sketch comedy. For us, it's a great way to connect with new audience, great performers, and old friends. We also get a chance to spread the word about what we're up to, whether it's SkyMaul, KHraigslist, the podcast, whatever... Also, they're usually f*&^*n' fun...
What are the biggest challenges you face at a festival and how do you deal with them?
James Reichmuth: Coming from California? The weather. In very cold cities, we have to wear longer shorts and close-toed sandals and put patouli in our dreadlocks so that they don't freeze and shatter… I think tech is a big issue. Unlike a long theatrical run in your home town, you've got a short period to get all the lighting, sound, and effects cues down pat (maybe an hour and a half!). Luckily, the tech folks are usually amazing. In the US, I'd say the audience responses don't vary too dramatically between festivals.
Any advice for performers just starting out on the festival scene?
Dan Klein: See as many other acts as you can. Along with networking and socializing, the creative cross-pollination that comes from seeing how other groups get laughs may be the biggest benefit of being there. Also, bring your inhaler, condoms, and a hairbrush as well as an emergency blanket in case there's some sort of weird hang-out scene.
Sketchfest continues through January 14 at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W Belmont. More information at www.chicagosketchfest.net.
Kasper Hauser photo by Lisa Keating.