for all your cryptozoological pleasures...

Sunday night I'll be performing in the pickup group, Bigfoot. My bipedal hominoids in crime include:

- Rick Horner
- Brandon Libby
- Greg Maughan
- David Warick

It should make for quite an interesting evening. Come check it out... Industrial is also on the bill and it's free as usual!

Improv Sunday
Sunday, June 17 @ 8PM
Fergies Pub
1214 Sansom St

NYC Sketch-a-Thon

Men About Town has been invited to perform as part of the NYC Sketch-A-Thon coming up next weekend!

The Sketch-a-Thon is a festival of sketch and improvisational comedy presented by Porch Light Productions and Sketch This. It runs June 13-16th. Joining us will be Sketch This, Pembroke and Lu, Ice Cream Socialists, Drop Six, Fifedom, Amnesia Wars, Impending Mustache, Knuckle Sandwich, Bare Handed Wolf Chokers, A Week of Kindness, Murderfist and Secret Pants.

The Producers Club
358 W 44th Street - NYC
(between 8th & 9th in Midtown near UCBT)
We play Saturday, 6/16 @ 8:30
All shows start @ 8pm
$10

judge not, lest ye be satirical about it

Next Friday I'm heading down to Dover for the Delaware Improv Mini-Fest 2007. I've been asked to be a judge for their show, Improv Apprentice.

Essentially, we're taking all the improvisers that are performing in the festival and splitting them into two groups. They will then present unrehearsed, unscripted games to myself and my fellow panel of judges. Each round, players will be "fired" for not being funny enough or for breaking the rules of the game they're doing. Eventually it will come down to one player who will then become David Warick's Improv Apprentice.

Now, I don't know what becoming Dave's Apprentice entails... but I think creepy thoughts just on basic principle.

little black dress up

Tonight I will be donning their signature black attire and joining the N Crowd as host for the evening. With last week under my belt, tonight is bound to be even more exciting than the 1973 signing of Wilt Chamberlain by the ABA San Diego Conquistadors. Well probably not. But maybe... I mean, it was the ABA.

I'll be leading the charge in shortform games like Advice Panel, Newlyweds, Jeopardy, Changing Locations and the always groan-worthy 166.

Come on out and see how magic is made. Or destroyed. We don't know yet. And you won't know unless you come.

The N Crowd
w/ guest host Matt Nelson
Tonight - 8pm
The Actor's Center
257 N Third St - Phila
$10

what to do, what to do...

I am simply at a loss; I don't even know what to say.

Connie's Ric Rac has been the venue for Troika since its inception back in December. Apparently they've been presenting themselves as a school and not an entertainment venue. While classes do go on there, overwhelmingly the events are performances featuring live music, puppet shows, improv and sketch comedy.

At 1:30 in the morning on Saturday, March 31st Connie's Ric Rac was raided by officials from the Dept. of Licenses and Inspections along with half a dozen or so boys in blue. They came in to find live music and a keg sitting in the corner. At 1:30 in the morning, that probably wasn't the quite the paradigm of a school in the eyes of L&I officials. They kindly escorted everyone out. They issued a red flag cease operations / stop work order and locked the place up. They were charged with operating an entertainment venue without a license and cited in violation of zoning, fire, electrical and liquor regulations. I know, go big or go home, right?

So this has left me in a mad dash to find a new venue for the show on the nineteenth. And boy have I been dashing. I thought I had the Playground through CSZ, but it turned out that Amaryllis was using it to premier Weight. Luckily that one was only a lead and wasn't confirmed. Then I confirmed the black box at the Prince. I was so stoked about using this space. The check for $550 was all good to go. (yeah, I was seriously going to pay that much out of pocket to make this show happen). Got the call that between the Cabaret and the Film Fest that the nineteeth will be the first day they'll be able to get in there and strike, so there's no way it will be cleared and re-setup in time for a 7:30 house. Sigh. Yesterday I confirmed the Actor's Center. Talked to them on the phone... no conflicts. Sent press releases to the four corners of media, updated events calendars and let my players know we had a confirmed venue. An hour later, I get an email saying that they are hosting an event in the space that night and it won't be available.

Seriously, wtf? Whose cheerios did I piss in?

I've tried all kinds of places. Most are not available. There are a ton of productions launching right about that time so many are having a show or final dress. Walnut Street premieres The Dishwashers on 3 and Incoming on 5, Exile launches Glengary Glen Ross at Neighborhood House, Cabaret starts up at Plays and Players. It's just nuts. I've never seen so many simultaneous premieres. Many have other conflicts with events, workshops and classes. Others are just too much $$.

Seriously losing hope. When do I say enough is enough? At what point am I doing a disservice to my players? I still haven't had the heart to tell them that another space we had confirmed is now not likely going to happen.

Thanks to Kristen I have a couple more places to call now. Someday we'll have a dedicated theatre and this won't be an issue. Until that time, it's madness as usual...

best week ever scoops

I'm not in the habit of reporting celebrity stuff, but a little bit earlier I happened to post about some pictures of Suri Cruise that someone sent me the link for. Then a couple minutes ago I went over to the Best Week Ever blog to catch up on the random whatnots... lo and behold! They had a ridiculously similar post from earlier this morning. Knowing the friend that sent me the link, she may have even found it right from there.

Ah well, further confirmation that years of doing improv and sketch points your brain in similar directions.