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<p>Entries in Interviews (59)</p>
<p>Sunday Sep 11 2011  INSIDE WITH: JODI LENNON, COMEDIAN & FILMMAKER</p>
<p>Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 6:25PM  Marc Maron holding up a post-Sept. 11 newspaper | Photo courtesy of Jodi Lennon</p>
<p>By: Keith Huang</p>
<p>Tonight comedian and filmmaker Jodi Lennon will debut her mini-documentary "The Voice of Something," a 10-year video project that was spawned in the aftermath of Sept. 11. The 18-minute video documentary follows standup comic Marc Maron, Lennon's neighbor in Astoria, Queens, at the time, over the course of a single day (Sept. 19, 2001), as he prepares to perform a standup set at the Comedy Cellar in Manhattan. I spoke to Jodi briefly about the mini-documentary, and here's what she said:</p>
<p>I know you shot a lot of hours of footage. Are you happy with how it was edited together?</p>
<p>Nick Moujis was the editor and he did an awesome job. We worked really hard on it, and I can walk away saying I am pleased with how it was edited together.</p>
<p>Why did you decide to keep it to an 18-minute piece?</p>
<p>I feel like 18 minutes was the right amount of time because it's all from one day. And I feel like less is more. Also, this way we can show it in more outlets. And we can make a show out of it in an hour.</p>
<p>Did Marc remember most of that day?</p>
<p>He definitely remembered it. And because we had spent 10 hours together -- have you ever spent 10 hours with someone?</p>
<p>Not lately.</p>
<p>Yeah, it was like a grown-up slumber party but during the day. You spend all this time together. It was a bonding experience. So he definitely remembered it, and he had seen it because I had edited it together 10 years ago as a 5-minute version. So I asked if I could revisit it and re-edit it and he said yes. But when I showed him this newer version, I wanted to make sure he approved of it. I wasn't going to show something he wasn't comfortable with.</p>
<p>Was there anything that he wasn't okay with initially?</p>
<p>No, he signed off on it. I sent him the 18-minute version and kept my fingers crossed because we had worked really hard on it, and thankfully he just said, "Yeah, go for it," which is really nice because ... I think I would feel weird if it was me. If anything, he felt like he looked weird. You know, it's different facial hair and different glasses.</p>
<p>What's the context of the day of the taping (Sept. 19)?</p>
<p>Marc had done two days of shows before that. So he was already going back on stage and was still trying to figure out what his act was. But I had, in general, been following people's creative processes -- artists and actors -- before September 11. And it just so happened I knew him and I was wondering what it was going to be like for him to go back on stage.</p>
<p>Was there any discussion about what would happen to your footage if the standup show didn't go well?</p>
<p>Well, you'll see. It was still a very odd audience. I think Marc and I were open to seeing what the process was like. I think it's really just about him really articulating his voice. He was a political standup and it was an intense time. And it was about him not wanting to appear insensitive but at the same time having the freedom to vocalize what he was thinking and feeling comedically. So it was complicated. It was that struggle of "What am I trying to say, and how am I going to say it?"</p>
<p>What's your recollection of the comedy scene right after Sept. 11?</p>
<p>That whole week right before I saw Marc, we all communed. A ton of friends in the comedy scene just drank a lot. We were definitely getting together in different bars in the city because you just wanted to see your friends. It was like wanting to be with your family. And not a lot of people were performing immediately after, so that was a big part of it. And then I felt like we all just wanted to be normal as soon as possible. The drinking got old, we were all confused and the city was raw. And I think that was another part of Marc's struggle. He was -- and is -- a standup. That's his job. He had to get back to work. It's weirder than most jobs.</p>
<p>So why did you decide to bring the video back? To coincide with the 10-year anniversary?</p>
<p>You know how it is, I made lots of things and I just didn't get back to it. But this, because of WTF -- and I've listened to WTF a lot -- I realized that this footage of Marc's voice is still quite similar to how it is now. And it's shocking the themes that are still so strong with him. What he talks about now on WTF existed 10 years ago. He's very consistent.</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss the first screening of "The Voice of Something," happening TONIGHT @ 11PM at The UCBT-NY (Whiplash) | Free</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>* SEPT 19 @ 7PM at The Bell House (Sold Out)</p>
<p>* SEPT 27 @ 8PM at The PIT</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>* OCT 4 @ 7:30PM at UCBT-LA</p>
<p>* NOV 8 @ 7PM at The Annoyance Theater in Chicago</p>
<p>* NOV 9 @ 7PM at The Annoyance Theater in Chicago</p>
<p>keithhuang | 2 Comments | 62 References tagged Jodi Lennon , Marc Maron in Interviews Wednesday Jun 22 2011  THE CHRIS GETHARD SHOW ON THE AIR</p>
<p>Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 10:37AM  UP IN THE AIR | Chris Gethard on WFMU's Seven Second Delay | Photo: John Dalton</p>
<p>By: Lucas Hazlett</p>
<p>For more than a year, The Chris Gethard Show has been home to some of the wildest comedic antics one could find on a New York City stage. But starting June 22, Gethard will take the show and its antics to the airwaves, broadcasting live every Wednesday night on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a public access channel notorious for its outspoken and outlandish programming.</p>
<p>The move makes a lot of sense for the show, which in many ways has become a big fish in need of a bigger pond to swim in. Television not only gives the show a bigger pulpit from which to sow its comedic gospel, but it also provides an environment in which Gethard can experiment without any of the physical limitations or creative oversight of a theater. But the stakes are also higher, a fact Gethard doesn't shy away from, admitting the show must now either succeed big or fail bigger.</p>
<p>It's also a sentiment that isn't lost on the show's cast and crew. J.D. Amato, a performer and former Gethard student who will be directing the show for broadcast, said that directing a show like this is definitely a challenge. "The odds are against us in so many ways," he said. "But we also have nothing to lose. We're a bunch of death-row inmates that have agreed to go on a suicide mission. Our starting point is everything you know about public access television, and every step we take away from that towards something fun, fresh, and interesting is a victory."</p>
<p>The Apiary spoke with Gethard about the decision to move the show, what fans can expect to see and the philosophy of doing nothing safe.</p>
<p>Why did you feel it was time to move The Chris Gethard Show from the UCB Theatre?</p>
<p>A few reasons. First, I always like to challenge myself. UCB is a very safe place for me, it's been my home base for over a decade. But when you feel too safe, sometimes you get too comfortable, and I'm of the mindset that when things feel too comfortable I'm not challenging myself enough.</p>
<p>On top of that, when I found out about what the Manhattan Neighborhood Network had to offer, it seemed like there was no downside. There's a three-camera studio I can live broadcast from, both on public access and online, with call-in capabilities, sitting there for the taking. It seemed like it would be foolish not to take the chance on trying to do good work in that setting. The internet broadcast thing was something that really made me want to go for it -- the entire cast and crew of The Chris Gethard Show works so hard, and by live broadcasting online, people beyond the borders of New York might actually be able to find us now.</p>
<p>Also, at the end of the day, I've gotta be honest -- the fans of The Chris Gethard Show at UCB have been amazing. Dedicated and supportive and down to go along with a lot of weird experimentation that might be a waste of their time. But nothing's gonna top Diddy. That's clear. That felt like a finale moment for many of our fans, and many of our cast and crew, and we needed a change of pace. That set the bar very, very high in terms of the stage show, and I have felt like in the subsequent months it is hard to get people as excited for things in this post-Diddy era. So a change of venue, a change of pace, a change of priority was necessary to keep the spirit of the thing fully alive. I think. I could also just be making a huge mistake.</p>
<p>Basically, it's Diddy's fault.</p>
<p>What do you hope to accomplish with this new version of the Chris Gethard Show?</p>
<p>I just want to keep going with full-on creativity. I'm very happy that this show with my name on it has become a forum for some very creative people to do very creative stuff. Originally, I thought this was going to be a talk show where I interviewed people from my life. It quickly became insane instead. Seeing all the stuff Will, Shannon, Don, Bethany, and everyone else who has been a part of the show felt comfortable doing makes me happy. I almost feel like the show went from being a talk show to a weird venue for fucked up performance art that I am the curator of.</p>
<p>That, to me, will be a fun thing to retain. And figuring out how that works during a televised hour is a great challenge and feels like a good puzzle to try and put together. I'm involving a lot more people than during the stage show and in the planning stages we've talked a lot about figuring out how to take this mentality we've worked so hard to create and put it in a context where people now have the option to change the channel.</p>
<p>Mostly, I just want to be creative. It's the only thing that makes me feel good in life. I'm a pretty restless guy, and a guy who's prone to sadness. The only thing that has quelled those feelings is chasing the ability to be creative, and feeling like anytime I hit a certain level I have to chase that next level. This is a very unhealthy thing. But fuck it. I want public access to be the next stage in that process. Let's go bigger. Let's figure out how it works. Let's use it as a platform to find more people more opportunities to do more cool shit!</p>
<p>Also, I like the idea that if I work hard enough, this will be a version of my show that I can always point to and say "This is exactly what it would look like on TV." I've run into that a lot -- a lot of people in the TV industry have been like "Oh you got Diddy? Awesome. You did that thing with that kid from Ohio. That's awesome. Too bad it would never work on TV." That puts a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. I'm from Jersey, so it's easy for me to have a chip on my shoulder. If we nail it, this will be a 100% undistilled version of what I think we can accomplish on a televised platform with zero interference from executives or sponsors. The only trade in is that I will have to lose money to do it instead of make money. I am perfectly fine with that.</p>
<p>What can viewers who are familiar with the stage show expect to see from the televised show?</p>
<p>More going big, more interactions between the cast that show we are a true family, more risks taken, more disasters that unfold live, more unlikely successes.</p>
<p>Also, more Don Fanelli.</p>
<p>Because of the power of the UCB brand, getting a show on that stage is usually the strongest promotional tool one can use to spread the word about a show. But now that you are moving into public access, you have to essentially start over from scratch. What are some things that you have been doing to spread the word?</p>
<p>I'm doing my best to go grassroots. First off, we are making sure we can archive this whole thing and disseminate it on YouTube and hopefully find some parts that spread around and go viral. Making an hour of fresh content each week is daunting, but it also means we have so much material we'll be able to use to spread the word.</p>
<p>We just did our cross country tour earlier in the year and I've been mailing cards to people all over the country who are doing their part to hand out fliers to the people they know who they think will get it. The uncool losers who latch onto the show.</p>
<p>I am happy to start small and let the work speak for itself. When they pack it completely, UCB fits 250 people. So if 300 people watch this show, I am fine with that. That's a success. As long as we don't have less people watching than we did at the theater.</p>
<p>From there, it's just on me and the cast and the crew to do the best work we can possibly do and let the quality of that work attract an audience of weirdoes who identify with it.</p>
<p>Also, I am doing this interview!</p>
<p>One of the strongest elements of the show is the family of regulars you had on the stage. Who are some of the people you've brought from the stage show to the television show? And are there any new people you'd like to introduce to the world who will be appearing on the show?</p>
<p>Don Fanelli, Will Hines, Shannon O'Neill, Bethany Hall, and our fantastic house band The LLC are all back in. Our other regulars, guys like Jesse Lee, George Kareman, Shaun Diston, and Dave Bluvband, are all in. Dave Bluvband will be playing the Human Fish, which I'm very excited about. On top of that, just because we have so much content to fill, I'm blowing things out and involving all sorts of friends of mine who have done small bits on the Gethard Show or haven't been a part of it at all thus far.</p>
<p>Also, one aspect of the new show that we didn't have will be special guests -- musical acts, stand ups, celebrities I can beg favors from to appear. Should be fun. Our first guess is Mikey Erg, one of the best guys in the punk world today. Our second guests will be GDP and Pistol, a couple of rappers from Jersey that I'm big fans of.</p>
<p>So, when and where can people watch the show? Do you have to live in New York to see it?</p>
<p>It broadcasts live every Wednesday at 11 PM. If you live in Manhattan it's on your cable system, depending on which provider you use, it's on all different channels. You can also see it at thechrisgethardshow.com. We'll be taking MNN's live feed and streaming it there. So you can watch this show from ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. And you can call in and be a part of it, too.</p>
<p>If you aren't able to catch it on Wednesdays, we plan on archiving full episodes you can download to watch on your ipads and ipods, as well as putting a ton of clips at www.youtube.com/chrisgeth. Follow me on twitter @chrisgethard and I'll be sure to incessantly plug all of this as it comes into existence.</p>
<p>You mentioned earlier that people have expressed doubts about the show translating to television. In your mind, what is the basic philosophy behind, or essence of, the Chris Gethard Show that you hope not only translates but essentially transcends?</p>
<p>We want it to be good. If it's not, we want it to be such a disaster that it will be at least as much fun to watch as it would have been if it went well. We succeed big or we fail big. No middle ground shit. Nothing that lands in the "that was ok" realm. Either you really dig it or you really hate it. I grew up loving punk rock, but I have very little musical talent. To me, it's a similar philosophy -- we're gonna do what we do, we're gonna go all out, we might not be the most polished or the best looking comedians out here, but we have the most heart. We have no budget, very little idea what we're actually doing, and almost no hope of this turning into a massive success. But what we do have is a lot of passion and a lot of devotion and a real desire to do cool shit. We hope you love it. If not, we hope you hate it. Only safe things fall in between. Nothing safe.</p>
<p>--Lucas Hazlett is a comedy geek who improvises with anyone he can. He can be seen performing at the Peoples Improv Theater (123 East 24th Street) every Wednesday night at 8:00PM with Stranger or taking tickets and mopping bathrooms every Friday night at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.</p>
<p>keithhuang | 2 Comments | 7 References tagged Chris Gethard in Interviews Friday May 06 2011  Inside With: J.D. Durkin of 'Stephen Colbert: Hire Me'</p>
<p>Friday, May 6, 2011 at 2:54PM  Photo: Eric Michael Pearson By Meghan O’Keefe</p>
<p>Everyone in comedy has their dream job: a producer they want to work with, a venue they want to sell out or a late night show they want to write for, etc. J.D. Durkin wants to write for The Colbert Report so badly that he’s created Stephen Colbert: Hire Me, a live comedy show to act as his resume.</p>
<p>How did you get into comedy in the first place?</p>
<p>I knew I wanted to write for television and Googled all of my favorite writers/producers/correspondents and found out they had been improvisers as well. I took the 101 class at UCB when I was 19 and actually had a Colbert Report writer in my class named Eric Drysdale. I remember asking Eric about the best path to follow, and he basically said, "Just keep doing this stuff." And I’ve stuck with improv since then.</p>
<p>You first developed the show at iO West. Can you describe how it came about and what eventually brought the show to The PIT.?</p>
<p>In Los Angeles, I worked with a super brilliant former SNL-writer named Michael McCarthy in this weekly show he created called Comedy Lab Live. I started writing sample Colbert Report segments because I realized I wanted to be a writer for that show, and McCarthy let me perform them on stage during Comedy Lab Live on Sunday nights in the grungy Andy Dick Theater in Spring 2010. It was a very crude setup, me in a mismatched suit on stage reading off of printed scripts on the little round table in front of me. No projector, no slides, no experience.</p>
<p>After I moved back to NYC and hosted SketchProv at the PIT last year, the Artistic Director Jeff Lepine and I were trying to think of some kind of show I could do, so I enhanced what I did in L.A. to a full-fledged giant.</p>
<p>What is it specifically about Stephen Colbert and his show that inspires you?</p>
<p>I feel like The Colbert Report is a commentary on something bigger in the world. While tackling politics and foreign affairs isn't easy, it lends itself to the realm of education or almost social justice. I think my favorite moments in The Colbert Report or The Daily Show, aren’t the big laughs or applauses, but those eyebrow-raising moments of revelation. "Truth bombs" as Tracy Jordan would say. Jon Stewart said his show "highlights absurdity in a comical way that is a catharsis and not a sadness," so I’ve always liked that.</p>
<p>As for Colbert himself, I think his upbringing, which is laced with tragedy, is very admirable. I can see how his mother's insistence of having a positive attitude has served him in a very "yes, and" kind of way. Then again I’ve never met him. He could be a prick, but I doubt that.</p>
<p>What’s the process behind writing the show? Do you work with any other writers? How close to the performance time are you still writing and re-writing?</p>
<p>For good or for bad, I’ve never consulted with any other writers. Even my tech director doesn’t see the script sometimes until the afternoon of a performance. The point of the show is to demonstrate my writing and market myself as a potential job candidate. I even write guest correspondent bits verbatim. Because I want the show to be current, I usually end up doing 90% of the writing the week of the show and a good chunk that day. Even while I’m on stage during the show I make changes, but this is what real television writers and producers do every episode.</p>
<p>J.D. and that guy from the Rent is Too Damn High Party | Photo: Eric Michael Pearson The show uses guest correspondents to highlight topics such as sports, international affairs and domestic politics. Since The Colbert Report doesn’t feature any correspondents, why did you decide to incorporate them into your show?</p>
<p>The guest pieces do a few things. Firstly, they get some more people involved and let me have fun interacting with someone else directly. Most importantly, they’re a subliminal break for the audience. I know it would be boring staring at one kid behind a desk on stage reading scripts off of a music stand, so getting people involved is always good.</p>
<p>If Stephen doesn’t decide to hire you, would you take a job from another topical news comedy show (The Daily Show, Onion News Net, etc.)? Or is it Colbert or bust?</p>
<p>It’s actually either Colbert or the as-of-yet-not-announced late night show on TruTV starring Carrot Top. I’ve got a huge arsenal of firecrotch jokes I’ve been writing for years, and I hope he gets his own show so I can finally put them to good use. Either him or Julianne Moore.</p>
<p>Stephen Colbert: Hire Me runs the first Friday of every month at the People’s Improv Theater. The next show is Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8. For more information visit www.stephencolberthireme.com.</p>
<p>The Apiary | Post a Comment | 4 References tagged J.D. Durkin , Stephen Colbert in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary , Interviews Saturday Apr 30 2011  GETTING IT DUNN: A BRIEF STEPHEN COLBERT Q&A</p>
<p>Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 4:57PM  Photo: Hey, It's Cat</p>
<p>Gaby Dunn of 100interviews.com managed to ask Stephen Colbert a few questions for her esteemed blog. And the great Mr. Colbert provided some answers.</p>
<p>> “One of your goals was to meet me?” He asked.</p>
<p>I nodded, “And ask you some questions.”</p>
<p>He raised his arm and made a check mark in the air. “Done!”</p>
<p>* RELATED: "I Crashed a $2,000 a Plate Gala Last Week to Find Stephen Colbert"</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment | 2 References tagged Gaby Dunn , Stephen Colbert in Interviews Wednesday Apr 27 2011  Inside With: Jane Borden, Writer and Time Out Comedy Editor</p>
<p>Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 3:05PM  Jane Borden's love letter to New York, I Totally Meant to Do That, is a fantastic collection of humorous essays about growing up in the South, living her post-college years in NYC, and coming head to head with the question we all have to come to terms with at some point here--where do our priorities really lie? Every NY transplant should read it. The book recently made New York Magazine's Approval Matrix, which means it's good AND culturally relevant. I talked to her about its reception, her future, and all the items on the book's backpage that got glossed over.</p>
<p>First off, I really loved the book--you completely nail the feelings and emotions I went through as a transplant in New York and the struggle to explain or relate my existence here to those back home. Does everyone tell you they feel a kindred connection with you after reading it?</p>
<p>I have had a lot of people say that, yes. And it means the most when the person is not from the South. Underneath all of the jokes and details about New York and North Carolina, the book is just a story of transition, and of growing up. So I definitely wanted that to transcend the specifics of my own experience.</p>
<p>Do you find that it reads well to people who haven't lived here? I saw on Amazon one reviewer who admits to never living in NYC write, "I don't believe Jane Borden; at all." There was nothing that rang untrue or out of the ordinary to me, even the part about sharing a whoopee cushion with a tranny hooker.</p>
<p>That review really made me laugh. Part of what compelled me to write this book is that the South and New York are such interesting places. The former is quirky and eccentric. And the latter is straight up crazy. So to hear someone, who has visited neither, say they don't believe any of the stories...it's like, "Yeah, I know--exactly!" Also, regarding the the tranny hooker, I'm secretly hoping s/he will find me on the Internet someday, just to go, "I was the one you played whoopee cushion with!" But that will never happen: A) I sincerely doubt I'd be popular in that community and B) s/he is probably not on Facebook.</p>
<p>I like how the stories all tidily wrap up in a way that calls back details laid out in the beginning of them. Is that your improv background at work there? Or is that just good storytelling and editing?</p>
<p>I think that stories--in print or spoken, written or improvised--have more fundamentally in common than they do different. However, I'll also say that improv classes are the only formal creative training I've had in any genre or medium. And also, my experience with it in the beginning was cult-like, to say the least, e.g. my parents were concerned. So, yes, in general, as someone who is obsessed with improv, I see its stamp on every facet of my life, in ways large and small. In fact, we should change the topic before I totally nerd out and embarrass myself by using words like "therapy."</p>
<p>I know you as the Time Out comedy editor but the dust jacket says you've contributed to SNL, Comedy Central and VH1. Since you don't talk about any of these jobs in the book, what did you do at these places?</p>
<p>I was a freelance joke writer for Weekend Update for six (seven?) seasons. So I submitted 10 to 15 jokes per show in the hopes of getting one read by, through the years, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, or Seth Meyers. It was a blast. But it was also a labor of love; freelancers rarely get stuff on the air. Or, at least, I rarely did. VH1: those talking-heads shows, you know about the '80s or a reality star or an old brand of cereal or something. And Comedy Central: Back when I was barely old enough to drink, I was cast in a sketch on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. We improvised most of the audition, so when I came back for the taping, he asked me to help him rewrite it. I remember being late to meet him in his office because of hair and makeup. I was sitting in the chair thinking, "I don't care what I look like, just let me out of here so I can go upstairs!" An early sign that I should be a writer and not an actor, I guess. And actually, it was right around then that I stopped pursuing auditions and focused on words.</p>
<p>How did you become the Time Out comedy editor? How long have you been there?</p>
<p>Six (seven?) years--I swear that was not an intentional call back (unless that is some really deep-seated subliminal improv training). I had been writing a humorous column about New York for the L Magazine for a year when the job at Time Out opened up, and because I had also been entrenched in the New York comedy scene for a number of years, I had the right combination of qualifications.</p>
<p>Not to spoil it for those who haven't read the book, but are you really leaving New York?</p>
<p>I spent five years and 230 pages figuring out where home is. And then I went and got engaged to an academic, which means that we will live wherever he teaches. I invested all of this time and energy into</p>
<p>making a decision, and the big-cosmic-joke is that it's not up to me. But I needed to make that decision, to stop being a coward and grow up. So I'm glad I did before the deus ex machina swooped in. It was an opportunity for "therapy"--okay, that call back was intentional.</p>
<p>Well, I think before you go, we should create and sell the rights to a "Would You Rather?" type of party game called "What's More Ladylike?"</p>
<p>Okay, but only if it's a drinking game: If there's anything my book proves it's that I would always lose at a game like that, so at least let me get drunk.</p>
<p>The Apiary | 1 Comment | 14 References tagged Jane Borden , Time Out New York in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary , Interviews Wednesday Apr 20 2011  LOOK WHO STOPPED BY: IT'S ADAM PALLY OF 'HAPPY ENDINGS'!</p>
<p>Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 2:23PM *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*</p>
<p>Whooooooo is it?</p>
<p>Adam Pally plays "Max" on ABC's "Happy Endings" | Photo: ABC/Karen Neal By: Keith Huang</p>
<p>Hey, it's Adam Pally, a cast member of the new ABC comedy "Happy Endings." Before he carpetbagged it to Los Angeles with the rest of his talented comedy brothers and sisters, I enjoyed Pally's improv with Death by Roo Roo on the UCB stage. And now he's on a network-TV comedy. It's pretty insane.</p>
<p>Although I initially balked at the show, judging the book strictly by its hacky cover title, I laughed aloud at the trailer for the pilot episode. "These jokes are good," I thought, "and I can't believe I'm actually laughing aloud at a moving image on the Internet." After watching the first episode, I'm still surprised that some of the jokes made it through the writers' room. I often wonder how difficult it must be to write comedy that has an edge to it, but also appeals to the American masses.</p>
<p>The chiefs at ABC were smart to put "Happy Endings" right after "Modern Family," which has already hit its comedic stride and proven itself a ratings blue chip. And to add to its favor, the show features Casey Wilson, one of the two incredibly funny women (Michaela Watkins) who were cut from SNL after one season. Last week, Adam Pally reached out to talk about the show. Here are a few of his questions and answers:</p>
<p>You character Max is described on the Web as "the group's openly gay friend who is still sensitive about his parents divorce and being overweight in college." Was this the role you originally read for?</p>
<p>I read for Max and Dave but they thought I was more Max than Dave because Max is more of "a dude" than Dave. And what am I gonna do huh? I'm all dude. And I am a little chubby, and I'm a little gay.</p>
<p>The trailer for the show has some great bits. In fact, I'm kinda surprised ABC would let something like "pexted" make it through. As a comedy guy, what do you think of the writing?</p>
<p>I was super pleased with the writing. David Caspe, who created the show, has a really fresh voice. It's always hard trying to do edgy stuff on network TV but ABC was really supportive about getting the funniest stuff in the show, which is great.</p>
<p>So is "Happy Endings" the "'Friends" of the new millennium"?</p>
<p>If this show is the "Friends" of the new millennium it would be fucking awesome and I would have such a kick-ass drug-and-whore-induced breakdown. God, that would be great.</p>
<p>Holy shit, everybody in your cast is hot. Please respond.</p>
<p>Yes, everyone in the cast is hot, except me, which is not rare for network TV. But what is rare is that everyone in the cast is also batshit, kill-a-drifter style crazy, including me.</p>
<p>Elisha Cuthbert was on Kimmel last week to promote the show. You must be angry about that. I mean, happy for the show but angry you weren't asked.</p>
<p>Look, I'm not above being pissed or jealous of my fellow actor getting more attention than me, but I was only happy to see Elisha on Kimmel. She looked super hot and she killed, and I hope to do the show later in the month so there, fuck you Elisha, you think you're better than me?</p>
<p>Who's tweeting the show?</p>
<p>Jayson Berger is Tweeting on behalf of the writers room. He's doing a bang-up job. Follow him at @happywrites.</p>
<p>Lastly, and this is just for the fans, can you tell me what it's like to be an improv / comedy guy who's on a show that's about to go nationwide? I mean, seeing you in a Twix ad is one thing, but knowing that you're going to be on so many TV screens ... what's it feel like? Honestly.</p>
<p>Its awesome. I'm super lucky, and I'm really proud of the show.</p>
<p>Thanks for knocking that last question out of the park, Adam! PS. Stop emailing and driving!</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss "Happy Endings" every Wednesday at 10PM/9PM on ABC.</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment tagged Adam Pally , Happy Endings in Interviews Monday Apr 04 2011  Inside With: Billy Procida, Organizer of the 'Make Me Laugh' NYU Comedy Festival</p>
<p>Monday, April 4, 2011 at 4:12PM  By: Morgan Venticinque</p>
<p>Recently, I was lucky enough to perform to a packed audience of freshman at the first ever Make Me Laugh NYU Comedy Festival. This comedy festival is a series of six shows taking place throughout the different NYU Dorms--from little black box theaters to in-dorm dining halls. Each show has a different theme and involves comedians from the New York comedy scene as well as NYU students and alumni. The bulk of the festival is being produced by a sole student/comedian, 21-year old senior, Billy Procida.</p>
<p>Where did you get the idea for the festival?</p>
<p>I had been putting on shows here and there in different dorms but nothing very consistent. I friend of mine suggested that i should maybe do a series of shows over a shorter period of time, involving more of the dorms all at once.</p>
<p>What was NYU's involvement with it?</p>
<p>There is a point person I work with on logistics for each particular dorm, but overall it's just me producing the festival. I got the shows approved, booked the talent, and worry about advertising and food.</p>
<p>Was it hard getting NYU on board with the project?</p>
<p>NYU gave me a lot of red tape when it came to money. Each individual hall has been very enthusiastic about helping me out with their show, but when it came to money there were so many rules about what the money could be used for and how. I have funding coming from three or four sources and each one has different rules on how I can use it. It's a real pain in the ass! Some halls that were supposed to have shows backed out for weird reasons. It's like when barkers say "Hey do you like comedy?" The people who say 'No' are probably hipster NYU students or NYU Program Board members.</p>
<p>What is your main goal with the festival?</p>
<p>Comedy is just so expensive in NYC. I remember my freshman year, I hadn't even started comedy yet, but I went to my first comedy show at the now-defunct Comix to see the Sklar Brothers headline. I went by myself and loved it. It was expensive, but then I started going back and emptying my wallet to see Dave Attel, Gilbert Gottfried, Arj Barker, and others. Thank God I don't have to pay for comedy anymore. This is a great way for students to take in some of the great comedy New York City has to offer for free. Hopefully this will get more students out there checking out the scene. I also got to book some great comics that most kids would have never heard of otherwise. Also, I was able to create a lot of stage time and hosting opportunities for myself!</p>
<p>Where do you see the Make Me Laugh Comedy Festival going next year?</p>
<p>I'd love for this to become a yearly thing, and possibly expand to other universities; make it a NYC College Comedy Festival that would bring together different student bodies. Right now, I'm just focusing on banging out 6 awesome comedy shows.Make Me Laugh runs now through the end of April--there are 4 shows left. Shows are open to NYU students but any non-NYU students wishing to see them can contact Billy directly at wpp209@nyu.edu to get on a list. For more info on the fest, check out the facebook event page. The Apiary | Post a Comment tagged Billy Procida in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary , Interviews Thursday Mar 31 2011  INSIDE WITH: STEVE SOROKA & MAMRIE HART OF BŌF</p>
<p>Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 2:56PM  Matt Fisher, Steve Soroka & Mamrie Hart | Photo: Eric Michael Pearson By: Meghan O'Keefe</p>
<p>Friends are people who see the best in us and like us for it. Best friends are people who see the best and the worst in us and still love us for it. Mamrie Hart and Steve Soroka are best friends who combine their friendship and their foibles to create the sketch group, BoF. In their latest show, “BoF: It’s Pronounced Boaf!” the duo combines upbeat dancing, dreams of pop stardom, the trials of unemployment, and the importance of Lifetime movies in a delightful and hilarious show. We spoke to Mamrie and Steve about BoF's origins and which one of them is most like Blanche Devereux.</p>
<p>How did each of you get started in comedy?</p>
<p>Steve: I moved to New York right after college and kind of sheepishly putzed around for long time. I would lie to friends about doing stand up. Then one night a friend took me to an improv show -- against my will, because I hated improv -- and I really liked it. So I started taking classes and hanging around and it was a lot of fun. Improv led to sketch, which led to videos. It's a slippery slope!</p>
<p>Mamrie: Well, like a lot of folks, I moved up here to pursue serious acting. I found myself working really hard to find auditions and then showing up and thinking, "Oh no no no no. Even f I got cast in this, I would be too embarrassed to even invite anyone to it" -- Joey Tribbiani (of Friends) stuff. So I decided to take a writing class to develop my own stuff, and I can contort my face to such levels of ugliness that I thought it a shame to not try comedy!</p>
<p>Photo: Eric Michael Pearson In the show you guys say you first met in 2007 and have been inseparable best friends ever since. When you first met did you instantly know you would also be comedy partners?</p>
<p>Mamrie: Tell em Stevie!</p>
<p>Steve: I’m not sure we still know if we'll be comedy partners! We met in a writing class, and I remember it was the first day and another student had just presented their sketch and the class was giving notes on it. As I was about to say something, Mamrie chirped in with her opinion and it was the same exact thing I was going to say. In that moment I thought, "Do I like her or do I hate her?" And then after class she was the first one to agree to get drinks so it was kind of fated.</p>
<p>What is your writing process like? Do you guys base sketches on improv or shared stories or original ideas?</p>
<p>Mamrie: We play heightened versions of ourselves. So, from there, the sketches start with one of us pitching a simple scenario that would be fun to see these two characters play out. Something as normal as running into an ex or being unemployed can lend itself to a lot of silliness. You will never see Steve being kidnapped by aliens and Mamrie going undercover to save him. Unless.....</p>
<p>Steve: While we never get on our feet and improvise a scene, there really is a strong improv vibe to the writing in that we'll have a simple idea and then heighten and heighten and find what we find funny about it. We always try to make ourselves laugh and that usually involves some aspect of a true story. And of course, drinks!</p>
<p>Audience participation is something that is essential to improv, but rarely seen in sketch comedy, yet you guys incorporate it fully into your show. How did you decide to do that?</p>
<p>Steve: We wanted to break up the rhythm of the show with something so it wasn't just six or seven scenes back to back. And so much of BoF is us being ourselves that it seemed natural to interact with the people at the show, talk to them, and have them be a part of the show. My favorite part might be when an audience member realizes they are about to play a character in the next scene. Although we are very careful to not embarrass them! And you never know what people are going to do, so it's nice to have a bit of controlled chaos to keep us on our toes.</p>
<p>Mamrie: We love adding the element of improv into the show, but in a controlled way. So it's fun to interact with audience members, but with a pretty tight plan as to not make them feel uncomfortable. I know that when I go to a show and they pull people up, I get automatic douche chills. But in our show, we never embarrass anyone. Except ourselves.</p>
<p>If you could compare your chemistry to any duo in history, which one would it be?</p>
<p>Steve: Is it too lowbrow to say two of The Golden Girls? Because I'd say I'm a mix between Dorothy and Sophia and Mamrie is a mash up of Rose and Blanche, right down to her southern lilt! We emulate the sense of warm familiarity with and underlying jovial disdain.</p>
<p>Mamrie: Blanche Hollingsworth Devereux and Sophia Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock. Obviously, Steve is Blanche.</p>
<p>Mamrie Hart and Steve Soroka answered the last question without consulting each other, which would explain why they disagreed on who was most like Blanche.</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss "BoF: It’s Pronounced Boaf!" happening FRI, APRIL 1 (and April 22) at 7:30PM at The UCBT-NY | $5</p>
<p>Friends are people who see the best in us and like us for it. Best friends are people who see the best and the worst in us and still love us for it. Mamrie Hart and Steve Soroka are best friends who combine their friendship and their foibles to create the sketch group, BoF. In their latest show, “BoF: It’s Pronounced Boaf!”, the duo combines upbeat dancing, dreams of pop stardom, the trials of unemployment, and the importance of Lifetime movies in a delightful and hilarious show. We spoke to Mamrie and Steve about the origins of BoF, how they get their inspiration, and which one of them is most like Blanche Devereux.</p>
<p>How did each of you get started in comedy?</p>
<p>Steve: I moved to New York right after college and kind of sheepishly putzed around for long time. I would lie to friends about doing stand up. Then one night a friend took me to an improv show - against my will, because I hated improv - and I really liked it. So I started taking classes and hanging around and it was a lot of fun. Improv led to sketch, which led to videos. It's a slippery slope!</p>
<p>Mamrie: Well, like a lot of folks, I moved up here to pursue serious acting. I found myself working really hard to find auditions and then showing up and thinking, 'Oh no no no no. Even f I got cast in this, I would be too embarrassed to even invite anyone to it". Joey Tribbiani (of Friends) stuff. So I decided to take a writing class to develop my own stuff, and I can contort my face to such levels of ugliness that I thought it a shame to not try comedy!</p>
<p>In the show you guys say you first met in 2007 and have been inseparable best friends ever since. When you first met did you instantly know you would also be comedy partners?</p>
<p>Mamrie: Tell em Stevie!</p>
<p>Steve: I’m not sure we still know if we'll be comedy partners! We met in a writing class, and I remember it was the first day and another student had just presented their sketch and the class was giving notes on it. As I was about to say something, Mamrie chirped in with her opinion and it was the same exact thing I was going to say. In that moment I thought, "Do I like her or do I hate her?" And then after class she was the first one to agree to get drinks so it was kind of fated.</p>
<p>What is your writing process like? Do you guys base sketches on improv or shared stories or original ideas ?</p>
<p>Mamrie: We play heightened versions of ourselves. So, from there, the sketches start with one of us pitching a simple scenario that would be fun to see these two characters play out. Something as normal as running into an ex, or being unemployed, etc can lend itself to a lot of silliness. You will never see Steve being kidnapped by aliens and Mamrie going undercover to save him. Unless.....</p>
<p>Steve: While we never get on our feet and improvise a scene, there really is a strong improv vibe to the writing in that we'll have a simple idea and then heighten and heighten and find what we find funny about it. We always try to make ourselves laugh and that usually involves some aspect of a true story. And of course, drinks!</p>
<p>Audience participation is something that is essential to improv, but rarely seen in sketch comedy, yet you guys incorporate it fully into your show. How did you decide to do that?</p>
<p>Steve: We wanted to break up the rhythm of the show with something so it wasn't just 6 or 7 scenes back to back. And so much of BoF is us being ourselves that it seemed natural to interact with the people at the show, talk to them, and have them be a part of the show. My favorite part of the show might be when an audience member realizes they are about to play a character in the next scene. Although we are very careful to not embarrass them! And you never know what people are going to do, so it's nice to have a bit of controlled chaos to keep us on our toes.</p>
<p>Mamrie: We love adding the element of improv into the show, but in a controlled way. So it's fun to interact with audience members, but with a pretty tight plan as to not make them feel uncomfortable. I know that when I go to a show and they pull people up, I get automatic douche chills. But in our show, we never embarrass anyone. Except ourselves.</p>
<p>If you could compare your chemistry to any duo in history, which one would it be?</p>
<p>Steve : Is it too lowbrow to say two of The Golden Girls?Because I'd say I'm a mix between Dorothy and Sophia and Mamrie is a mash up of Rose and Blanche, right down to her southern lilt! We emulate the sense of warm familiarity with and underlying jovial disdain.</p>
<p>Mamrie: Blanche Hollingsworth Devereux and Sophia Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock. Obviously, Steve is Blanche.</p>
<p>Mamrie Hart and Steve Soroka answered the last question without consulting each other which would explain why they disagreed on who was most like Blanche.</p>
<p>BoF’s next shows are April 1 and April 22. Both shows are at 7:30pm at the UCB. “BoF: It’s Pronounced Boaf!” stars Mamrie Hart, Steve Soroka, features Matt Fisher and is directed by Mike Still.</p>
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