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Entries from July 1, 2010 - July 31, 2010

Friday Jul 30 2010 Low Key

Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:43PM

For more from Andy Ross, check out his blog.

The Apiary | Post a Comment tagged a miner problem , andy ross in Low Key Friday Jul 30 2010 Coming This Winter: The PIT Moves to Murray Hill, UCB East Opens Its Doors

Friday, July 30, 2010 at 5:29PM

The PIT sent out a surprise announcement via Twitter today:

> @ThePIT acquires new theater complex! 10k sq ft, 99+ seat theater, full bar/coffee shop, rehearsal spaces and offices! Follow The Fear!

Where's it gonna be? Sources close to The PIT tell me the theater's new digs will be in Murray Hill - 24th Street between Park and Lexington and they're prepping to open in December 2010. Stuff that in your curry hole.

Hot on the heels of that news, at the UCB Theater's annual press conference to kick off the DCM, 3 of the UCB 4 were on stage taking questions. They revealed the name of their new space--UCB East--a 150 seat theater opening its doors in early 2011 at 3rd and Avenue A. The collective's current location (UCB West?) will continue to operate as its mainstage for improv, ASSSSCAT is staying put. They said, "[UCB East is] going to have all different kinds of comedy. The same way this will be heavily improv, that will be heavily standup. You will be able to do things that you can't do in a club in the Midwest." Eat it, stupid Midwest clubs! Something else to potentially get excited about: UCB East will have A Hot Chick's Room.

Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts and Matt Besser at the DCM press conference | Photo: Paul Gale

The Apiary | Post a Comment | 8 References tagged The PIT , UCB East , changes in Improv , Venues Friday Jul 30 2010 Inside With: Will Luera, Artistic Director of ImprovBoston

Friday, July 30, 2010 at 11:41AM By: Meghan O'Keefe

The Del Close Marathon not only showcases the best improv New York City has to offer, but also the best from the rest of the country. ImprovBoston will be represented by three teams this year. I spoke with Artistic Director and Mainstage Cast Member, Will Luera, about the theater’s history with the Del Close Marathon and why a Cambridge, Massachusetts theater is called "ImprovBoston."

Will, you've been involved with ImprovBoston since 1997. What brought you to the theater?

I graduated from Boston College in 1997 and my plan was to move back to Chicago or NYC. Before the move, I decided to take some improv classes in the area and I saw an ad for Marjorie Burren, an ImprovBoston alum. I took two levels and by the end of the second level she said I should audition for ImprovBoston. Luckily, they were having auditions a couple of months after classes and I got in! I left IB in 1999 to start my own improv company, Blue Screen Theater, and a year later I was hired again to be the Artistic Director of ImprovBoston.

How do you think ImprovBoston's approach to improv comedy differs from other theaters such as Second City, the UCB, the PIT, etc?

I am a big fan of Organic free-form improvisation. No structure, no form and sometimes no input. We teach our actors that every moment in a show, scene, offer can be deconstructed and can lead to another scene. We teach our actors tools on ways to deconstruct a scene and organically transition to a new one. I truly believe that every show can be entirely unique if you tune in to the sensibilities of the actors and the audience. We go with where the show takes you.

My biggest influence earlier in my career was Burn Manhattan. We did a workshop with them in 1999 and it completely shifted my perspective on improvisation and they're ultimately responsible for the Artistic vision of ImprovBoston today.

This year's marathon features three teams from ImprovBoston (ImprovBoston Mainstage, Marjean & Plan B). What should audience members expect from each of these three shows?

The ImprovBoston Mainstage will feature the style I just described. We have had three amazing years at DCM and we're looking forward to going back. Plan B and Marjean are Chicago-style Harold teams. Both are very talented Harold ensembles and would make Del proud.

How did your involvement with the Del Close Marathon begin?

Our first marathon was in 1999 when I took the old Sitcom Boston troupe. This was back when the festival was only 24 hours and in one space. I remember seeing the original UCB 4 all of the time as well as other - now famous - comedians.

Do you have a favorite Del Close Marathon memory?

My favorite memory was probably two years ago when I was in five different shows across three stages. I submitted all of the shows and they were all accepted. It was great to be so involved in the marathon and to get to perform so much. I also have fond memories of audience members who try to sit through the whole thing. That's just so wonderfully awesome.

ImprovBoston seems to have grown in the past few years. You've moved to a larger theater, organized a variety of festivals and have a growing presence on the national stage.What's next for the ImprovBoston community?

Artistically, I have a few things that I'm trying to focus on for this next season. I would expect more work to come out from our film team and to see us organize more scripted comedy projects. Our sketch department has grown significantly but I would also like to expand into 10-minute, one-act and full-length plays as well as screenwriting and writing for television.

Inquiring minds want to know--why is the theater called ImprovBoston if it is located in the city of Cambridge, MA?

Yes... great question! I think it's kind of how like the New York Jets actually play in Jersey. Actually, in the very early days of ImprovBoston, the group used to perform in and around Boston. Eventually, they landed a regular gig in Cambridge and soon after came a permanent home in Inman Square, Cambridge. Thus, we are stuck with the geographically incorrect description!

ImprovBoston Mainstage will be performing at the UCB Theatre, Saturday at 3 pm. Marjean will be performing at Hudson Guild Theatre Friday at 11:30 pm and Plan B at the Hudson Guild Theatre Saturday at 9:30 pm.

The Apiary | Post a Comment | 8 References tagged Del Close Marathon 12 , ImprovBoston , Will Leura in Boston , EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary , Interviews Thursday Jul 29 2010 DEL CLOSE MARATHON XII CHEAT SHEET

Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 11:29AM

Neil Casey, Kat Toledo and Bobby Moynihan at DCM X | Photo: Eric Appel Here's probably the best tip for anyone attending DCM XII: There will always be something funnier happening on some other stage. You simply can't see it all, so there's no point kvetching about it in line. Like a great improv scene, true DCM enjoyment comes from discovering and witnessing an awesome improv moment when you least expect it. Yes, there are shows worth sitting "criss-cross-applesauce" for three hours and suffering deep-vein thrombosis, but there are also random shows at random hours that will rock your face off. My favorite example is the Death by Roo Roo show at 6AM Sunday, probably seven years ago, when the boys burst forth from backstage, screaming at the audience to wake up before launching into scenes involving a "Guido Greedo," serial-killer roommates and a plumber who gets sexually harassed by a series of residents, each of whom takes a turn sitting in one chair. I cackled punch-drunkenly at Neil Casey, getting tagged to get up from the seat: "Yeah, yeah, I'll get up. If only so it'll move things along!" -- Keith Huang and Lucas Hazlett

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* Click to read more ...

keithhuang | 6 Comments | 3 References tagged Del Close Marathon 12 in Improv Thursday Jul 29 2010 Kyle Kinane Hits the Road

Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 10:00AM Last night began Los Angeles-based comic Kyle Kinane's self-designed U.S. tour, with a stop into Tempe, AZ. Named one of Variety's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2010, see him in person if you happen to live in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, or Oklahoma (schedule detailed below). Don't miss the opportunity to see and hang out with this powerhouse aiming to take over the world, one Midwestern U.S. state at a time.

Friday, July 30: Orange Cat Studios, Denver, CO

Saturday, July 31: The Sydney, Omaha, NE

Sunday, August 1: Replay Lounge, Lawrence, KS

Tuesday, August 3: Full Moon Club, Memphis, TN

Wednesday, August 4, JJ's Bohemia, Chattanooga, TN

Thursday, August 5: The New French Bar, Asheville, NC

Friday, August 6: The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC (with Patton Oswalt)

Saturday, August 7: Bijou Theater, Knoxville, TN (with Patton Oswalt)

Sunday, August 8: Zanies, Nashville, TN (with Patton Oswalt)

Monday, August 9: Zanies, Nashville, TN (with Patton Oswalt) and Skull Alley, Louisville, KY

Wednesday, August 11: Flytrap Music Hall, Tulsa, OK

Thursday, August 12: 51st St. Speakeasy, Oklahoma City, OK

Google/call venues for times and tickets.

--Kristy Mangel

kristymangel | Post a Comment tagged kyle kinane , tour dates in Upcoming Thursday Jul 29 2010 NYC HIP TIP: Chicago's Red Bar Comedy Coming to Manhattan

Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 9:00AM Red Bar Radio is bringing their comedy show to Manhattan's Stand Up NY Comedy Club Saturday, August 7. Hannibal Buress, one of Variety's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2010, and whose new album just dropped yesterday, will headline what is shaping up to be a balls-out Chicago-based stand-up show in the heart of New York.

The Red Bar Comedy Show in Chicago has been selling out shows for the last seven months since its inception late last year, as well as being a featured venue in this past June's Just For Laughs Chicago Comedy Festival. They have since taken the show to Los Angeles, and now plan to defeat Manhattan.

Get your tickets sooner rather than later to see Chicago comedians Kyle Lane, Marty DeRosa, Drew Michael, and James Fritz, in addition to current New Yorkers Jared Logan (Live at Gotham, Last Comic Standing), David Angelo (writer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), and Buress. Stick around after the show to party with the comedians until 6 a.m.; brunch when the daylight seeps in optional.

--Kristy Mangel

kristymangel | 1 Comment | 3 References tagged chicago , red bar radio Wednesday Jul 28 2010 DEL CLOSE MARATHON XII IS UPON US...

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 10:00AM Design by Dyna Moe and Steve Dressler

The Del Close Marathon XII descends upon Metropolis once again this weekend. Starting at 4:30PM on Friday, improvisers from around the world will feel like King Théoden in The Two Towers, muttering: "And so it begins..."

Although the stats are the same -- more than 150 shows in one weekend -- this year's festival feels bigger, faster, funnier and sweatier than years past. I'm not sure how that works, I just know that it does. To kick things off, I found a Random Time/Date Generator on the Web, plugged in the festival's start and finish time and came up with the following date and time slots. I asked a representative from these shows to answer the following question:

Why should I come to your show?

31-Jul-2010 22:27:14 - "We're giving out free champagne (not a bit) and we're one of the only groups that will be doing a Harold." --Winston Noel, RAGNARÖCK

31-Jul-2010 19:28:37 - "You should come to our show because you will never see bongos used this fast and this way again." --Clay Foltz, Loser Josh

31-Jul-2010 14:34:23 - "The first thing you notice about Donut Video is that no two members are alike; physically or in their comedy stylings. Though all trained in improv at UCBLA and iO West, they have also ventured out into the worlds of stand up, sketch and physical comedy/clowning. If you hate awesomeness, good times, laughter and fun, please do not come see our show. Instead, use that half hour to reevaluate your life. " --Sonny Dominguez, Donut Video

31-Jul-2010 10:26:52 - "Daddy is filled with veteran UCB improvisers who are probably going to get naked, and that is what you want to see early Sunday morning." --Zhubin Parang, Daddy

01-Aug-2010 00:19:27 - "Belmont Transfer is High-Quality, Deep-Dish, Fast-Paced, Weird Improv from Chicago that'll satisfy you sexually or at least make you giggle." --Peter Robards, The Belmont Transfer

31-Jul-2010 07:13:42 - "Never shying away from the absurd, lewd, or awkward-these Fish take a swim through your subconscious and leave you dying to sleep with them." --Stefanie Grassley, Fish Is Fish

...more to come

keithhuang | Post a Comment | 1 Reference tagged Del Close Marathon 12 in Improv Wednesday Jul 28 2010 Kristen Schaal on Letterman

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 9:28AM

This video won't likely stay up very long, so catch it while you can. Said Kurt Braunohler, who was waiting in the Late Show green room: "She nailed it. With a capital nail." In the meantime, check out Kristen's new book, "Sexy Book of Sexy Sex." We heard if you open it up and hold it against your chest, you see boobs!

keithhuang | Post a Comment tagged KKristen Schaal , Letterman in TV/Film Page 1 2 3 4 5 ... 7 Next 8 Entries » Copyright © 2011, [theapiary.org]. All rights reserved.