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<p>* The 2011 New York Musical Improv Festival - November 1st - 6th</p>
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<p>Entries in UCBT-NY (36)</p>
<p>Tuesday Sep 28 2010  THE HONEY SHOT - ADVANCED CLASS SHOW: THE MONOSCENE</p>
<p>Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 9:00AM  Photo: George Kareman</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss "Advanced Class Show: The Monoscene," happening TONIGHT @ 11PM at The UCBT-NY | $5</p>
<p>Wanna plug? E-mail me photo & credit. And join our flickr group. Send 10 days in advance.</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment | 1 Reference tagged Improv , UCBT-NY in Photos Tuesday Sep 21 2010  WHIPLASH @ UCBT-NY - 9.20.10</p>
<p>Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 10:01AM</p>
<p>Reggie's face pretty much sums up last night's Whiplash | Photos by Keith Huang</p>
<p>Click to read more ...</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment tagged UCBT-NY , Whiplash in Stand Up Friday Sep 10 2010  The Paul Downs Syndrome @ UCBT-NY - 9.9.10</p>
<p>Friday, September 10, 2010 at 12:11AM  Paul Downs | Photo: Ari Scott</p>
<p>By: Binu Paulose</p>
<p>Paul Downs is an irresistible performer to watch onstage. If you've ever seen him improvise at any of the local theaters, he carries with him at all times the energy of a whirling dervish, and a cachet of characters who speak, stroll and sideways glance in the most hilarious of manners.</p>
<p>So to isolate Downs in his one-man show, "The Paul Downs Syndrome," is to isolate his comedic mind and to display it in full, vibrant color for better or worse. Longtime collaborator Lucia Aniello directs Downs, corralling the funny as he sports tight, bright red stretch fabrics to demonstrate high-level art projects at Oberlin College, hosts an MTV Europe show called "Hey Guys!" and invokes everything there is to be loved and hated about Euro Trash as Euro-pop star-sex symbol Tudu.</p>
<p>But Downs is also endearing, as he is able to ground his emotions while playing ludicrous characters, despite every possible absurdity being thrown at them. In one scene, Downs plays a seven-year-old child star named Mikey Starr who faces exploitation at every angle.</p>
<p>In another interesting turn, Downs trots out celebrities in his video bits: He pitches a sketch idea to one and creepily massages another. But for anyone in the audience who saw this show, it should be quite clear that Paul Downs is on his way to becoming a star himself.</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss the next "Paul Downs Syndrome," happening THURS, SEPT 23 @ 8PM at The UCBT-NY | $5</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment | 3 References tagged Paul Downs , UCBT-NY in Show Recap Friday Aug 27 2010  THE HONEY SHOT - LOVE CAN SUCK A DICK ... AND SO CAN I</p>
<p>Friday, August 27, 2010 at 9:00AM  Leslie Meisel and Megan Neuringer | Photo: Ari Scott</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss "Love Can Suck a Dick ... and So Can I," starring Leslie Meisel and featuring Megan Neuringer, happening TONIGHT @ 7:30PM at The UCBT-NY | $10</p>
<p>Wanna plug? E-mail me photo & credit. And join our flickr group. Send 10 days in advance.</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment | 7 References tagged Leslie Meisl , Megan Neuringer , UCBT-NY in Photos Monday Aug 23 2010  MAGNET, UCB THEATERS SQUARE OFF ON SOFTBALL DIAMOND</p>
<p>Monday, August 23, 2010 at 3:26PM  25 Comedians Walk Into a Softball Game... | All photos: Sean Taylor By: Sean Taylor</p>
<p>Funnyball, a softball league comprising comedians from around New York City, held its inaugural "Dog Days of Summer Classic" this past weekend pitting students, performers and staff from the UCB and Magnet theaters against each other.</p>
<p>After nine innings, the Magnet held the 13 to 9 advantage but, it was clear, everyone wins in Funnyball!</p>
<p>Team captains Quinton Loder and Achilles Stamatelaky In a game featuring an infinite number of nicknames, "glove buddies," and scouting reports based on "batting gloves!" or "no batting gloves!" the level of skill was surprisingly high. Highlighted by great catches by MVP Jamaal Sedayao and Domenico Manzolillo, this game epitomized the motto of the league, "Funny people, serious softball...but not THAT serious!"I created and serve as Funnyball commissioner, and contrary to its name, Funnyball is a place off stage where comedians can take a timeout from being "funny." Soaking up the sun on Saturday afternoons in Central Park with no expectations and no audience is a far cry from the nightly leave-'em-laughing mentality of the New York comedy scene.But, I admit, in a sport where terms like "shagging," "balls," and "switchhitter" are commonplace, a certain level of comedy is inevitable.After the dust settled, team captains Achilles Stamatelaky (UCBT) and Quinton Loder (Magnet) led their respective teams to the bar for some post-game drinks, a symbolic christening of the first ever Dog Days of Summer Classic.Team UCB Team Magnet Theater  * See more photos from the game here.</p>
<p>--Sean Taylor is comedian, writer and talk-show host. You can see him improvise weekly with Junior Varsity at The Magnet Theater. Here is his Web site.</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment | 1 Reference tagged The Magnet Theater , UCBT-NY , softball in The World Around You Thursday Aug 19 2010  The Honey Shot - Prison Freaks</p>
<p>Thursday, August 19, 2010 at 9:01AM  Shannon O'Neill as Poly | Photo: Keith Huang</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss Shannon in "Prison Freaks," happening TONIGHT @ 8PM at The UCBT-NY | $5</p>
<p>* RELATED: The Stars of Prison Freaks are Ready For Their Close Ups | Prison Freaks: A Talent Show</p>
<p>Wanna plug? E-mail me photo & credit. And join our flickr group. Send 10 days in advance.</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment tagged Shannon O'Neill , UCBT-NY in Photos Thursday Aug 12 2010  The Honey Shot - SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP NYPD VARIETY HOUR</p>
<p>Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 9:00AM</p>
<p>Photo: Ben Stadler</p>
<p>* THE PLUG: Don't miss "Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour," happening TONIGHT @ 8PM at The UCBT-NY | $5</p>
<p>Wanna plug? E-mail me photo & credit. And join our flickr group. Send 10 days in advance.</p>
<p>keithhuang | Post a Comment tagged UCBT-NY , ssketch comedy in Photos Tuesday Aug 10 2010  INSIDE WITH: CHRIS KELLY</p>
<p>Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 1:00PM Chris Kelly</p>
<p>By: Lucas Hazlett</p>
<p>Chris Kelly is the consummate comedic-renaissance man. He is a staff writer and director for The Onion News Network and is a contributing writer for The Onion's new show on IFC. He has penned and appeared in sketches for numerous sketch teams at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York, and has delivered monologues for the theater's flagship improv showcase, ASSSSCAT, in New York and Los Angeles. His newest show, "Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying," opens tomorrow at the UCBT-NY. It's a dark comedy that explores the social awkwardness that often follows a tragedy. I spoke with Chris about his new show and his comedic philosophy.</p>
<p>Tell us a little bit about "Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying." What is it about and how did you come up with it?</p>
<p>I don't know how I came up with it. The show is just a series of character monologues about people saying their final goodbyes to this old man who is dying and they all just ruin it. It's mostly just people being self-involved, inappropriate or trying to be overly jokey around death. I had been thinking about death a lot, so I thought I'd just use death because it's a serious subject and I just wanted to make it funny.</p>
<p>What is your comedic philosophy and how does it influence your approach when creating darker content?</p>
<p>I think anything is funny. I think the funny stuff is just the way people talk. I just like hearing people's conversations when they're not trying to be funny. I like people who have one crazy, gigantic flaw that they don't realize. I like dark comedy a lot. At The Onion that's obviously what we do. I really like mean comedy. Not mean for the sake of being mean, not like being mean to the victim, but mean to someone who deserves it.</p>
<p>What's an example of a sketch you've written that was mean in this way?</p>
<p>Well, one thing I wrote [for The Onion] a while ago for the election, which was super dark and mean, was a story about a gunman in a mall who killed a bunch of people in a swing state and ONN was trying to figure out how many Democrats and Republicans were killed -- Did Obama or McCain win the massacre? I liked that a lot because it was mean but I felt it made a point. It was mean to how ridiculous the media is and how elections get and not mean to people who died in a mall getting shot.</p>
<p>So calling truth to power?</p>
<p>Sure. Put that in the headline. Chris Kelly calls truth to power [laughing]. If people say one thing about me it's that I call truth to power.</p>
<p>So, do you prefer this darker, meaner comedy to other types of comedy?</p>
<p>I do like weird, bizarre, crazy what-the-fuck-is-happening-on-stage-this-is-crazy-nonsense-but-it- works. I like that comedy, but I feel like it's never what I end up producing. I wrote a sketch a couple years ago that was sort of awkward, but I really liked this idea that people at work were doing this human knot, this trust exercise, and they were all getting together, all these coworkers, and as soon as it started one woman just had to get off her chest that she and the guy next to her were getting a divorce and so everybody had to work through this human knot slowly and awkwardly while slowly talking through "what are you going to do with the kids?" I like the idea of people bringing up things in awkward situations. I guess I like realistic comedy.</p>
<p>You've written a substantial amount of material for The Onion and UCB stage. What is your writing process?</p>
<p>90% not writing. 10% writing [laughs]. The process lately has been watching every single episode of television I can find, pacing around, eating everything in my apartment and being like "god damn I fucking hate writing!” and then finally writing. Sometimes I'll be motivated to do it. "Oh My God I Heard You're Dying” wasn't for anything. I had no deadline. I wrote the first draft of the script in a day, just finished it off. Obviously I punched it up and made everything better, but the format and all the characters stayed the same because I knew what I wanted. That was a rare example of "I have no deadline" and "I have the motivation to write 30 pages." Usually it's just that I wait until the last possible moment and then write in complete duress and intense anger.</p>
<p>Is there a book, movie, television show, etc. that you can look at throughout history and are just pissed that you weren't the one who came up with it? Or is there something that you find yourself constantly returning to?</p>
<p>Drama is usually the first thing I want to watch. Drama is oftentimes the first thing I want to write, too. I don't know. I love Six Feet Under [pauses] I'm getting so obvious! [mocks self] I really like that show about death that occasionally has comedy in it. I'm getting so cliche!</p>
<p>Writing and directing aside, you've also been an accomplished performer and even had the enviable opportunity of delivering monologues at ASSSSCAT in both LA and NY. Is this something you see yourself doing more of in the future?</p>
<p>Stand-up, monologues and storytelling. That's what I want my next show at UCB to be, which I'm starting to write now, but again, I have no deadline so I'm mostly watching TV. Yesterday, I was going to start writing my one-man show and then I downloaded season four of Friday Night Lights.</p>
<p>2011. UCBEast. The UCB4 said that the new theater would focus more on stand-up and storytelling. Maybe that's the opportunity you need to do more?</p>
<p>I need to make a point of doing that more. Because I like doing that. I feel comfortable doing that. I loved doing ASSSSCAT... and I'd love to do it again.</p>
<p>OTHER ONN VIDEOS WRITTEN BY CHRIS</p>
<p>* ONN: Police Slog Through 40,000 Insipid Party Pics To Find Cause Of Dorm Fire</p>
<p>* ONN: Vh1 Reality Show Bus Crushes In California Causing Major Slut Spill</p>
<p>* O-Span: President To Face Down Monster Attack, Own Demons In Action-Packed Schedule</p>
<p>Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying premieres Wednesday 8/11 and runs again on 8/18 at the UCBT-NY.</p>
<p>--Lucas Hazlett is a comedy geek who improvises with anyone he can. He can be seen THURS, AUG 12 @ 8PM at The Peoples Improv Theatre with improv team Herschel.</p>
<p>keithhuang | 3 Comments | 4 References tagged Chris Kelly , UCBT-NY , the onion in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary , Interviews Page 1 2 3 4 5 ... 5 Next 8 Entries » Copyright © 2011, [theapiary.org]. All rights reserved.</p>