DCM 11
Three reporters review the same event on the same night...
"Thanks for spreading the love." - Del CloseAverage Star Rating:
DCM 11, Take 1
Reviewer: Sasheer Moore
PRESS CONFERENCE
At the press conference for the 11th Annual Del Close Marathon, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh (three of the four original members of the Upright Citizen's Brigade) answered questions from the audience and announced new happenings for the theatre. They briefly touched on the new theatre space they will open in the Lower East Side. It will be called UCB East and create more room for their growing audience and create opportunities for the stand-up community. The UCB staff maintains the current theatre as best they can; one staff member drilled down a rise in the stage during the press conference. Roberts insisted that this was proof that they care for their performers’ safety, and not evidence that their theatre is falling apart.
The three also announced new conclusions for the improv community. They stated that the “yes and” concept is overrated. The two improvisers should agree, but the characters in the scene don’t always have to agree. “Yes and” grounds the scene, and once the unusual thing is found, “yes and” is over and heightening begins. They emphasized the importance of the “if then” step: “If this is true, then what else is true?” Matt Besser expounded more on his improv techniques and philosophies on Sunday during his open lecture to improv performers. Even though the UCB members were serious about the structure of improv performance, they also stressed how the marathon is meant to be fun for the performers and the audience. “We are a comedy theatre first, and an improv theatre second.”- Besser.
The shows during the marathon ranged from classic performances from veteran performers to wildly creative, slightly drunken performances that ran early into the morning. There were improv shows based on the TV show Lost, the comedian Bill Cosby, and the singer Bono. There was also an engaging performance of a Spanish-speaking improv group; I didn’t understand what they were saying, but it looked funny. The event was pretty star studded as well. Seth Morris and Ed Helms hosted a talk show using puppets as they questioned their guest, Sarah Silverman. They covered current events, living in New York apartments among other entertaining topics. Silverman also made an appearance in the Benson Interruption, where comedians like Silverman, Rob Huebel, and Paul Sheer do a routine and Doug Benson interrupts them whenever he feels like it.
MATCH GAME '76
Match Game ‘76 was an incredible onstage debauchery. The show was set up like the 70s style Match Game, and the celebrity panelists were played by different UCB performers and visiting comedians. Jack McBrayer was part of participating couple and the point of the show was for the panelists and audience to abuse McBrayer. McBrayer is picked as a contestant every year because he is so nice and it’s hard to believe that he could garner such harsh treatment. By the end of the show, McBrayer was all wet from being sprayed with water bottles, had half a watermelon on his head and John McEnroe’s (Rob Huebel) tennis ball jammed in his mouth.
LET'S HAVE A BALL
Let’s Have a Ball starred writers and performers from 30 Rock, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Colbert Report and UCB. Rebecca Drysdale stood out as quite a versatile performer with her commitment to varying characters and scenes.
DELTA FORCE 2
Delta Force 2 is usually Rob Huebel and Rob Riggle, but Jason Mantzoukas filled in for Riggle on Sunday in an improv duo that ended in an onstage water fight using the audience’s water bottles.
FIRST DATE
Mantzoukas also performed in First Date, where he and Jessica St. Clair go on a series of first dates. Since St. Clair was absent for this year’s marathon, Mantzoukas asked an audience member to come up and join him for a date in front of the audience. One woman came up for the date and Mantzoukas did his best to convince her to ditch her husband and kids to runaway with him.
BABY WANTS CANDYBaby Wants Candy was the most impressive show of the marathon. This group performed an improvised musical and excelled in all the elements of the piece: the scenes were funny and smart, the performers sang well, the songs sounded amazing, the band was incredibly talented and they even improvised synchronized dance moves for the piece.
This marathon is meant to celebrate Del Close, his contribution to improv and the progression of improv. The marathon showcased seasoned performers as well as newcomers, bringing together a community based on tradition, comedy and fun.
DCM 11, Take 2
Reviewer: Shannon Walker
THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
I like to think I started my DCM experience off right... After taking a title suggestion from the audience, The Improvised Shakespeare Company (Chicago) presented the never to be performed again and never before seen play, “Yay You Know Me Not,” and received a raucous standing ovation from a packed FIT Theatre.
Acting out the “actor’s nightmare before our eyes” this company just seemed so relaxed and confident up there that I forgot I was watching improv. When a loud and accidental offstage toilet flushed it was, of course, justified and incorporated into the show with a member of the company making his way onstage to tell the other players, “do not enter here!”
Using every inch of the large FIT space, The Improvised Shakespeare Company gave us the “immortal bards” essentials: a prologue, five acts, star crossed lovers, sexual innuendos, soliloquies, and an epilogue to finish.
DUMMY
Moving down the street to the Hudson Guild Theatre, I was able to catch Dummy (Jason Shotts and Colleen Doyle from Chicago) revitalize the crowd after some lackluster groups. They each gave us two characters with through lines, but would cut back and forth between different times, spaces, and characters with ease. Taking their time and balancing each other out beautifully, I was most impressed with the solid gold acting skills of Ms. Doyle. Creating beautiful moments full of both humor and pathos, she never played or pandered for laughs. Even a heckler in the audience, who kept repeating their jokes and saying “it’s so funny” “it’s so funny” over and over again couldn’t break their focus. They were so calm in the midst of such buffoonery. Perhaps that’s what improv is... I don’t know.
Later That Night:
RAGNAROCK
The line to get into Urban Stages was out the door to see some of UCB’s beloved teams. Ragnarock (NYC), a Harold Night favorite, cleverly asked the sound booth to keep the music going so they could dance around the stage and wait for the folks heading out to settle in before beginning their show. What fun. Seeing the heartbreak on other groups faces who had tried to start their shows while people were loudly shuffling in and out is what made this a brilliant move. Perhaps they’d learned their lesson from the previous year. Ragnarock shows ALWAYS have a great incorporation of music, rhythm, movement, awesome characters, and you can just tell they’re having a ton of fun up there.
Ben Rameaka (Ragnarock) says of his DCM experience, “Overall, I think that the communal and Bacchanalian spirit of the Marathon is what makes it singular (apart from the 72 hours of straight improv, of course). I was scheduled to only be in 3 shows but wound up playing in 6. It's an amazing opportunity to sit in on sets with people you've never played with before. And that follows suit all the way up the ladder.”
MARJEAN
Marjean (Cambridge, MA) boldly took the stage to show NY what improv from Cambridge, Massachusetts was like. They were all listening really well, waiting for their turns to talk, but, in the end, I just didn’t get it.
THE LAW FIRM
The Law Firm (NYC) was clearly ready to tackle some improv with 13 people on stage, old members and current members. Twelve men plus the amazing Sue Galloway equaled hilarious madness that included some very VERY horny construction workers.
SCHEER-McBRAYERI had the privilege of seeing Scheer–McBrayer’s “ad-libberies” at FIT on Saturday and at UCB on Sunday. Even though the beginning of their show was, as they said, “written by David Mamet,” the remainder was so wonderful to watch as the two of them just took their time to create whatever world they were in, each playing multiple characters in one scene and moving amongst all of them with such care and precision. As avid improv and UCB fan Lauren Whelan put it, "they were two seasoned veterans up there...very comfortable with each other. It was like they were reading each others' minds." Both shows were equally great and, both shows snuck in a Ghost Ship reference, and both show, of course, did NOT have a beginning “written by David Mamet.” In case there was any confusion.
MISTER LICORICE
Mister Licorice, a team of four from Baltimore, started off the show with monologues, which I always love because of personal gems like this one, “I’m dating a woman with two kids. I’m in my thirties now so this is what women my age come with.”
Using a montage form, Mister Licorice incorporated UCB’s disgusting Sunday afternoon sticky floor into the scene after one members shoes kept making that gross shoe leather on stick noise that was barely apparent until pointed out. That’s what the present moment was, the audience ate it up, and that’s what makes improv so great.
More Team Roundups:
THURSDAYS WITH RYAN
Thursdays With Ryan (Chicago) played to a packed theatre, had great stage pictures, but I was very much distracted by one of the members huge three inch boots that kept making a lot of noise every time she walked.
THREE ON ONE
Three On One (Los Angeles) who dub themselves, “three lesbians and one scared straight girl” was a crowd favorite whose scenes and personal monologues left everyone wanting MORE!
iMUSICALiMusical (DC) was quite impressive, save for the one girl on the back line who looked terrified and barely stepped off the back wall for anything.
MAELER-DAEMON
Maeler-Daemon (NYC) hadn’t performed together in years, which was not apparent, and built a huge AWESOME demon with their bodies!
Ben Rameaka revealed (Ragnarock), “my favorite was Improvised Shakespeare. I love those guys, and it's great to watch talented people just murder it night after night. As for the DCM I would have to say that seeing a masked Andy Rocco's testicles hanging out of a full black Lycra bodysuit during "To Catch A Predator" was definitely the most disturbing highlight of the weekend... but it's not the DCM without that. People changing in and out of costumes, sweltering heat, done kind of beer, perspiration, and Gristedes waste sludge coating the floor- it's all part of the experience.”
Even though everyone’s marathon experience is different, I’m sure a lot of folks could sum it all up in the way Julia Wiedeman, of the Indie Group The Libyans (NYC), did..."Pockets of memory...itty bitty pockets of memory that I will hold dear for the rest of my life."
DCM 11, Take 3
Reviewer: Israel Savage
FACEBOOK
The opening was awkward for this group, largely due to technical glitches. Luckily, the audience, mostly made up of fellow performers was understanding. This particular group picks a person from the audience and combs through their Facebook page - pix, comments, etc. It's a gimmick that the audience seemed to appreciate. The pacing of the show was good and the group worked well together. Great one liners abounded. A fun show.
DUMPSTER TEQUILLAIt took a little while to get the piano on the stage. Not the group's fault. It's all part of the charm of this type of venue and reminds you that it's all improvised. And, luckily no one's legs were crushed in the piano moving process.
Dumpster Tequilla is comprised of 6 performers and a pianist. The performers brought to the stage differing levels of vocal talents and the group was strongest when harmonizing together.
The suggestion from the audience was, "corn syrup." As the story developed we followed a town/world/society into an industrial downward spiral as everything and everyone was taken over by a company that made just about everything from corn. A pair of women who made homemade cakes until everyone preferred the sterility of manufactured corn cakes were two of the characters that emerged.
There was a haunting song in a cornfield as one character realized the children of humanity will become, "children of the corn." There were a couple of chilling lines that drove the theme home, like, "Here on the factory floor we minimize humanity." The group supported each other well. In fact, there were moments during the ensemble numbers that the improvised lyrics were so poignant and the group was so in sync that I got chills. This group put on a great show and left me "thinking." Didn't expect that from a half hour improvised musical.
IDENTITY THEFTThis group is fresh and original. The Ballywood group dance at the top of the show was just flat out fun to watch. Not sure what it had to do with anything, but, who cares. The 8 members, (7 guys and 1 woman) proceeded (after the 3 minute Ballywood dance) with what had to be a 10 minute opening that was fascinating to watch.
As far as their scene work, they knew when to edit, not staying in any scene longer than they needed to stay, and all in all put on a great show!
iMUSICAL
The suggestion for this musical improv group was, "Lazer Tag." An overbearing, overachieving father and his athletically challenged daughter, were two characters that quickly emerged. "Without winning, there's no point to life," was the sentiment the father echoed over an over. Well, eventually the daughter does become a winner - as a pie eating porn star. "Am I a winner enough for you now dad?" The transitions were seamless in this show - tag outs, painting, cut to's, this group did it all. They expertly balanced fast and slow paced scenes and offered great support to one another. A fun group and a fun time.
MAELER DAEMON
The suggestion was, "Ham." This group didn't miss a beat and didn't burn a single step. NOTHING was wasted. There was a moment in the opening when a group member covered the mouth of another and was spat upon. A mis-hap that was called back throughout the show. They knew exactly how to milk a joke, without wearing it out. The group was buzzing (as in alert), ready, listening. In fact, they were textbook perfect in the listening department. They are the kind of group can leave their audience in awe - a team of true professionals.
SCHEER-McBRAYER
Two person groups can be excruciating to watch, unless you're watching a team like Scheer-McBrayer. Some people are just innately funny - people like these guys. The first scene was seamless. As an anthropologist wants to take a guy back to his apartment to study him. "Let me take you back to my apartment - that is a prison." Their skill in creating characters and worlds is remarkable. And, the "unintentional" commentary on the human condition itself; worth it's weight in gold.
All Photos By: Ari Scott