The California Comedy Festival
California Comedy Festival is near! The 4th annual comedy festival is bigger and better than ever. Fifteen troupes, over 50 improvisers, and six workshops.
June 9-12th 2016. Circle the date. Print this post and then circle that date.
The California Comedy Festival is near! In fact, it's this week! The 4th annual comedy festival is here, and it's bigger and better then ever. Fifteen troupes, over 50 improvisers, and six workshops.
I know what you're thinking, "I've head it all before! Bigger and Better? Present your case!" We shall.
Not only have we added a day (now a four day Sacramento comedy spectacular!) but we've added States!
We can officially check off, "welcome a Minnesota improv troupe to the festival" from our bucket list (we have an unusual bucket list), because here comes Side Pickle! Oh yes! Thee Side Pickle from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Side Pickle that calls the HUGE Theater home. They're a brilliant duo. And they're ours! All ours! Bwahahahaha!
Speaking of duos...
...., we can't forget Rollin' In Riches. How to describe their show? No plan. High energy. Transforming chaos into fun! Emotionally driven comedy.
Speaking of emotionally driven improv....
....have you seen the lineup of workshops? It'll emotionally drive you to tears of happiness. We have six workshops taught by some of the biggest names in comedy. Nick Armstrong, Cheslea Coleman, Ben Leddick, Betsaida Lebron, Rolland Lopez & Rich Baker. We have workshops in everything from creating scenes with confidence, exploring new improv formats, learning about Viewpoints and more. As we get closer to the festival I will post descriptions about each class, and more about each teacher.
Speaking of teaching...
This years festival is unique, because it's raising money for a good cause. The California Comedy Festival is working with Evolve You Foundation to offer free improv classes to at-risk and foster youth. Evolve You offers vocational training and education to those in the foster care who will soon age out of the system. Evolve You helps prepare the teens for life on their own. That's the mission, and Blacktop Comedy and the California Comedy Festival are excited to be helping.
Speaking of helping...
Would you like to help spread the word about the festival? Below is a one page flyer that highlights all the important dates, times, and locations for the California Comedy Festival. If you've been thinking, "how should I spend the remaining ink in this printer cartridge," we suggest printing and sharing this flyer with friends and family. This year you're seeing incredible comedy and helping hundreds of local Sacramento kids.
Thank you!
Sketch Comedy at Blacktop
We've talked about beginning a sketch team that performs regularly. With the help of Nick Armstrong we put pen to paper, and started writing down ideas.
It's been a long time coming! Behind the scenes, among the players, we've talked about beginning a sketch team that performs regularly. Would it be live sketch comedy? Video sketches? A blend? We talked, daydreamed, and wondered. Turns out, that doesn't produce much. Well, it makes you salivate, which I guess is something, but nothing someone wants to watch (and if you do want to watch us salivate, well...um....I don't want to judge that...but....).
With the help of Nick Armstrong we put pen to paper, and started writing down ideas. Wrestling an idea into a script can take a lot of work.
"OK. I see how that idea is funny. Now, how do we take it and build a 3 minute sketch?"
Thankfully, with experience both, coaching and performing at Groundings, and iO Nick provided invaluable feedback. We learned to build characters, and not just a premise. Premises can burn out so fast, but a character can sustain. It was the "a-ha" moment we all needed.
We spent a weekend locked in the theater, glued to the laptops, tinkering, adjusting, and crafting some really funny stuff. After detaching from the laptops we took to the stage and worked, and reworked, and reworked the sketches.
And, we emerged! Victorious! Written, staged, and ready. Sacramento sketch comedy won't be the same!
Hyperbole? Nope. Never in the history of time and space has something existed to perfectly (maybe a little hyperbolic).
We are thrilled to announce our first show is coming soon. In fact, we have a date. I should share that date, otherwise you won't have anything to circle on your calendar.
Saturday, April 23rd
8:00pm
Ninety minutes of scripted goodness. The team is packed with some of the funniest creative writers and comedians in Sacramento and Placer including Jordan Mata, Jay Miller, Kasey Castaneda, Tim Smith, Jessica Deprez, Garrett Bank, Mo Lim-Chua Sebastian Saba, Don Strong and Paul Burke. It's a company of supportive writers, and performers.
Expect intense board gaming, horrible teachers, Beatles lovers, questionable parenting, ADHD commercials, and more.
We premiered and tested the show with a small audience, and were really excited with the response. It taught us a lot and helped us produce this nifty little promo. If you'd like you share it we would be very grateful. Thanks!
Tickets are available online or at the box office.
Father of the Year Award
I saw something very touching. I saw this father and son in the park, taking advantage of the wind, and trying to fly a kite. Did they succeed?
About a week ago, it was very windy. A Game of Thrones, “A cold wind was blowing from the north," sort of wind. It wasn't Twister-eqsue cow-flying-by-news-van windy (did anyone ever address in the audio commentary what happened to that cow? I like to the cow landed safely and continued to chew it's cudd. A man can dream.)
Most people were inside, but I decided to walk the dog. I hadn't walked him earlier in the day, and I felt guilt. I hate guilt, and rather then deal with it on an emotional level, I decided to deal with it on a tangible, I'll-just-go-walk-the-dog level and get rid of it all together.
I'm glad I did take the dog for a walk. Yes, because it made me feel better, but also because it made me fee great! I saw something very touching. I saw this father and son in the park, taking advantage of the wind, and trying to fly a kite. The kid was beaming. Thrilled to be out, living life. Freezing, no doubt, but loving life! The kite hadn't gotten off the ground yet, his dad was putting all the pieces in place, but he was bouncy-excited. Remember bouncy-excited? Remember that feeling? So exhilarated you couldn't sit or stand still?
I circled the park and kept my eye on the pair. How could I not? Both were so elated! The dad was clearly thrilled to be in the process of achieving his well deserved father of the year award, and the kid was hilarious. He was like a 3 foot tall surveyor. Waiting for the kite to be ready, walking around the patch of grass, staring into the sky, returning to the kite, and repeating the process.
Then, the moment arrived, the wind was swirling, the kite was assembled, and the kid was positioned at the end of the line, ready to run. He ran, and the kite crashed! The amazing thing, I didn't notice any sadness on the kids face. He just stood there, ready to try it again. The dad grabbed the kite, held it high in the air, and everyone was ready for round two.
The kid sprinted across the park, the kite caught in the air, and soared. Success! There was a lot of happiness.
And, there was a lot of passion. I know that's why I was mesmerized. I've seen kites fly before. It's not unusual I've even watched professional kite flyers in San Francisco. This excitement though, in a Roseville Park was more enchanting, because of the passion and joy.
It reminded me of how immensely watchable joy is. It's like this secret weapon. Watching someone truly enjoy themselves in a park or onstage in a show is memorable. Watching someone live in the moment, and be excited about the moment can be hypnotic. Sometimes I get focused on rules, patterns, heightening, and "the next thing." I better craft a good moment here to get to a good moment over there. Watching a couple kite flyers woke me up. Have fun first, love the moment, and living in that moment will be so much more fun for everyone. Everyone will fixate on that moment together.