More flesh from SketchFest

By Jeff Kreisler on 06/16/2009

What's that, you say? You want more from SketchFestNYC?
Well, see what I did before and then have some of this.

FRIDAY

Britanick (NYC)
Just made it for the end of this group's set (damn you E train!), but managed to catch their video "Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses." Wow. Fantastico! Freed from the 90 second constraints of the interwebs, Britanick made one of the best short movies I've seen in some time. Hi production value, good writing, good acting, action, drama, romance, plot twists and gratuitous violence. Nicely done.

Speaking of videos, a lot of good ones over the weekend, though I'm gonna have to say that Scott Gairdner produced the most consistently excellent work.

$$ The Money Kids $$ (Chicago)
I had high hope for The Money Kids. They're from out of town, Chicago no less, and were a rare 2-woman act. Unfortunately, like a group Thursday, this duo didn't qiute off the ground. The two players never really established distinct voices or personas. They were clearly having fun and brought a lot of energy, but they seemed to be playing the same Kristen Wiig-esque Midwestern characters in each sketch, without Wiig's definition. The audience cheers for the performers and likes them, wants them to succeed - which is no small feat - they just need a little more refinement and a few more jokes.

It was about now when some common themes of SketchFestNYC groups started to crystallize. Dancing. Trying to reclaim the camp innocence of childhood. The 80s. Sex. Seeking approval from a demanding parent. (more to come).

Pangea 3000 (NYC)
Been wanting to see these guys for a while, glad I finally got the chance. They were excellent. As I've stated before: I like food and I like meta. These guys brought both, dedicating a good 80% of their stage time to the eating of ribs. Would I have liked to have seen another sketch or two? Sure. But they did the ribs thing well, and held the whole thing together.
Favorite sketches: "God Bless You" and "Whispering."
Pangea 3000 did a few things that, as I creep up on hour 8, I realize are vital:
- Transitions. They had music & video. There wasn't wasted space. The video was funny, but not forced. If the audience wanted to take a break, they could. If they wanted to stay engaged, they could, too. Some groups either had nothing going on in the transition or nothing interesting going on (Wow, you like to dance? So do all the other performers here trying to reclaim their high school cool).
- Energy, pacing, conflict, heightening. Some basic storytelling stuff.
- They used the space well. UCB lets performers pretty much do what they want. These guys did.
- The ended with a bang. A handful of groups did chose this route, too... going out with a big number, and, I gotta say, seems like the smart choice.
These guys only had a short set (25 minutes?) but managed to fit a whole lot in. Congrats.

Harvard Sailing Team (NYC)
I reviewed HST a few weeks ago, and my opinion has not changed. They're good. While I might've chosen a couple different sketches for their short set, what impressed me was that, even just weeks since, they'd tweaked their sketches, adding lines, twisting perspectives and, with the closing "audition" piece, completely changing a key element of the underlying conceit. And it still shone.
Messing with good = a sign of great.

Imponderables - The Waldo Ultimatum (Video)
Nice.

The Riot Act (Seattle/LA)
I liked these guys a lot. They've got some good writing and funny performances. But I couldn't tell you why they got an hour primetime showcase. Funny, but not amazing. Sorry, but watching all this sketch at once really drives home the differences. It was really good, just not as good as some other tuff. I never felt like the characters or performers were defined enough for us to care about them. There's excellent stuff inside what they're doing, I just feel like they need a little shake to make the outside glow. Otherwise, after hours sketch comedy, we're just watching two more clever guys who miss their childhood and want to get laid. (Which, I guess, makes them relatable in a way).

The 3rd Floor (Portland)
Here's where the potentially too insider feel of the SketchFest reared its head. When these guys were introduced, there was just a smattering of applause. Almost every other act got a thunderous reception, usually led by the back of the room (i.e. where the other comics are). Come on, people. Support 'em all, or don't book 'em at 10pm.
Nonetheless, these guys were really great. Perhaps more than any other group, this was a show, rather than a collection of sketches., from opening credits to final scene. There was a continuous story line that skipped above the surface of each sketch, never intruding, but always present. They were able to do pieces that were seemingly unrelated, but still fit into the whole. Clearly a lot of work went into it.
Highlights: The pancake sketch (defined characters, excellent use of subtlety), the transitions were well-paced and creative (except, of course, for the one right after I wrote down "good transitions"), commitment, energy, and a nice solid ending.
Meh: A couple sketches started coming down with SNL too long disease, and the panty ninja sketch, while funny, seemed a little unnecessary. We like you guys, don't make us gag.

Some other trends we're noticing: 80s music (especially the Phil Collins-esque stuff), lotta talent, lotta 20-something dark haired white guys.

More tomorrow. FYI, my buddy Sean - who I sat next to on Friday - did a more succinct recap of the weeekend's festivities on his blog thecomicscomic. Check it out here.

Photo Courtesty SketchFestNYC