More fresh meat, please.

By Jeff Kreisler on 06/15/2009

Went to SketchFestNYC this past weekend. Didn't catch all of it (I had a nasty flu, so cut a Kreisler some slack), but a lot. Apologies to those groups I missed.

It was a good festival. Tons of memorable lines, many great performances, some really bright lights. Ran very smoothly, considering what must have been impossible logistics.

My only complaint is that there weren't enough out-of-town acts. Of 28 non-video groups, only 5 were from out of town, and one of those was the Apple Sisters, who only just left the Big, um, Apple, recently. While it was convenient to catch all the local acts I'd been waiting to see, it sorta felt like a big insider party of the NY sketch scene, with a few special guests. Like a weekend at a frat house with some brothers' visiting high school buddies. Next year, more fresh meat, please.

That said, 'twas good... and, for a newbie such as me, nothing like 16 hours of sketch comedy in 3 days to hammer home the elements of great sketch, as well as shine a light on different groups, actors, approaches, and styles. So, um, I may be a little blunt. Sorry. Everyone still gets 12 out of 10 Pants!

So let's see what they got. Here are some review-ish-es of the shows I caught. (See here for my review approach).

THURSDAY

Sidecar (NYC)
I was immediately struck by how much fun these guys were having. They have great chemistry, some excellent characters, and an infectious desire to play. A pleasure.
They had a handful of what I call "meta" jokes - commentary on the reality of the sketch performance itself - and I've got a soft spot in my heart for "meta." Way to unwittingly pander to me!
Blemish: One sketch about stand up joke theft, which teetered between sorta creative and predictable, ate up too much of their time. Not their strongest piece.
Memorable line: "You can see Russia from here." "Is that true?" "No, but is a poem true?"

Team Submarine (NYC)
Loved their opening, handing out an escalating series of giveaways to the audience, and then asking for them back. Really, really great. Well conceived and executed. Unfortunately, that was kind of the peak for their show. The rest of this two-man act didn't really seem to go anywhere, and, especially compared to two-man acts later in the festival, they didn't exhibit much chemistry either between themselves or with the audience. It felt like a couple of guys hosting a variety night, riffing between acts, not like a tightly wound show. I'm going to make an effort to see them again, because I've heard wonderful things, but this night didn't show them off.

Kristen Schaal (NYC)
A delight. A one-woman sketch show (speaking of which, where's Will Franken?). I've seen her in comedy clubs, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and now in a dark, stanky basement below a grocery store (i.e. the UCB Theater), and she's always original and refreshing and she makes the audience think some combo of "damn, I wish I'd thought of that" and "I could've thought about that if I'd just let myself" which someone once said is the sign of genius.

The Apple Sisters (Los Angel-ish)
Joy! I'm still debating, but I think The Apple Sisters show was the highlight of the whole festival.
I've always been a fan of Kimmy Gatewood, the person, who plays Cora Apple in this delightful 50 minutes of glory, but I'd never seen the Apple Sisters on stage.
They are a 1943 radio trio that charms their way into your heart. The Apple Sisters are three young Lucille Balls, and I mean that in the very best way possible.
Here's what this group had that really stood out: Distinct, likeable, complementary, easily & quickly established characters. A structured show, with a story arc, conflict, obstacles, challenges, crescendos, and resolution. Not just a collection of sketches, but a whole show. (I realize some groups, limited to 20-25 minutes, don't have that opportunity). A realness to even the most obscure and absurd character traits. Enthusiasm and commitment. And food, messy, messy food. Along with meta, food also has a special place in my heart. As do the Apple Sisters. Hooray!

Rue Brutalia (NYC)
Another 2 man group, who step it up with some creative writing and bold ideas. I was a big fan of the sketches I'll call "good fart, bad fart," "potpourri," and "the puppet son." The performances were generally good, but weren't always up to the very high standard of the writing. I'm being very critical here. I loved the concepts, it just seemed like some of the characters lacked a vulnerability - I wrote this: "he's struggling to overcome his flaws instead of playing into them" - that could have taken this show from very, very good to amazing.
They also took an interesting approach to transitions (more on transitions to come!), often just setting up the sketch with explanatory speeches. While this was a welcome twist on the common "loud music and some dancing" segue, sometimes it was a little self-serving, lowering expectations for the following sketch. I didn't that that was needed, especially since the sketches (i.e. "grandpa in the snow globe") could have stood on their own.
Again, I feel like I'm being too critical. I really like Rue Brutalia and recommend them highly, it's just there were a couple things I think, IMHO, they could tweak to make a leap to "the next level" (which, I believe, is the produce department of Gristede's).

After them, my DayQuil wore off and I busted out in a cold sweat and got nauseous, so had to call it a night. I heard the other groups did great.

Assuming I don't get canned for being a jerk, more on Friday & Saturday's shows tomorrow.

Photo Courtesty SketchFestNYC