Third Beat

Throughout the week leading up to the 11th annual Del Close Marathon in New York, improv folks from all perspectives enlighten us with their expectations for this weekend’s 3-day improv extravaganza.

Today: Hey cool, it’s Matt Walsh, member of the Upright Citizens Brigade (and therefore co-founder of the UCB Theatre and of the Del Close Marathon), and all-around hero to a generation of young improvisors!

Does the popularity of Marathon make it more exciting now, or do you miss the past years? What do you consider the heyday of DCM?

The heyday of the DCM is now, I think it’s amazing that so many people care about improv. The more people at the DCM the better. The only thing I miss about the beginning years is that when it was small everyone got a free porterhouse steak and a one on one life coaching session with Amy Poehler.

What’s changed the most about Marathon since the beginning, aside from the attendance numbers?

I think the variety and the quality of shows has gotten better. Also, more babies are being born at the marathon every year. Last year three boys named Del were birthed in the audience.

What’s the most wonderful thing and the most horrifying thing you’ve ever witnessed during DCM?

Match Game, Drunken Sonic Assault, and Robot TV never fail to disappoint with lots of chaos. Also last year Paul Simon came down and did a two person show with Mayor Bloomberg, it was a little wordy but still so special.

There seems to be a very intense dedication to Marathon. Even guys who’ve gone off to success in LA come back New York for it. Aside from the free beer backstage, what makes Marathon so significant to people?

I think the camaraderie between performers is pretty strong. Lots of people come back to see their old friends. Also the freedom for the shows to go anywhere, the more bizarre or outrageous the better. There are no headliners, no ego trips (except Matt Besser needing his own weed trailer) everyone is there to do the work.

Any hints as to what you and Ian will be cooking on Sunday afternoon?

There’s a rumor that their might be a dish called bacon surprise(bacon wrapped in bacon covered in bacon) or maybe some stuffed french toast. Owen Burke and I usually figure it out the night before. We also like to do dishes with liquor in them so maybe some bourbon bread pudding.

Bonus question, because I want to be the first to ask: Where’s Amy?

There is a live satellite feed hooked up to Amy’s trailer on set in LA, she watches the shows live and if something doesn’t please her she has a button that can kill the stage lights immediately and then that group is asked to leave. She also sends one of the homeless men she owns to give the first suggestion to inspire the whole weekend. Last year the man said “Help me I’m a prisoner”.

Bad news, marathoners: Rob Riggle has confirmed that he is pulling out of this year’s Del Close Marathon.

From Twitter:

@RobRiggle I will not be @ the Del Close Marathon this year, so bummed out! Only missed two before; both because of war. Now, filming a movie. ROWYCO!

I can’t say I’m surprised – Riggle was tweeting heavily about his travel plans this month, without any mention of DCM until now – but I am deeply disappointed. Mantziggle was at the top of my list of shows to see (2-man improv with Jason Mantzoukas), as was Delta Force 2 (2-man with Rob Huebel) and Satellites. Perhaps the biggest loss is to the annual Respecto Montalban reunion.

Back in the spring, Riggle booked standup dates at Cobb’s in San Francisco — which disappeared from his calendar right after Marathon dates were confirmed for that same weekend. I assume that wasn’t a coincidence, and that Marathon remains a priority for him. You certainly can’t blame the guy for choosing a film career over a few improv shows.

No word yet on who will replace him in Delta Force or Mantziggle, but keep an eye on the schedule, as it should be updated soon.

BTW, that reference in Riggle’s tweet to “war” is because of his time serving in the Middle East while an active Marine. During all of his absences from Respecto, his teammates would hang his UMSC t-shirt on the back wall so he’d still have a presence. This year, one assumes they’ll nail a large sack of money to the wall.

Another absentee this year is Reuben Williams member Lennon Parham, who is also missing for positive reasons: her role in the new fall show Accidentally On Purpose, filming right now in LA. I spoke with her recently and she’s understandably pretty sad about missing DCM, so watch the show this fall so that her sacrifice isn’t in vain!

Throughout the week leading up to the 11th annual Del Close Marathon in New York, improv folks from all perspectives enlighten us with their expectations for this weekend’s 3-day improv extravaganza.

Today: Austin,TX group – and first-time DCM performers – Northshore Local prepare for their trek to New York.

Who the heck are you guys?

We’re a love-monkey of improvisers representing Austin to it’s fullest with the freshest Austinite attitude and a love for the nerdy. We like trains and beaches, and when we grow up we would like to be robots that shoot lasers from our eyes and make a mean set of pancakes.

How long has Marathon been on your radar as a group? When did you initially decide to submit?

We formed in August of 2008 and when we were setting goals for ourselves early on, we wanted to be ready and comfortable as a troupe to perform at the Del Close Marathon. I guess you can say it has been one of our goals from the beginning, something to look forward to. We were waiting for DCM to take submissions, and we are very excited to take part this year, just one year from when we began as a troupe.

Have any members of Northshore Local attended DCM, or the UCB, before this?

This is our first time as a troupe to attend DCM, and for most of us, if not all, this will be out first time individually experiencing the Marathon.

What kind of DCM survival tips have you gotten?

The advice we’ve been given by members of the Austin Improv Community that have been before are centered on the logistics of the Marathon, and Mom-and-Dad type advice… “Don’t forget to get your wristband the first day…Do as much as you can in the short amount of time you’re given…Relax and have a good time!…This is your chance to see the troupes you’ve been wanting to see since you began your improv career!…Workshops! Workshops! Workshops!”

Who are you most excited to watch perform during the weekend?

Some of us are really excited to see Horatio Sanz & The Kings of Improv, Baby Wants Candy, UCB, and of course we’d like to support all the other troupes from ColdTowne Theater and the Austin Improv Community by seeing their shows as well!

How do you expect this to be different from other improv festivals you’ve performed at?

This is our FIRST festival as a troupe! Some of us have been at other festivals as part of other troupes, but as a whole this will be out first. How exciting that our first festival is the DCM!

Northshore Local performs at the Del Close Marathon on Friday at 11:45pm, at Urban Stages.

Throughout the week leading up to the 11th annual Del Close Marathon in New York, improv folks from all perspectives enlighten us with their expectations for this weekend’s 3-day improv extravaganza.

Today, Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre house manager Chuck Dauble, who is taking care of anything and everything at DCM’s home base this weekend, efficiently answers those venue-specific questions.

How are the venue rules different for the 3 days? (ie. food, photos, etc)

I’ve only worked at UCB so I can’t answer the drink/food/photo question about the other locations. No food* or photos** at UCB.

On a scale of 1-10, how much does Gristedes hate DCM weekend? Any other neighbors require sucking up to?

Gristedes will love us as always. We will handle any crowds with the greatest respect for our neighbors. NO ONE will hate UCB Theatre.

Your opinion: will this be the year an out of town performer jumps up and swings from a ceiling pipe, breaks it, and floods the theatre?

Matt Walsh is the only out of town performer I can think of who swings from pipes, so probably him. Maybe Joe Wengert.

Who is updating the new UCB Tech Booth Twitter page?

Don’t like, or have Twitter… But I just found out on Justin Purnell’s Twitter page that the tech booth has a Twitter page. Cool! [ed: it remains a mystery!]

What’s the biggest logistical challenge you face for Marathon?

Biggest logistical problem is how to shove all this fun into 3 days! Yeah! Sorry Del.

[Ed. note:
*Wha?! Upon further investigation, while "no food" is technically the rule at UCBT even during Marathon, it's not really enforced. So don't panic and start carboloading just yet. Just take this as a reminder that bringing in a $50 order of Thai takeout from across the street will be frowned upon. Items from the McD's dollar menu, perhaps less so. For the sake of those sitting around you, try to keep your food items to the dry and non-smelly variety.

**Same thing. I've never seen anyone busted at Marathon, but use common sense. Keep the flash off, don't take video, and you'll probably be okay.]

While we’re on the subject of maneuvering through Marathon weekend…

There is no shortage of Del Close Marathon survival guides online: The Apiary and Improvoker have fantastic roundups of tips past and present. My rules are simple: get in line earlier than you think you’ll need to, drink lots of water, remember to eat, and if you aren’t absorbing what’s happening on stage that means it’s time to go home and sleep.

And make yourself a schedule to stick to! There still isn’t an iCal version of the schedule on the website like in previous years, but there’s nothing wrong with the good old paper-and-highlighter method. Be sure to check the website again before heading out each day, because occasionally things change (like Ed Helms not making it into town until Saturday last year, causing the Puppet Talk Show to get rescheduled).

As for staying connected? Afterwards, expect writeups here and on other blogs, and loads of photos on the DCM Flickr group. There’s a small crew of official photographers – including yours truly – who will be liberally snapping away at as many shows as we can get to, so for the greater good please be kind and let us maneuver around you. We’re not trying to take your spot, honest!

During the weekend, though, Twitter is key. Can you believe almost nobody was on Twitter at this time last year? I’ll be posting updates as much as I can (@sharilynj), using the agreed upon hashtag #dcm11 — which is already in heavy rotation! Volume of tweets through the weekend will depend partially on whether anyone can get a signal in the basement. Plus there’s the aforementioned Twitter account for the booth at the UCBT, which is @ucbtbooth

Also, for more instant photos, the DCM Tumblr is newly refreshed for this year and ready to feed your backstage photos. Take this opportunity to browse last year’s, and see how many people you spot who have since joined the cast of a network tv show.

Throughout the week leading up to the 11th annual Del Close Marathon in New York, improv folks from all perspectives enlighten us with their expectations for this weekend’s 3-day improv extravaganza.

Today, Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre NYC Artistic Director – and the man behind the DCM schedule – Anthony King.

Tell us about the selection process for groups submitting for the first time. How much competition is there, what do you look for in on a tape, and does being from out of town help significantly?

There is incredible competition for DCM shows. We got over 1000 submissions and could only admit just over 300. We do try to include as many groups as we can from all over the country – and the world (there’s a group from Finland this year!). When I watch tapes, I’m looking for, well, good improv. I also try to get recommendations from improv teachers and theatre directors I know in major improv cities that send lots of submissions (LA, Chicago, etc.). That’s incredibly helpful. We also try to include as many people as possible in the marathon, so two- and three-person groups have a tougher time getting accepted if they’re not mind-blowingly awesome.

Dealing almost exclusively with UCB-trained improvisors throughout the rest of the year, do the styles of non-UCB groups really jump out at you? Can you tell right away who has been UCB trained and who hasn’t?

I don’t know that I can tell if a group has been UCB-trained or not. I can usually tell if a group is good or not. All the improv theatres are doing, basically, the same thing – we just approach it a little differently. So I find that the good improv from almost every city and theatre looks very, very similar. It’s the bad improv that is radically different – and bad for different reasons. But most of the submissions I get are good. We just don’t have room for everything.

Ok, so spill it: why no Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah this year? (and while we’re at it, why no Daily Show / Colbert Report Jam?)

No one submitted Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah! Those knuckleheads were too busy punching pregnant women and throwing full cans of beer at Jeter. There’s no Daily Show/Colbert show this year because a lot of the regulars from that show are now busy in LA being famous. So we replaced it with the 30 Rock Jam. They’re also busy being famous – but they’re doing it in NYC.

The dates for Marathon have moved around the last few years, evolving from mid-July to now mid-August. Why the change, and what can we expect for next year?

We’re always looking for the sweet spot in between other festivals and conflicts. The end of July is the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal where the UCB Theatre had a stage this year. I’m not sure when the DCM will be next year. We may experiment with the beginning of July or we may leave it in August. We try to announce the date in late spring so people have lots of time to make plans.

With the second UCBT location opening in the East Village in November, has thought been given to whether it will be used as a DCM venue? Is there a chance this will be the last year people can venue-hop without a Metrocard?

I hope we’ll be able to open in November! We don’t have an official opening date yet since we’re still jumping through all the legal hoops you have to deal with in New York City. So until that becomes official, I honestly haven’t given much thought to the role that space will play in the marathon. We might just open the pipes and turn it into a turkish bath.

When an improv nerd walks into a theatre and sees UCB Theatre co-founders Matt Walsh, Matt Besser, and Ian Roberts standing in the centre of the stage, the reaction is almost physical. These are the guys, and unless you live in LA, you’ll rarely see them on stage together outside of their annual Del Close Marathon appearances.

While there was an unjust supply of empty seats (which the Montreal improvisers I met in the lobby afterwards called the “Zoofest effect”), there was definitely a core group of young improv nerds with this-is-so-effing-cool looks on their faces that indicated that they knew the importance of these shows, even if the majority of Montreal didn’t.

So what is Asssscat? I’ll hand it over to Wikipedia:

“A guest monologist, often a celebrity, gets a suggestion and tells a true story inspired by it. Then the improvisers create scenes inspired by the monologue. If the improvisers feel they want another monologue, they call the monologist back onto the stage. There’s two halves of about 25 minutes each. Each half has only one, maybe two, or (rarely) three monologues, through the structure only requires one. It’s based on the Armando.”

The three welcomed Horatio Sanz, Lennon Parham, Chad Carter, and Andy Daly to the stage, with Chris Gethard as the monologist. I would have much rather seen Gethard in the regular cast, and some effort made to get a non-UCB person in the monologist role. The city is teeming with comedy stars right now, so to not see that opportunity taken was a bit disappointing.

From the audience suggestion of “radish”, Gethard offered up a few different stories about food, leading to first beats about a talkative customer at a restaurant, and ice cream parlour owners deciding to be mean to customers.

His second set of stories about being pursued online by gay guys, and being enticed to a girl’s bedroom on the pretense of watching a movie inspired innuendo-heavy scenes, and brought back the talkative-restaurant-customer game in a scene with Parham and Sanz on a blind date.

Gethard’s third story was about meeting Morrissey, and how his blog entry about it went viral (I’ll admit to having shared the link on my Facebook myself). The comments about him and his appearance were brutal, and this inspired a final batch of scenes mainly about people commenting on each other’s appearances.

It seemed shorter than a typical Asssscat in New York (the show has run every Sunday night for over a decade), but nobody can really complain. Whether 100% of them knew it or not, this was the best improv that audience may ever see in Montreal.

Following this was North America’s Best Comic, a show out of UCBT-LA. The sparse audience (sparser after the 4 walkouts in the first 10 minutes) was witness to a stream of standup characters competing for the title including Walsh as a bitter comic screwed by the industry who turned into a Christian comic, Besser as a blind and deaf guy with no arms, Parham as a washed-up divorcee, and Daly as a high-energy comic who only spews out vague references.

Roberts, Daly, and Besser served as the panel of judges, with Roberts doing all too good a job as a, uh, “slow” gentleman named Leonard who was plucked from the audience to represent us on the panel.

While I loved absolutely everyone involved as individuals, the standup part of me didn’t fall in love with this show. I do get that this is an exercise in character work (and it’s character work done well). And I do get that this is a parody of what became an awful, awful tv show. But there’s an ongoing perception among standups that improvisers don’t respect the art (and vice versa). Maybe it’s because I identify myself as a standup person slightly more than an improv person, but I felt like the performers didn’t have the perspective to warrant winking at the audience, which I think is necessary. The same would be true if a bunch of standups got on stage and acted like clichéd bad improvisers. You would suspect that deep down, they kinda meant it.

Was it bad? No, certainly not. Did it warrant a primetime slot on Friday night? I would have rather seen Parham and Gethard have another chance to do their one-person shows, or a lengthier Asssscat in its place. It’s definitely more of a show for that late-night-at-DCM mood.

If a show is performed at Just For Laughs and no industry people are there to see it, does it really take place?

…Read more of Just For Laughs: Magical Box of Scheduling, cont’d

What the below photo illustrates – other than a dire need to upgrade my cellphone – is that Toronto has officially been hit with a Just For Laughs marketing blitz. Banners like these line the busiest downtown thoroughfares, bright green posters adorn the bus shelters, and it seems there’s no excuse for anyone not to realize that in just 3 weeks, Toronto will host the 3rd annual offshoot of the Montreal fest.

…Read more of Calendar Cleanup: Just For Laughs & Del Close Marathon

The #1 thing I miss about New York is the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre (and its $2 PBR). It’s an incredible place, churning out mind-blowing improv on a level that makes people like me wonder why we’re even bothering taking classes because we can never be that good.

…Read more of Saturday night’s alright

Sometimes, you just know something is destined to suck.

The best thing I read all week was this post from Pat Cashin on his blog, www.clownalley.net (careful, you’ll want to scroll past that photo quickly). Pat runs down 20+ signs that a clown may possibly be terrible, including references to some hackey-even-by-birthday-clown-standards gags and costuming choices.

Tonight, I came across a website for a new comedy school which similarly does nothing to instill confidence in its greatness. To keep this a “blind item”, I’ll just say that it’s located in a major city, which I’m pretty familiar with, and which already has a vibrant/tight-knit improv/sketch community.

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