Quotes: Julie Brown
Posted on 21 October 2011 | 1 response
I don’t just want to be successful, I want to have fun.
—Julie Brown, comedian, actor, screenwriter, director
Eugene Mirman: Almost Internet Famous
Posted on 20 October 2011 | No responses
Eugene Mirman was a regular on Flight of the Conchords and Adult Swim’s Delocated, had his own special on Comedy Central, and voices Gene in the animated Fox series Bob’s Burgers.
He has made use of crowdfunding and social media to boost his visibility as a comedian and to found a comedy festival in New York.
You can hear him talk about how to effectively use online tools to boost your comedy (or crafting) career for FREE. And who is sponsoring this event? Etsy! You heard right, the place where you can sell your homemade wares. Good thing I was Christmas shopping the moment I was.
Read about the Almost Internet Famous event, and if you feel inclined, you can RSVP to watch it on Livestream at 10am Friday October 28 (Melbourne time—apologies to those who tuned in October 26 due to a date mixup).
Peace and kindness,
Katherine
Women In Comedy Networking Brunch
Posted on 19 October 2011 | No responses
I am working on putting together a networking brunch for our funny females to occur during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. At the moment we are aiming for late morning of Sunday 08 April 2012.
Comedy is often not an easy career path, if it even gets enough momentum to be called a career. Sometimes female comedians have a particularly difficult time getting the support and respect they need to take off. As such our ability to support one another means a lot. Hence the need for proper professional networking.
Each table at our brunch will have a seasoned professional. People beforehand can list their preferences as to which table they would like to join. In this way our women can gain insight about the industry from the stars. We can also form friendships with people who share our sense of humour. We have Denise Scott and Catherine Deveney interested in attending. So right now, we have two tables.
During the brunch we can also make resolutions and organise further events. One idea we have is creating an exchange program. One of our comedians is flown to the US where she can perform at the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston, and one of their comedians will fly out here for performances and give a talk at our brunch about the industry in her country. This and other ideas are the sorts of opportunities we can give ourselves.
When we create and participate in things such as Cath Style’s phenomenal Girl’s Night Out, we make ourselves more visible, we show people what we can do, and we get them interested in more. Making friends and forming ensembles, as can be done at a networking brunch, helps us lift our game.
If you are interested in joining us at this brunch or helping in any way, please contact me, so I can put you on our mailing list. My email address: muse at glasswings.com.au
Peace and kindness,
Katherine
Funny Females Networking Brunch Facebook page.
The Shelf at Toff In Town
Posted on 18 October 2011 | No responses
Justin Hamilton is both a delightful person and comedian. Having him as a companion for a three hour show of comedy is a joyous affair that seems to last no time at all. He and the inimitable Adam Franklin MC their Show The Shelf Mondays at Toff in Town.
For the moment The Shelf is only running an October season, but may go on to further seasons. I hope it does. The city has a number of comedy venues. Most of them are fun. Few are what I would describe as classy. I would place The Shelf in the realm of casual classy: you can still tell the odd off-colour joke, but if you threw in a joke about Emmanuel Kant, no one would blink. Except, they might call you an arty Melbourne wanker, which people were claiming to be last night anyway. I loved it.
The Shelf works hard to create a solid balance in how people present their comedy. The first segment of the show was left open to semi-improvised material. The second segment involved set routines. The final segment was Adam’s sprightly trivia quiz. This gave each segment a clear and distinct purpose. The variations kept things interesting. The improvisation kept things fresh. The set routines ensured the end product was tight and professional.
The only weak spot, I found, was the open three way discussion among Adam, Justin, and one of their guests. Somebody needed to be designated as the moderator, because at times the discussion became muddy, and it was hard to hear everyone’s jokes.
I was exceptionally impressed with the obvious effort to ensure we had a good blend of performers to enjoy. We had gay, female, and male comedians all in one night. To knock the whole thing up another notch, it would be wonderful to see some ethnic performers thrown into the mix. Even this much blend created a tangible geniality that made for a happy audience.
The night’s stars included The European Man, Tegan Higginbotham, Steven “Gatesy” Gates, Wil Anderson, and Denise Scott. I feel like a proud parent with Tegan. I remember seeing her early shows and it is so much fun watching her comedy mature. Gatesy proved that he is a comedy force to be reckoned with outside of Tripod. I loved his song about the Sydney Olympics. Wil and Denise were great fun as always. The European Man was my surprise hit of the night. I hope he repeats his routine about a cat interviewing for a corporate position sometime. My jaw hurt from laughing.
The Shelf is a neat package. Despite claims by Justin that it would never make it on TV, I believe the reverse is true. It’s lively, it’s fresh, and has broad appeal. Keep it going you guys! To catch the final show and keep informed of any further seasons check out The Shelf website.
Peace and kindness,
Katherine
Quotes: Phyllis Diller
Posted on 14 October 2011 | No responses
Aim high, and you won’t shoot your foot off.
—Phyllis Diller, actor, comedian
Comedy and Values
Posted on 11 October 2011 | No responses
I grew up in a family of scientists, diplomats, and fundamentalists in any number of combinations of those three things. As a child trying to survive the vagaries of adult interactions, I of course saw the holes, flaws, and inconsistencies present in all these roles. That’s what kids do. Worse I had to experience some of the child-abuse that can be found in both “rationalism” and “fundamentalism”. I did not have recourse to swinging out to one in defense and opposition to the other.
When scientists (and comedians) decide to stick the boot in religion, I frequently think to myself, “Amateurs!” You guys haven’t grown up with it, nor have you done any real study in this field. Their arguments are often shallow and miss their target. But I find the inverse is true as well. People of a spiritual bent will want to put the boot into the excesses of science and I will also think, “Amateurs!” Science, very broadly speaking, is not lily white.
So what to do?
My solution was to try to understand the people in dichotomies such as this, try to recognise what is worthwhile about both science and religion, and to cast a discerning eye upon those things that are less than life-affirming. I believed this could only be done fairly from a strong ethical position that embraced human values such as compassion.
Certainly, as a child I would not have put it in those terms. But I did ask myself regularly, what do I believe is true? Why do I believe it is true? And did my best to clear away all the emotional entanglement, which is a big ask at any age. It’s harder still when you are subject to the people with whom you may find yourself disagreeing, and could lose their physical and emotional support. This sounds a little over-wrought to people in Australia. In the US it is sadly all too common.
I can’t say I was perfect at it. I remember the fights. More than twenty years later I’m still living with the consequences of one such fight that brought about an estrangement between myself and my family. I do what I can to build bridges, but some bridges will never be made.
The important question that highlights why these fights occur is, how does a person value themselves? Do you value yourself because you are part of a particular group such as a country, political party, or football team? Do you value yourself because you have so much education or wealth? Do you value yourself because you are attractive or popular? Do you value yourself because you feel you are right, certainly more right than anyone else? Do you value yourself because you do your best to be a kind, respectful, and caring person?
I threw my lot in with the last one. And yes, I sometimes think I’m better than other people because of it. Then I think, I can’t do that! How respectful is that? Then I think, how bad can one-upmanship in kindness be. I don’t think we can ever get completely away from our egos, but we can at least point them in healthier directions.
Somehow in the discourse amongst institutions scientific, academic, political, religious, etc the discussion of positive values has either been dropped due to cynicism or hijacked in order to push an agenda (hence the cynicism). The problem is: they are important, hugely important in an over-populated world where we have to start talking and listening for our very survival. It’s positively suicidal that people in the scientific community are unable to speak with the vast majority of people because they participate in a religion.
Here are a list of some of my favourite values:
| Love | Compassion | Kindness | Respect |
| Peace | Forgiveness | Acceptance | Freedom |
| Equality | Ethics | Human rights | Social justice |
| Community | Friendship | Laughter | Balance |
Even as a child I wanted to make a difference in the world. I thought long and hard about it and decided I could do the most to help improve the world by going into the arts. That was a place where I could freely express these values and potentially inspire people to take them up as their own.
The more people take up the value of peace, the more likely they are to do the things that will create peace. The more people embrace the value of caring for our environment, the more likely politicians will take up that value as a way to get into power. I’ve seen this happen in Seattle, where both left and right espouse environmental positions as the only way to gain votes.
Comedians have a larger audience than most artists and are listened to more carefully (Literally not metaphorically, how else are you going to catch the punchline? Musicians have the problem of people being unable to hear their lyrics). We have a fair amount of untainted power. We excel at pointing out absurdities in people’s logic. We are also in a fabulous position to tell stories that illustrate positive values in an accessible manner. One of my favourites is a story told by Bart Freebairn about his grandfather saving his grandmother from embarassment by claiming her farts. It’s funny and it illustrates the true nature of kindness and love.
I felt it important to write this article, because I thought I needed to shed light on where I’m coming from. I also hope it will inspire other comedians to go ahead and talk a little more about those things that might feel “twee” like joy, but hey isn’t the world more fun to live in with it?
Peace and kindess,
Katherine
Melbourne International Comedy Festival: Team Members
Posted on 10 October 2011 | No responses
I am currently doing short-term contract work. This means I did not have the funding to produce any of my own shows this year or next year, and that I have to do some fast talking to convince people to let me see shows for reviewing.
The easiest way for me to see much comedy goodness is to receive a festival pass. Then I am free to see any and/or all shows that interest me. The easiest way to get that pass is to help with someone else’s show.
So, I am putting a call out: are you running a show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and could you use some extra help?
- I am a performer in my own right. I did well in the Raw Comedy competition. I’ve done TheatreSports in performance. I have acting training (which I took to help with my playwriting skills). I sing, dance, balloon twist, and am just learning juggling.
- I can certainly help with any writing and storytelling tasks.
- I’m a respected director. In Adelaide I started being asked to consult with other directors on how to work collaboratively with volunteer actors.
- I worked in publicity at University of Washington Press. I was head of marketing for an indie comic company in the US. I still do a lot of electronic media marketing work.
- Anyone crazy enough to put on their own shows generally knows about production management. I can do that as well.
I don’t mind doing grunt work. The problem is the Comedy Festival limits to whom they are willing to give passes. So, if you have a task you think I can do that would get me that pass, that’s all I need.
Thank you for your help.
Peace and kindness,
Katherine
2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival:
• Simon Taylor in Ten Things I Know About You
• Peter and Paisley Present Two Knights Only
Posted on 10 October 2011 | 3 responses
Simon Taylor in Ten Things I Know About You
I feel lucky to have caught the shows I did this year at Fringe. I always find something to enjoy; this year’s festival managed to attract several particularly exceptional works. Simon’s Ten Things was amongst these.
Ten Things I Know About You plays with psychology, language, life-skills, and relationships. With dollops of creamy science, we are also served sprinklings of emotional insight, coated in a complex sauce of performance skills.
I enjoyed the fact that this was an intelligent show without being condescending. I find it a delight and a relief when science is presented with a sense of wonder, rather than as a blunt object used to scold naughty children. Simon’s myth time segments were both amusing and enlightening. Though, perhaps a little explanation might have given them more impact. Why did we once believe that people used only 10% of their brains? How much do we actually use?
I enjoyed the stories and characters Simon built to demonstrate points about morality, attraction, and inconsistency. His vignette about dealing with street-side car window washers rang true, and demonstrated how we could be both moral and immoral in a single situation. Funnier still was his portrayal of a barista breaking down due to choice overload.
I enjoyed the smooth skill and professionalism he brought to every element of his performance. His dancing was of a fine calibre and kept the show energy high. His spoken word rant about language would fly at any poetry slam. His magic skills were easily of television quality. His electric guitar playing, singing, and original songs were well executed. Perhaps most memorable was his ditty about the psycho-biological reasons for why we fall in love…the punchline to which delivered his biggest laugh of the evening.
Previously, Simon Taylor had been performing as a magician. I’m glad he shifted to comedy. He has a lot more to say about life than perhaps a magic show could encompass. He also has a lot more creativity than could be stuffed into a single skill-set. Sometimes when a show is a little too slick and the performer a little too self-assured, the warmth is sucked out and it loses appeal. Simon brings empathy and understanding to his work, giving it depth.
Ten Things I know About You is of international quality and needs to be taken to Edinburgh Fringe and from there to London. Even though Simon could make money on cruise ships, I would be happier seeing him tour as a stage show to many cities. New York Fringe would have him, Montreal and San Francisco would love him.
This is something I wrote in my journal in response to the show and a conversation I heard with an audience member afterward.
Hold your skepticism lightly, so that it doesn’t slip into cynicism. Instead, cast a discerning eye at all people, recognising that no one has a corner on truth, nor is utterly devoid of truth—rather we all partake in the uncertainty of humanity. Most importantly, though you may find evolutionary, biological, and chemical reasons for kindness, it is still a real thing. In a world where we will all have to face pain and grief, kindness helps hold our lives together.
Peter and Paisley Present Two Knights Only
Melbourne Fringe is all about new creators testing their wings. Not everything is going to be stellar, but creators get the chance to create, be seen, and learn. I love the richness of creativity that goes on at this level. My blog would probably gain more attention if I focussed primarily on the big name comedians, and certainly these are people from whom we want to learn. But it is so exciting discovering and nurturing new talent. I must be a hipster at heart.
Peter Hayward and Sean Collins, the creator/performers of Peter and Paisley Present Two Knights Only, show a lot of raw energy and raw talent. They demonstrate depths of inspiration in generating one interesting unique idea after another, after another.
Their show is about a pair of knights who must engage in a tournament so as to win the hand of a princess, thereby saving the kingdom from the clutches of an evil baron. With this basic structure in place they then fill in the gaps with improvisation and audience interaction.
They were wise to give themselves clear building blocks for their comedy. One show I caught this festival did not give themselves a safety net of this sort, and floundered badly. Peter and Sean did flounder at points, but were always able to work their way back to the story spine, keeping the energy of their show moving along.
Also good was their smooth accepting of “offers” from one another. When Peter came up with an idea on stage, Sean would take that idea and build upon it. Peter would then act on any additions Sean made. And so on, back and forth. This is the core of first-rate improvisation.
Our culture is used to experiencing only finished products and doesn’t often engage in process. Worse, manufacturers have convinced people that owning tools is the equivalent to having any talent or skill. This makes it difficult when young people see performers such as The Pajama Men and assume these guys are doing their improvisation strictly off the cuff.
The finest improvisers have years of practise behind them. Many have learned their techniques from Keith Johnstone’s TheatreSports. It may look like these people are pulling stories from thin air, and in part they are, they also have a performance toolbox in their head that ensures they will usually come up with something coherent and entertaining.
For a first time out Sean and Peter did an admirable job. The audience was behind them and laughing along with their jokes. They also need to learn how to effectively direct their energy in order to lift their performance. The two of them have chemistry and charisma. They have a vibe somewhere between Lano & Woodley and The Mighty Boosh.
I would strongly suggest Peter and Sean seek out mentors. They have what it takes to build up a comedy career. If they feel improvising is their thing, then they should take up TheatreSports courses. If they are interested in pursuing more scripted works, speak to me. I was a university lecturer and post-graduate supervisor in creative writing for seven years and just happen to be in the wild again. Besides, I think you owe me a cup of tea for spilling red wine on my favourite cream corduroy pants.
Finally, performers shouldn’t let reviews on a first show daunt them. Peter and Paisley Presents received another review that I wish I could have helped negate sooner. You are learning. You are lucky to be receiving reviews at this stage in your career. Personally, I believe that it’s irresponsible journalism to stick the boot into new performers, particularly in a venue meant to incubate beginning talent. Having seen many shows at Melbourne Fringe and Melbourne Comedy Festival, yours was genuinely an impressive first go.
Peace and kindness,
Katherine
One-liners: George Carlin
Posted on 7 October 2011 | No responses
Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
—George Carlin, stand-up comedian, actor
2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival:
• Mager & Smythe—In Search of Atlantis
Posted on 6 October 2011 | No responses
Recently, one of the radio channels I listen to in the car has been playing Gilbert & Sullivan. I love H.M.S. Pinafore, Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, etc. While driving out to Healesville to see Mager & Smythe’s show In Search of Atlantis, I had the pleasure of listening to “I am a pirate king!” which admirably set the mood for what was to come.
In Search of Atlantis is something of a folk operetta. Much like Gilbert’s “topsy-turvy” style, it begins with the absurd premise that a couple of outback archeologists could possibly find an Atlantean artifact in the swamps of north Melbourne, then takes things to their “logical” conclusion by travelling to Egypt and thence to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. The story is liberally sprinkled with Irish-Australian styled folk songs.
Had this show been purely a theatrical work, it still would have been a delightfully diverting evening of fine comic acting. Kai Smythe, the tall adult character, has a lot of fun with accents. Tim Mager, the shorter more child-like character, shows superb commitment to character and situation, making his emotional world real to the audience. They successfully perform in parallel without upstaging one another. An amazing feat, particularly for comedians, who don’t always know how to share the stage.
Had this show been purely a musical work, it would also have been an evening of real melodic pleasure. Comedies sometimes get away with mediocre tunes, so long as the lyrics are clever. Mager & Smythe have written beautiful songs, almost too good for the nature of their story (a comment sometimes made of Sullivan’s work in combination with Gilbert). The tunes are memorable, the two-part harmonies are well conceived and equally well sung, the acoustic guitar and mandolin playing was done with precise skill. I have to admit that I was taken by Kai’s delicious baritone voice. My main complaint would be, why weren’t they selling CDs of the music? This is an excellent way to bring in cash, but also to encourage more people to see the show because they had heard a song or two from a friend.
Though their characters and the comedy may be a bit rough upon occasion, the show was not. It was polished to a fine patina. In particular I enjoyed the Motown professionalism and exactitude of their dance choreography. I also appreciated the thought that went into some of the comic bits. Pulp fiction blithely destroys entire peoples, because we are to assume that they are all equally bad. This is old-fashioned xenophobia that doesn’t play well in our networked world. So the moment when Tim at least questions the destruction of Atlantis is a refreshing one.
The show did leave me wondering: if it’s set in 1910, where was Halley’s comet?
Mager & Smythe’s In Search of Atlantis is a superb show and will be going places. Catch it now, before they start selling out!
Peace and kindness,
Katherine