Well there have been some rumblings in the community regarding the upcoming DC Comedy Festival during the weekend of August 7, 8, and 9th. There has been concern that there is a significant lack of comedians from the DC area in the festival and those that are in the fest, have been promoted as an after-thought. For example, some artists in the area have raised an eye-brow to the fact the "District of Comedy Show" is getting a 8pm Thursday slot and a 10:30 pm Saturday slot that is right in the middle of the DC Comedy Fest wrap party. Improv wise, the DC Comedy Fest is competing with the Del Close Marathon in New York which is 24-hour a day improv festival that attracts improvised acts from all over the world. I think what many people are wondering is if the DC Comedy Fest is a festival for comedy that is being hosted in DC or is it a festival that's first priority is to showcase the talent inside the District? It might be pertinent as a comedic community to ponder. In the end though, it’s the organizer's prerogative. Get your own festival! Anyway, The following was a letter that was sent to dccomedy4now.com this morning that expressed those concerns to the chair of the DC Comedy Festival (Seaton Smith is mentioned in the letter as being excluded but recently has been added to the lineup at Velvet Lounge after his triumphant return last week from the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal) M. Bergnes
Dear Ms. Postman,I have been looking forward to this year's DC Comedy Fest all summer. Last week I treated myself to an "Uber-Pass" so that I could enjoy as many shows as I could squeeze into the weekend. Yesterday, I started to comb through the schedule, trying to figure out which shows I would try to attend and I was completely startled to see an almost complete lack of any DC comics on the line-up of any shows. I have been a DC resident for more than 12 years and I am a dedicated fan of stand-up. I believe that there is something special about these local artists who work so hard and have so much talent, who toil at small shows and open-mic nights, sharpening their skills, performing with all their hearts for small audiences and no money. I am so proud of the comedians that I have been lucky enough to see perform in DC and I was so excited to see my favorite DC comics perform at the DC Comedy Fest. Unfortunately, there appears to be only two performances of local comics ("District of Comedy") on the schedule for the entire festival, and, tragically, in those two meager shows, there are no more than seven of DC's many talented comedians scheduled to perform! This is really quite a disappointment. I cannot imagine why some of my most favorite and some of the most talented comedians I've seen perform in Washington, DC are not on schedule at the DC Comedy Fest. I think it is outrageous that many of DC's finest comedians, like Nick Turner, Jake Young, Seaton Smith and dozens of others have been excluded from the festival. What is point of the DC Comedy Fest if not to spotlight all of the amazing local comic talent that working and living in DC? I hope you will consider supporting the dedicated and passionate comic artists in Washington, DC as the host and organizer of the DC Comedy Fest. I have been so fortunate to find these artists and enjoy their work, and I hoped that events like the DC Comedy Fest would illuminate our the citizens of our Washington, DC about the wonderful comedy scene happening all over the city, all year long. I hope that the DC Comedy Fest will use its power and influence to support local comedians and give their talents the attentions they so sincerely deserve.
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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
DC? Comedy Fest
Posted by Mikael J at 3:25 PM
Labels: bitter comedians, DC Comedy, dc comedy festival, pondering, Washington DC
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41 comments:
I also forwarded to you the quite nasty, in my opinion, reply from B.P. Go ahead and post it, if you like. Honestly, I didn't think that I was being rude in my email to her, and I don't think that I pretended to know a lot about DC Comedy-- I certainly don't pretend to have any special expertise. I only wanted to express that I was looking forward to the festival and that I was disappointed that more of the artists who I admire were not being given the opportunities they deserve.
I addressed her as politely as "Ms. Postman", so I'm not sure why she felt she had to address me with such derision with those fuck you quotation marks around my initial.
After that un-friendly exchange, I believe I will not be attending the DC Comedy Fest, after all.
I was checking out the list of talent on the DC Comedy Fest site and 20% of the acts are DC based or have strong ties to DC, so I'm failing to see what all the complaining is about. That's a pretty good chunk.
Did Jake and Nick even submit to be in the festival? If they didn't that's their fault. If they did submit and they weren't selected well then they obviously didn't impress the selection committee with their demo or audition.
This post makes DC look like a bunch of whiners.
The DDCF Show titled "Sketchy Stuff", Thursday, 7:30 at Source Theater features DC-based improv troupes boasting over 20 local comedians. So, there's a chance to see some local talent at DCCF.
Personally, I'd think (prefer) that a comedy festival be an opportunity to see out-of-town talent that I wouldn't otherwise get to see, with a sprinkling of local awesomeness. I don't understand festivals that load up on local acts that the local residents can see anytime they want. Although, I would never exclude Nick from a comedy event. That's bullshit.
Now, if you want to complain about how the improv show is titled "Sketchy Stuff", I'm all for that. Or, about how the DCCF website is a complete and total disaster in terms of usability, I'm down with that, too. But if you'd like to see local comics, I don't know what's wrong with the other 51 weekends in the year.
This is not a sketch comedy fest. It's a stand up fest.
OH MAN! I had it totally wrong. I thought all the sketch and improv groups in the festival were going to do either sketch or improv. Nobody told me it was all stand up.
Guess I'd better start writing some material.
Or maybe it's a mixture of a number of comedic forms but you're only interested in the stand up?
Hey Joe-
We've never met, and I don't want to get off on the wrong foot. It's hard to get across tone in a message board comment, so I want to make it clear I'm not trying to be hostile, pick a fight, ect. I'd rather post it anonomously, honestly, but that's kinda a cowardly thing to do, but I'm sure many of them will have something to say about me.
You're in the sketch and improv scene, and you mentioned being happy with the DC Comedy Fest because there's over twenty performers involved with sketch and improv that were local.
Would you concede that if it was the other way around, and DC Comedy Fest only had seven local sketch artists, and all of the rest were flown in from out of town, you'd be a little dissapointed?
I think the reason a lot of people are resentful at the moment is because people aren't really aware of the DC Scene in the same way people are of a New York, LA, or even Seattle scene. Local comics are always looking for a chance to promote themselves better, a lot of the open mics are empty, ect. So, we've got a weekend in DC where there's going to be some media coverage of stand-up. And, 80% of the talent is flown in. So, I think a lot of us feel it's a missed opportunity to make people aware of the scene. (Also, it feels like a slight- DC Comedians aren't funny enough for a fest, we've got to get more in here!)
I also think a lot of us locals are a bit bummed because we paid such a high entry fee, and so few of us got accepted, it feels a bit like we financed something we were left out of.
I would encourage everyone not to be too bitter about it, and to continue finding stage opportunities elsewhere. You can lose too much time and energy complaining about things that's better dedicated to finding more shows.
Best of luck with the sketch and improv stuff Joe, I'm gonna try to come out and see it if I'm in town.
-Jimmy Meritt
I'm not bitter or satisified with the number of DC performers in the festival. I guess I'm indifferent. But the original post indicated there were not enough DC comics in the fest, so I was just pointing out that there are plenty that nobody mentioned.
I'm aware that there are plenty of extremely talented stand ups in DC. I'm sorry not everyone got a spot. I guess my tone is negative because it irks me when people complain about not getting something they were never assured of getting. It's a festival and there's a submittal process which isn't always fair or right. But I assume the organizers made an effort to put on the best festival they know how, without specifically exluding people just because they live here. Or including them just because they live here. As Eli demonstrates, some people just aren't going to get in.
Like I said, I'm sure that's not the case with most DC comics. Especially not the ones I know or have seen.
What does make me bitter (part of an ever growing list) is calling it a stand up festival and disregarding any sketch or improv. So...sorry for my tone and for getting off on the wrong foot. I'm too often up in front of a less-than-full house myself, and part of the reason is that the average person going out to see some comedy will insist that it be one person on stage with a microphone. So they write off improv because they assume it's the dumb shit they've seen on tv. So, I'm overly sensitive to dismissing improv or sketch as not even being a part of the DC comedy scene.
Best of luck in the future.
Hey Joe-
Definatly see where you're coming from now. I think comedians and improv artists are in the same boat, as either way most audiences would rather just go to the movies.
I understand what you mean when you talk about performers having a sense of entitlement. But, as we saw from the note from mab, even audience goers uninvolved with the fest would like to see more local talent, and are confused about the lack therof. I'm not intrested in fighting too much about it, since I have my own things going on, but I think it's at least worth floating out there, as people who wouldn't be comfortable bringing it up or putting their name to it are thinking the same thing.
"As Eli demonstrates, some people just aren't going to get in."
Jimmy and I both gave thought out and well-balanced comments in regards to this. I don't see the difference between our two comments.
here's my take on all this:
eligood.blogspot.com
(yep, pluggin' my blog)
Finally, my first comment about being able to see local comics all year round was off topic and unnecessary. I was looking at it from an audience perspective. I can totally understand your concerns about media coverage. My bad. Sorry.
Accepted Joe, glad we could find the common ground here.
I don't know why they need to cart in a bunch of terrible comedians when there are plenty of terrible comedians right here.
I'm calling you out Ben Lerman. More like Ben Worse Than... everyone. Hey DC COMEDY FESTOR 1998 called (on a land line) and wants the website it's kid designed.
Watch the chops I have. The Adorables... more like The HORRIBLES. Four Shades of Black more like Poor Shades of Whack! Lizz Winstead more like Whiz (like pee) Instead. Fresh Voices more Like Not FRESH VOICES. Brooke Van Poppelen whore dyke Crooke MAN POOP HEN! Learn these Names more LIKE BURN THESE SHAMES. Doug Benson More LIke HUG RUG MEN SON. Andy Kindler bore like NERD. DC Comedy fest More LIKE PC mom ID breast. George BUSH more like George W. Bush. Gulf Coast Comedy more like DOG SHIT.
Not one stand up comedian from DC who sent in an application along w/ the 35 dollar entry fee was accepted. Anyone from DC was picked because they have a little buzz or they did the audition showcase. I can't imagine that not one application was good in a city with so many great standups. It feels a bit like DC was robbed not only of a chance in the national spotlight but also of it's hard-earned dollars.
Also, it would be one thing if comedians were flown in from all over, but most of the comedians are from NY, where the organizer lives. Why not call it the NY in DC comedy fest. At least that would be honest.
When evaluating whether the amount of DC comics in the DC Comedy Fest is fair it is important to parse the potentially ambiguous syntax with care. In the phrase DC Comedy Fest, "Comedy" obviously refers to the content of said fest. At this point analysis breaks down one can not assume that the DC in the festival's title refers to the nature of the comedy.
To use an analogy, imagine that there was a Chicago Pizza Fest located in Chicago. This could mean that it is a festival celebrating the particular "Chicago Style" of pizza. Or it could be a fest celebrating all Pizza that happens to take place in Chicago.
Now of course Chicago pizza is a better defined brand than DC comedy. Even in Chicago they serve a wide range of pizza only a subset of which is actually representative of the archetypal Chicago pie. DC's comedy is comparatively ill defined. There is no coherent style running through DC comedy. While the city has certain idiosyncrasies, primarily it's political bent and it's large African American community, that influence the comedy that the area produces the comedy still remains very eclectic. Without having a defined product could we then assume that "DC Comedy" simply refers to "Comedy that Occurs in the District of Columbia". To do so would be hasty!
In the "Semiotics and Philosophy of Language" Umberto Eco argues that these ambiguities of language should not to be thought of as flaws or imperfections but as qualities*. If not for these ambiguities language would lose much of it's important ability to express, to point to, that which is immaterial. The human experience is nothing if a dance of competing and indiscernible interests and a language that could was unable to point to the confusion inherent in the human experience would not just be logically impossible to construct but fundamentally undesirable.
*I hope you caught my little joke there, in that context the word quality could mean either 'a benefit' or merely 'a characteristic' and the meaning of that word would fundamentally alter the nature of the argument! Quite the paradox!
I hope you caught my little joke there, in that context the word quality could mean either 'a benefit' or merely 'a characteristic' and the meaning of that word would fundamentally alter the nature of the argument!
Brilliant
There are several reasons one puts on a festival. 1) showcase local talent to a nationwide audience 2)showcase natonwide talents for a local audience 3) boost his/her portfolio.
I was at the Chicago Pizza Fest, and 80% of the pizza there was Brooklyn style, and although it took place in venues where Chicago-style pizza is served on a regular basis, I couldn't find more than a few slices amidst the influx of Yankee pies.
And you know what? People lit cars on fire.
Everyone here is making good points. Especially Eli.
DC Comedy Fest.
It's a comedy fest in D.C.
This event has the potential to bring so much publicity to the idea of "comedy" in "D.C." but is largely ignorant of the local area's scene, save for what's going down at Solly's thanks to Nick and Jay.
And any way you look at it, it seems like an insult to the local comedy scene.
There are some D.C. comics performing there. Solly's is doing a part to right this. But the fact that some of the best local comedians are pretty much being crammed in like an afterthought just doesn't seem right.
We should never, ever have to bring "semiotics" into this.
In Blaire’s defense, per scheduling: In the past few years, the Del Close Marathon, which I’ve attended, has always been held during the last weekend in July. Blaire knows this, too, and had scheduled the DCCF for the week after. My understanding is that a scheduling difficulty on the part of the UCB Theater caused them to move their annual festival to the first week in August, well after Blaire had already scheduled the DCCF. There’s plenty to tax the DCCF with (I’m not fond of the website design at all), but the conflict with Del Close simply wasn’t her doing.
Per the “number” of local acts in the fest: as anyone who’s been to any other festival can tell you, the purpose of one of these things isn’t to “showcase” local talent – which local comedy audiences can see any other time during the year, but to attract talent from other cities to the festival, to give them an opportunity to showcase what they’re doing, to introduce them to local comedy audiences (and that’s a key word here) and expand their base. I speak primarily from experience at improv festivals, but I assume that it works the same at stand-up fests. Without exception, at nearly every single improv festival I been to, the local performers take a back seat to talent from other cities. In fact, the people often working the venues – taking tickets, working the concession stand, seating people, running the tech booth – are usually performers who, on any other night, would be headlining at the theater.
In fact, the Del Close Improv marathon, held at the UCB Theater, is ruthless about this. NYC-based theaters like the Peoples Improv Theater and UCB offers a number of talented people the opportunity to take classes, get together, and form troupes, which they often do. Hell, there are more improv troupes in NYC than there are wholesale electronics shops. But, come festival time, preference is always, ALWAYS given to out-of-town troupes. This is what’s enabled Washington Improv Theater to raise its profile – and, by extension, the profile of improv in DC – nationally: it’s able to send so many talented troupes to NYC, where they get a chance to perform on the very same stage that Amy Poehler, Will Farrell, Paul Scheer, Jack McBrayer, Rob Riggle, and practically every other funny person on the planet perform. Someone else pointed out the number of shows from NYC getting slots at the DCCF. Could that have something to do with both festivals being held on the same weekend, and the inability of NY-based shows to get slots at Del Close? Hmmm….
Look, I’m not trying to needlessly stir up this nest of vipers. I’m just pointing out some realities of comedy festivals: this is the way things *are*, guys, inconvenient as they may be to some people. Again: Not just here. *Everywhere.* The smart thing to do would be to go to the shows and try to meet some of these out-of-towners. Hell, they’re looking for the same things you’re looking for when you go on the road: drugs and chicks. Fruitless as these searches often are, perhaps they – and you –might like the company. Plus, you never know: one of them might return the favor the next time you’re at an out-of-town festival.
it's not an improv festival, it's a standup festival.
Can anybody confirm the earlier comment made, that nobody that sent in a portfolio and entry fee made it in?
http://dccomedy4now.blogspot.com/2008/03/dc-comedy-festival-audtion-showcase-at.html
this is the list of the auditioners. Only Erin Jackson made it in after that because she's on TV. Seaton got sandwiched in after he got back from Montreal but originally had been overlooked.
"It's not an improv festival, it's a stand-up festival."
Really? Then why are there a number of improve troupes performing? Did they not get the memo?
sorry, this is the url
http://dccomedy4now.blogspot.com/2008/03/dc-comedy-festival-audtion-showcase-at.html
well it won't post, here are the names.
Jason Weems
Aparna Nancherla
Jay Hastings
Bryson Turner
Kojo Mante
Nick Turner
Larry Poon
John McBride
Tim Miller
Hampton Yount
Oh, the anonomous comment up there asking if it was true no auditioners made it in was me, forgot to fill the thing out.
If the Del Close Improv festival was called "The New York Improv Festival", do you think New Yorkers might expect a bigger presence there?
I think if the DC Comedy Festival was called the "Alternative Festival", or something like that, there wouldn't be the same expectation built, but us local guys were hoping for more DC Comedy in the DC Comedy festival.
I think the bigger question is why anyone would plan a festival in DC in August, the slowest time of the year for comedy, AND when the city is historically most empty (no congress, and lots of other people take vacations).
I think, obviously, the point of the festival is for the organizer to try to make more industry and pimp out the people she's representing. It's more like a three-day infomercial.
yes, shawn. i get it. but look on the shows page. out of 20 shows there is only one improv show. It's not exactly overwhelming.
Jimmy, I've been to eponymously-named Baltimore Improv Fest and the Philadelphia Improv Fest, and the conditions there were the conditions I described above, in that the talent there did more gruntwork than performing. If audiences in these cities were expecting lineups of primarily local talent, they didn't get it (unless you count the talented way you were served a beer prior to the show).
I just googled the baltimore comedy festival, and the first link I saw showed local favorite Jared Stern front and center, so I feel like that's worth something.
I guess improv fests and stand-up fests work diffrent, and a blending of the two was bound to leave one side unhappy.
Anonymous, why would you plan a comedy festival for the slowest time of year? Easy. For the same reason DC restaurants schedule Restaurant Week during the slowest times of year (August and January, respectively): to make them NOT be so damned slow.
And, for what it's worth, I think if it's true that not a single person who sent in a dvd and paid 35 to audition got in, that's very telling of something.
Of course, I'm sure by using my real name instead of "anonomous", I'm ensuring I'll never be in the festival, so I'll imagine we'll be repeating this conversation next year. Should have learned my lesson after DCBigHead....
MB said...
"Slow time", I see what you did there!
Your comedy is both smart and subtle.
Shawn-
You're wrong about local festivals not showcasing local talent. The Boston Comedy Festival is very much centered around its local scene. Conversely, comics from outside Boston often complain about feeling excluded. Besides, if it was already understood that locals wouldn't be used, why were they encouraged to send in a $35 dollar submission to enter? The deadline was even extended in case anybody else wanted to send in some cash.
But, just because it's called the DC Comedy Fest doesn't mean it's going to represent DC Comedy. It's just a title. Just like the Miss Universe Pageant doesn't consider all the hotties in the Upsilon system, or like my coffee mug doesn't make me the World's Greatest Grandpa.
People need to remember, there's no sanctioning body for these things. Mayor Fenty didn't have to review the festival first before allowing the use of his city's name. You can start a festival and call it whatever you want. The DC Comedy Fest was never intended to promote anything but the interests of its organizer.
Even in past years when DC comics were more heavily represented, only comics of a certain clique or aesthetic were chosen (with a few exceptions). The festival wasn't promoting the whole of DC comedy. It was promoting Blaire Postman's version of what DC comedy was from her limited exposure to the scene.
Blaire hasn't been involved in the DC scene for quite some time, now. She has long since departed DC to take a bite of the poison apple in hopes of gaining some knowledge about the entertainment industry. But, this festival is still her calling card, and she's going to use it to leverage as many connections as she can. Good for her. After all, she did all the work.
But DC comics, you shouldn't put too much stock in the fest. It's not for you. Never was. If you want to protest, don't attend the shows, and don't give them your money next year.
Contrary to what people may think, the entertainment business isn't about creating opportunities for us to showcase our talents. It's about creating opportunities for the people above us to exploit and make money off our talents. Sure, we sometimes get paid, too, but agents/managers/festival organizers/tastemakers always get their cut. So, their goal is position themselves for the largest possible payday. Promoting a bunch of local open-micers isn't gong to do that. You can be as funny as you want, but someone else gets to decide if you're "marketable."
What really sucks is that, once again, the "industry" is being given the message that DC only has a handful of good comics to promote. But that was a problem long before the Fest came along.
I think many of the arguments are valid. But action speaks louder than words. Maybe this is underway and I'm just being annoying... But why not organize and promote a shadow comedy event with all local comedians at the same time as part of the DC Comedy Fest? Or put together and promote our own DC Comedy event at another time with all regional performers and perhaps two rooms, one for standup and the other for sketch/improv. Some of us do have day jobs that can help promote such endeavors with the media, etc.
http://comedycaptain.blogspot.com
"I just googled the baltimore comedy festival, and the first link I saw showed local favorite Jared Stern front and center, so I feel like that's worth something."
Jimmy, I can always count on you for some positive pub. I was just named "local favorite" by JD Power & Associates.
As for the DC Fest, the best revenge for we embittered is to put on some great shows at Solly's and make sure to get the word out so they're well attended. Served cold...on the top shelf.
If DC comics were good I'm sure that more of them would have been selected for the DCCF. I'm sure that the DCCF decided to add the locals because of all of the crying.
I was going to buy the full pass but after reading this and seeing the high level of whining here, I'm going to go to see Batman instead. At least I'll get real value for my money without the bad jokes.
Not Hatin Just Sayin
Batman is also a DC Comic.
Jimmy, it's that kind of wit that got you into the fest. Oh, wait a minute...
I'm in good company.
Posting under your real name will make people respect you more, not less.
Stop making this post about you Jimmy. Jesus.
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