Public Sketch Announcements: Show to inform and inform to show
In this project we wrote sketches, participated in table reads and eventually put on a full show. We learned about improv and current news topics and applied that to the writing process. During this project, we learned that we can use comedy to inform, on a more serious level, by poking fun at the oppressors of the world by exaggerating the absurd things that society has normalized.
Process
This project started off with learning about improvisation. We studied the ins and outs of improv and how it applies to real life situations. We led News Cafe weekly to learn about current news topics and then practice comedy skills by writing jokes based on the news article presented. We analyzed various comedy skits to understand the format and the different type of skits that you can write, whether it be a character sketch or situational sketch. We visited a CYT production of The Little Princess to gather inspiration and get familiarized with the behind the scenes aspect of putting on a production.With our new knowledge of "bringing a brick, not a cathedral", "Yes, and" , and "If this is true, then what else is true" we started collaborating in small groups to write sketches. We conducted critique sessions to make sure we were basing our reality, using the rule of thirds with heightens and making our sketches flow. After the writing process, we would come together as class to do a table read. From the table read, we did a vote to find out which sketches made it to our show!
Once we had our set list of sketches, we started casting roles and understudies. Once roles were assigned, it was time to memorize lines and gather costumes and props. We blocked different scenes, making sure to use the correct stage direction language. As we were getting closer to exhibition day, we started doing full dress rehearsals and putting on the entire show. We did this until the big day, where we put on a successful performance for parents and visitors at Festival del Sol.
Below is our final draft. The highlighted lines are the changes we made from draft one.
Blurb
To get inspiration for our sketch idea, our group shared random funny stories, one day, and we came upon an abundance of pet stories. This sketch was influenced by one of our writer’s dogs, mixed in with some components from the other funny pet stories told that day, which eventually led to the creation of “Who’s a Good Boy?” We liked the idea that most people could relate to this sketch based on their experiences with their pets. The premise of the sketch is about a dog, named Rover, who is tired of being a good boy, but is having a hard time being a bad boy. A strong tool in comedy is the power of three, which is used when someone or something presents a joke three times and each time the joke is heightened to a new level. This sketch utilizes this with our three heightens of Rover kicking the trash can, Rover scratching the hole in the wall, and Rover eating all the food in the fridge. The last joke with the burglar is the big finale, which includes the final punchline. A lot of the comedy in this sketch is derived from our main character, Rover, making this a character sketch. However, this sketch also has pieces of absurdity, like the fact that this dog can talk and is conscious of his feelings and when Rover wants to join the burglar, that also make it an absurd sketch.
Original Writers: Aaron Romero Zac Curtis Ari Ibarra Sarina Kuninaga
Additional Writers: Vincent Ferrer
Actors: Rover: Vincent Ferrer Frank: Azzael de la Torre Burglar: Ari Ibarra Police Officer: Alejandro Solano