An Inside Look at the Upright Citizens Brigade NYC

[Andreas Fabis]

There was a nice feature about the UCB on youtube done by Rocketboom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQBoYlci6Jc

[Asaf]

Man, Anthony King is a friend of mine, but I got peeved by so a couple of things he says in this interview.

1. "The UCB introduced longform to New York."
Actually, not true, I was doing longform with my college troupe before Anthony even got into improv. My college troupe learned longform from watching Freestyle Rep. They took it to a wider audience, yes. But I hate self-serving hyperbole like that.

2. "Longform is closer to theater, while shortform is closer to stand-up."
I have two problems with this statement. First, people who hate on shortform are usually the ones who saw it once and then dismiss all shortform like being that experience and don't realize that there is a wide variety of shortform out there like there is a large variety of longform. Second, I'm getting tired of how some longform theaters are touting their stuff as something more than it is. Anthony is very theatrical in his work as are quite a bunch of the UCB performers, but most of the work is closer to sketch and TV than it is to theater. And unfortunately, the UCB helps feed that style.

Anthony is a nice guy and so I don't think any of this was ignorant or ill-intentioned, but many it mirrors too closely the views of people who I've encountered who are.

[ratliff]

You can fill Edwards Aquifer with what I don't know about shortform, but can anyone name even one way in which it's like standup, aside from both being funny? That makes absolutely no sense to me.

[York99]

You can fill Edwards Aquifer with what I don't know about shortform, but can anyone name even one way in which it's like standup, aside from both being funny? That makes absolutely no sense to me.

Before you even get into that, I think the flaw is in the basis of the statement that there is a spectrum where the extremes are theatre and stand-up. That implies that these two art forms are opposites.

But I think the point he was trying to make was that short form, like most stand-up, is delivered to an audience in small doses.

[Pdyx]

Not that I agree, but maybe the thought is (and I think this is what Justin is trying to say) that a lot of stand-up is separate bits that are funny but aren't connected in any sort of narrative way. But heck, you can say that about a lot of long form and lots of short form does have connections too, so, whatever.

[Roy Janik]

I disagree with a lot of what is said in this video, and I started to write about 4 responses, but stopped myself.

I'm just thankful that the answer to "Who is Del Close?" didn't imply that he invented all of modern improv.

And interviews are stressful. The words just have to come out, so I'm willing to cut him some slack on the finer points.

[Spots]

As soon as he said "shortform: you know what's going to be funny beforehand" I felt a bad taste in my mouth rise up...

Then I chewed it around and I came up with the interpretation "you know what sort of juxtapositions and dynamics you'll be creating in the scene beforehand." Which OK, yes maybe its not as hard to find the funny but that in no way resembles having a scripted monologue that makes people laugh on cue.

Roy's right about interviews. Let's just be thankful this wasn't a text interview because those are always misquoted to the nth degree. I once told a reporter "No, please do not imply that I was the founder of [sketch comedy show]. I am NOT the founder." I was then credited as the brain behind the show, and that it never would have existed without my input. That really pleased everyone...

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

i've made the shortform/longform = stand up/theatre before. so while i can't interpret what he was saying, what i meant by it in the past was that, at least in my experience, short form plays more for the laugh and keeping the audience on that ride while long form plays more for the story and taking them on a journey. it's not a perfect analogy, and it's not intended as a diss either. i freaking LOVE stand up (can't do it for shit, but love the hell out of it). i've also used it when talking about audience response...in my experience, short form can lend itself to rowdier and sometimes less respectful audiences (particularly in doing "barprov"), which is an inherent risk in keeping the audience so involved through continual suggestions, whereas an audience in a longform show isn't being prompted to shout things out as much so is less likely to do so at an inappropriate time (though i have been in a few longform shows where they did anyway. again, alcohol was usually involved. :p).

in retrospect, a more apt analogy is short form is to sketch what long form is to theatre, since it allows for the fact that while short form plays more directly to the laugh, it still involves character, story and relationship. it's of a briefer duration, and often more premise/concept based (even if that "premise/concept" is the game itself).

either way, it's only a negative if you see stand up and/or sketch as inherently inferior to theatre.

now, i'm going to see if i can get a new analogy born...longform is to shortform as opera is to Gilbert and Sullivan mix tape. go!

[Spots]

But I totally see what you're saying. What a great clarification, reverend.

[scook]

Ugh, Australians are ALWAYS doing youtube news stories on Americans doing improv comedy. Bout time to STOP IT.

Stand up is badass and really hard, if I did shortform, I'd be flattered someone thought it was like stand up. It's not, but I don't think it was meant as a diss anyway. More like boiling it down for people who don't know what improv is to a group of youtube viewers in a 3 minute online video.

Improv is experimental theatre. And every city thinks it's the best at it and they invented something for it. But we'll never be as good as we could be if we lived a million years to do it.

Us in a million years > us now

We're all in the same boat.

[PyroDan]

I watched this again, and totally got it as if he were speaking to non-improv savy people.

Shortform tends to have a few more strictures than longform, that lend themselves to make the situation inheirently funny, ie; a naive game, helping hands, etc. So I think he was speaking more to structure of how a purely shortform show would be, versus a longform show being a bit more patient and asking for less if any suggestions. Of course I am not he, so therefore I should just shut my mouth concerning what other people were thinking....

When I have had disscusions with civilians about improv they always ask "Oh so it is like that Whose line is it show?" My response has been, yes but a bit more theatrical with less stopping for suggestions.

I am always brought back to a wonderful saying at A&M describing how great it is (insert Aggie joke here) and I feel as if it applies to improv somewhat

From the outside, looking in, you can't describe it. From the inside looking out you can't explain it.

It is just something you have to experience.

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

I am always brought back to a wonderful saying at A&M describing how great it is (insert Aggie joke here)

manual animal husbandry?

THANK YOU, GOOD NIGHT!

[PyroDan]

I am always brought back to a wonderful saying at A&M describing how great it is (insert Aggie joke here)

manual animal husbandry?

THANK YOU, GOOD NIGHT!

That's the only way to assure it is done right, and with love.

[Jeff]

Ella Morton seems like a nice lady.

[Baldenhofer]

I think some are criticizing the interview from the perspective of a comedy nerd without taking into account it's a 3 minute fluff piece for some "internet culture" website that advertises DCM.

When the average person has no idea what improv comedy is and only a handful understand what you're talking about when you bring up sketch, how are you supposed to explain the differences between long and shortform in a sentence or two? Everybody knows what a standup is, everybody knows what theater is. They're just reference points for the uninformed.

Maybe the interview will spark someone's interest and they'll go seek out more in depth information.

edited to say "From the outside, looking in, you can't describe it. From the inside looking out you can't explain it."is a great way to put it.