2006 XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST & SKETCH FESTIVAL

[acrouch]

THE AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, ESTHER’S FOLLIES and THE HIDEOUT THEATRE

proudly announce the preliminary schedule for the

2006 XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST
&
FUNNYWRITER SKETCH FESTIVAL

MAY 12 – 20

In partnership with The Austin-American Statesman, ESTHER’S FOLLIES and THE HIDEOUT THEATRE are proud to announce the preliminary schedule for the 2006 XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST and FUNNYWRITER SKETCH FESTIVAL, a two-week showcase of Texas sketch comedy performers, writers and standup comedians.

These Austin venues have long been a breeding ground for Texas comedy and now, in a collaborative effort with The Austin American-Statesman, are welcoming comedy performances from across Texas in this first annual comedy writers’ festival. Official festival functions include performances of the XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST semi-finals selections will be performed at The Hideout Theatre (617 Congress Avenue), Friday, May 12, and in the Velveeta Room (521 E. 6th Street) Saturday, May 13, with performances and judging of the finals round taking place on the Esther’s Follies stage (525 E 6th Street) Friday, May 19 at 8PM. The Velveeta Room and The Hideout will also host sketch comedy performances from across the Lone Star State Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, May 18 – 20, 8PM - Midnight. The festival will culminate with THE COMEDY WRITERS STANDUP SHOWCASE and THE BEST OF THE FEST SHOW, featuring stand-out performances from the festival, in The Velveeta Room Saturday, May 20, beginning at 9PM. Festival participants and comedy fans are also welcome to attend the afterparty at The Velveeta Room Saturday night following the shows.

CONTEST SCHEDULE:

Enter by visiting the "XL Funnywriter" sketch comedy contest official registration page on the Austin360 Web site www.austin360.com/funnywriter and completing all of the required information and following all instructions. Sketch submissions must be 600 words or less to be eligible. You must enter via the Internet. No alternate means of entry permitted. Computer access is available at all public libraries. The contest will begin at 12:01 a.m. (CST) March 29, 2006 and all entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (CDT) on Thursday, April 27.
Contest open only to U.S. residents (excluding Puerto Rico), 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Contest is not open to current or former employees and contractors of the Austin American-Statesman or Esther's Follies. You may enter the contest as often as you like.
Six semi-final entries will be performed on Friday, May 12, at the Hideout Theatre, as part of the Funnywriter Sketch Festival. The six semi-final entries will be performed again on Saturday, May 13, at The Velveeta Room as part of the Funnywriter Sketch Festival. Those six entries will be published in the May 18, 2006 edition of the American Statesman XL magazine and performed at Esther's Follies the following night, May 19, scored by a panel of five judges. First Place winner will receive $500 and all six finalists will receive gift packages featuring Esther's tickets and tee shirts and prizes from area businesses. First, second, third place winners will be announced at the end of the show on May 19. The three winners and three honorable mentions will be performed again on May 20 at The Velveeta Room. Contest participants do not have to be present to win.
Writer interested in submitting material for the XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST should to www.austin360.com/funnywriter for full on-line entry instructions and complete information.

FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, May 12
9:30PM - THE XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST
Semi-finals performance at The Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress Avenue, downtown Austin. Tickets: $10. For reservations and ticket information, contact The Hideout box office at 512.HIDEOUT or visit The Hideout Theatre on the web at www.hideouttheatre.com

SATURDAY, May 13
8PM - THE XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST
Semi-finals performance, number 2, at The Velveeta Room, 521 E. 6th Street, downtown Austin. Tickets: $10, general seating.

THURSDAY - SATURDAY, May 18 – 20
8PM – Midnight - LONE STAR SKETCH
The Velveeta Room and The Hideout host sketch comedy troupes from across the state in various performances. Tickets: $10 per show. General seating.

FRIDAY, May 19
8PM – THE XL FUNNYWRITER CONTEST
Finals round. Esther’s Follies features six final contest selections as a highlight of their legendary 6th Street show. Contest judges will be in attendance. Tickets: $20 - $25. For reservations and ticket information, contact the Esther’s Follies box office at 512. or visit Esther’s Follies on line at www.esthersfollies.com

SATURDAY, May 20
8PM – THE COMEDY WRITERS STANDUP SHOWCASE
The Velveeta Room hosts local and national comedy writers and comedians. Tickets: $10, general seating.
11PM – THE BEST OF THE FEST SHOW featuring stand-out festival performances, at The Velveeta Room. Tickets: $10, general seating.
Midnight – THE AFTERPARTY at The Velveeta Room. Festival participants and comedy fans welcome to attend. Must be 21 to drink. Cash bar. No cover. Come hang out with the people who make you laugh!

Performance schedule subject to change.

--- ### ---

[beardedlamb]

is there a submissions procedure for the May 18-20 slots for performers from across the state?

[acrouch]

Interested sketch groups can email me.

[Jastroch]

600 words or less?

Here's my sketch:

Man enters room. Man has funny accent. Man interacts with other man in a comical fashion.

Did I win?

[erikamay]

this looks fun.

question: who retains rights to the performance of the sketches? the writers or performers/producers?

question 2: will the writers cast the show (select who performs them) or will they be performed by someone else?

thank you and good day.

[mcnichol]

question: who retains rights to the performance of the sketches? the writers or performers/producers?

This is kind of a sensitive subject for me too. That's kind of a make-or-break thing they should disclose in the press release.

A friend of ours quit Second City mainstage over the fact that they were asked to sign an agreement with SC wherein SC could sell any material the writer-performers generated to a large corporation. Within two months he was hired as a Daily Show correspondent. Yay for people who stick to their principles!

[acrouch]

There's a page full of legal mumbo jumbo on the website that has no mention of rights to the sketches. I called Doug Ewart and he's going to ask the Esther's folks and get back to us.

My assumption is that unless they buy the sketch off of you, you retain the rights.

The contest sketches will be performed by a single group put together for the express purpose of performing the contest sketches. The person tasked with putting together that group happens to be me. That'll be coming up in the casting section soon.

[cargill]

Esther's has done this for many years and they keep the rights to your sketches. That is all I know......

[acrouch]

Okay, here's the scoop. Esther's retains the right to perform the winning sketch. Not ownership rights, just the right to perform it. So you could go off and do it yourself or sell it to someone else or whatever. All the other sketches are completely unaffected.

[arclight]

A friend of ours quit Second City mainstage over the fact that they were asked to sign an agreement with SC wherein SC could sell any material the writer-performers generated to a large corporation. Within two months he was hired as a Daily Show correspondent. Yay for people who stick to their principles!

This would be Dan Bakkedahl featured in the Chicago Reader last March, yes? The Reader article kicks ass, as does Dan (I assume, never having met him.)

Back on topic - as improvisors and writers we need to control our own IP or at least know what rights we have so we can make informed decisions about what we trade or give up.

[ChrisTrew.Com]

DB = Awesome, awesome, awesome.

[cargill]

We had a bunch of friends in the Touring Co. that had to sign an agreement with Sony that their sketches would be owned by SC and Sony. They were really upset about it and a lot of them (including Dan) quit. Dan is an awesome person and a good example of standing up for what he believes is right. Great post Bob.