How to Organize a Sketch Comedy Group

When the words "sketch comedy" are mentioned, some names that may immediately spring to mind are Monty Python and Upright Citizens Brigade, both renowned for their off-the-wall sketches. Some of their work has reached such fame that people can quote their skits word-for-word. If your mission is to create your own sketch comedy troupe, then naturally, the first place you may want to look is among your own group of friends (provided that they're funny and possess some natural acting talent.) For purposes of character creation, you will want to have a decent amount of physical variation between your actors. For instance, you may recruit one person who's tall and thin, another who's heavyset, people of different hair and skin colors, etc.

Should you be looking for some great impersonators for a specific sketch, an excellent site to peruse is GigSalad.com; it features actors who impersonate such celebrities (and characters) as Johnny Carson, Jack Nicholson, James Bond, Austin Powers, Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe, Prince, and Ray Charles. They are listed by city and state.

When it comes to the actual sketch, there's an endless amount of variety to what you can do, but it's essential to consider your crowd. An audience that might appreciate non-sequitur, absurdist humor is less likely to warm up to "Odd Couple"-style comedy, though there are always surprises.

Now, you may ask, "Should I write my own sketches or use previously established ones?" Personally, I have a fair amount of experience doing various kinds of sketch comedy in different settings. I once took an acting class in which we had to perform a number of improv bits with our classmates. Some of our classroom time consisted of improv "games" that you might see on shows such as Whose Line Is It, Anyway? On occasion, with the right group of people, you can turn one of these games into a hilarious bit.

The game "Questions," frequently used on the show, usually involves 2-5 people; during the skit, they can only speak to one another in questions. If anyone responds to a question with a statement, they are out of the game. Usually, a moderator (in the case of Whose Line, Drew Carey) presents the scene to the actors as well as the audience. He may say, "You are all waiting in line to buy tickets to a sports game, and the tickets sell out." The actors then react, speaking in questions. Again, if done right, this game can have hilarious results. You will, of course, want to practice numerous times before performing it in front of an audience, so that you and your fellow actors won't burst out laughing and ruin the sketch.

Another plausible source for sketch ideas may be books such as David Ives' It's All in the Timing, a classic collection of skits that can be performed many different ways. Granted, your sketch group will have to be skilled at acting and memorization to pull off the skits successfully, but the book is great simply for inspiration as well. One of the most famous sketches in Timing is "Sure Thing," in which a man approaches an attractive girl in a cafe, and attempts numerous times to make conversation with her. Usually, one or two actors in the background ring a bell, or say "ding," every time one of the man's attempts fails. Again, if done right, this skit can be a hit with many types of audiences. (See the skit here: YouTube: Sure Thing by David Ives.) And depending on the director, it can be done in virtually any public setting.

Should you decide to write your own sketch, keep this in mind: don't try to force anything. If you and your group read through what you've written, and you don't find yourselves laughing, it most likely won't go over with the audience, either. Though many would say that Saturday Night Live has declined in recent years, you can certainly look to some of their classic skits for inspiration, or possibly even material, if you think you can pull off the skits themselves.

Among their most famous (and best regarded) skits of all time is "Gerald Ford Dead at 83," in which Dana Carvey impersonates Tom Brokaw announcing the death of former president Gerald Ford, so he (Brokaw) can go on vacation to Barbados. While this is a one-person skit, it is crucial to watch Carvey's mannerisms and understand what it is that makes his performance funny. If you have ever watched Brokaw on NBC, you may notice that he keeps a ridiculously straight face when speaking, no matter what he may be talking about. Carvey captures this, in exaggerated form, in his performance.

What makes many of the great SNL skits funny, and memorable, are their recognizable qualities. For your own sketch, take a situation that many people are likely to be familiar with, such as a family sitting down to dinner, a teacher in a grade school class, or a couple on a first date. The humor, then, will arise partly from the situation. Then, into the ordinary situation, introduce something that's "out of place," such as an adult student in the grade school, or a waiter with no short-term memory on the first date. Going back to "Sure Thing," many can definitely relate to the awkwardness between a guy and his potential date; the mannerisms and tone of the actors, combined with the absurdity of the sketch, make all the difference.

A different sort of sketch comedy is performed by the group Improv Everywhere, created by actor Charlie Todd in New York City. Improv Everywhere often gathers its "agents" in public places, and pulls off random pranks that they refer to as "missions." Some of them have included 80 people walking into a Best Buy wearing blue shirts and khakis; staging a spontaneous musical in a mall in California; and having a group of redheads protest in front of a Wendy's in Manhattan. This type of comedy works, in part, because of its unexpected nature. In actual musicals, it's not unusual for people to spontaneously break into song; in real life, however, does that frequently happen?

If you manage to gather a large enough group of actors, who are willing to pull off such a public stunt, you may be able to do this successfully. However, if you are actually inspired directly by Improv Everywhere, please give them due credit. Several groups, in different parts of the world, have imitated their style of comedy without acknowledging the source.

So, once you have your actors, and your script, costumes, props, and stage in place...don't forget to have fun! The most important ingredient in your sketches is the chemistry with your fellow actors. If you aren't having a good time, the audience won't, either.