So many things come in groups of 24: two cartons of eggs, twelve pairs of socks, three packs of hotdogs. But hours? Who would string together 24 hours of anything, let alone the hardest part of comedy: writing it.
In a bold move, the brains at Austin’s ColdTowne Theater and the Austin Sketch Festival have devised a way to string together 24 consecutive hours of sketch comedy mayhem. When have this many hours ever been utilized for such a single-minded purpose? If anybody’s done it, we haven’t heard from them. That’s how dangerous it is.
Competitors in the 24-hour Sketch Challenge will meet at the theater on Saturday, February 9th before Sci-Fi Saturdays. At precisely 7:00pm, 5 teams will get a string of suggestions and guidelines to ensure that their show has not been previously written or worked on.
The following evening, February 10th, starting at 6pm, teams will perform their shows. The winner will be determined by a combination of audience votes and judge feedback.
When our enormous 24-hour hourglasses run dry at precisely 6pm on Sunday, February 10th, the Brawl will begin and the victor(s) will be spoiled with naps. The losers will… probably have naps too. Having overcome both space and time, the victors will then commence bragging.
We’ll be celebrating the Austin Sketch Festival — happening this Memorial Day weekend!
THIS SHOW IS PAY WHAT YOU WANT! Keep reading for the full list of competitors and the schedule. You can come for part of or the entire two and a half hour show!SCHEDULE:
** Team run order willbe determined by a drawing Sarturday Night
6:00pm Troupe 1
6:30pm Troupe 2
6:55pm Intermission/Audience change
7:05pm Troupe 3
7:35pm Troupe 4
8:00pm Intermission/Audience change
8:10pm Troupe 5
8:35pm Finalists/Winners Announced!
TEAMS:
Tastemakers From the butts of some of the guys who brought you Ghetto Sketch Warlock, Audience of Two, and The Dukes of Bedside Manor, comes a group you ain’t never seen before. A mixture of experienced straight/absurd performers remind audiences everywhere that if it isn’t funny, you aren’t trying hard enough.
Unsuspectingly Sponsored By Unsuspectingly Sponsored By is a comedy show about advertising, featuring comedians who happen to work on said advertisements at their “professional jobs.” We create SNL style commercials, but for one very real company, who is “unsuspectingly” sponsoring the night. It’s non-consensual advertising.
Scholarly Gents Three classy gents doing sketches for the Proletariat.
There’s Waldo presents their brand of “colorfully fucked up” sketch comedy delivering plenty of moments that will make you happily uncomfortable. That thing you’re pretty sure is too weird or creepy to do on stage? Yeah, they’ll probably do that. There’s Waldo has been writing and performing together since late 2010. In that time they’ve produced 5 full length shows and have been official selections at many Austin comedy festivals including: Austin Sketch Fest, Out of Bounds, The Moontower Comedy Festival, Hell Yes Fest, and LAFF.
Your Terrific Neighbors Bulwarks of Austin’s sketch comedy scene, Your Terrific Neighbors have been doin’ it for years. (“It” = weirdo sketch comedy, with the funny characters and the silly props and the you-know-what.) They’ve weathered the storms. They’ve seen ’em come and go. And now, they want to get to know you. Yes, you. Find out what makes you laugh and what makes you cry. Burrow their friendly way right into your cold, damaged heart and make you love again. If this sounds too intense, though, they will just do a show for you.