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The Best of 2019, part 2

Some more wonderful people responded to our call for sharing memories of 2019.

Julia Hudson, Crying Alone in the Shower, Philadelphia

Goat Rodeo’s final show! What an amazing send off for PHIT’s stalwart team. From Botticelli and the Pope to Emergency Alert System to the Tickle Monster to CATS. It’s awesome to watch a Best Of show and realize there are so many other sketches from throughout their run that I was hoping to see. There is so much more I could say about their tight writing, fun performances, props and costumes that put the rest of us to shame, and a director like Samantha Russell – but I’ll stop here. I’m so sad I’ll never get to see another Goat Rodeo show again and so happy that I got to see the last one!

photo from Julia Hudson

Goat Rodeo’s final show was so much fun. Cats is one of those sketches I can watch forever, and it will never not be funny. And the Philly comedy scene now has a Goat Rodeo-sized hole. -josh


Isaiah Headen, Bad Medicine, Washington DC

I co-run the DC Sketch Comedy Facebook page with a few members of Bad Medicine and Brick Penguin. The group has grown a lot and is becoming more active each month. We’ve been adding new members weekly. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DCSketchComedy/

Well, in the Spring we do a networking happy hour and this year it was our biggest event ever. We had a representative from every comedy theater in DC (which almost never happens) to talk about their events and how to join. Also a majority of the local sketch teams were in attendance. It not only felt like a real community, but it truly was a signal that the local scene is growing and we’ll be able to support more teams in the future. It was a sketch comedy rainbow of hope.

This sounds so cool.


Cameron Wyllie, The Original Arugula Boys, Toronto

Oh buddy,
We all know that Philly Sketchfest Saturday Nights at the Ruba Club are legendary, and this year was no exception. White Hot Sets from troupes all night long. And the community is great, so we all partied and drank well into the night. We got back to our Airbnb in Rittenhouse around 3 am and desperately needed to eat, so we hit the streets to find some food and COULD. NOT. FIND. ANYTHING. 
But then, who should appear on the wild streets of Philadelphia but Philly Sketch Legend JOE MOORE (Steve Swan vs Joe Moore) who, like a guardian angel, guided us to the nearest open Wawa for the greatest late night hoagies of our lives. 
Out of the billions of people in Philly-Delphia, running into a friendly face from the festival hours and miles apart in the dead of night? That’s a sketchfest miracle if I’ve ever seen one.

Joe Moore and hoagies are both great things late at night. And the Cameron and Carson are part of the reason our Saturday nights are so much fun.


If you’d like to share your favorite comedy memory of 2019, send an email to [email protected].

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News Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia Uncategorized

Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia – May 16th through May 22nd

Few things make us happier than seeing (or hearing) all the love Philadelphia’s sketch comedy community has been getting from national comedy festivals and this past weekend at Montreal Sketchfest 2016 The Flat Earth added a few more accolades performing in the closing night “Best of Fest” show and winning “Best Newcomer” (a.k.a. The Bag of Beer). Philly Sketchfest congratulates Jacquie Baker, Vincent DiCostanzo, Rich Lee, Adam Siry, Matthew Schmid, Molly Silverman and director, Paul Triggiani of The Flat Earth on all their accomplishments this year (including runners-up for Producer’s Pick at Toronto Sketchfest) and thanks you for putting Philadelphia in the conversation when it comes to sketch comedy.

 

Adventure Friends Baby Steps and Tim Butterly LargeNow please enjoy this week’s listings, with special attention for the May 20th Philly Sketchfest Presents Showcase at The Adrienne Theater Playground!

First at 8:30pm, it’s Adventure Friends with Baby Steps hosted by Tim Butterly of Comedy Central’s Delco Proper.

A Galaxy Uncherished Logo WideThen at 10:15pm, it’s the triumphant, one-night only, encore presentation of House of Solitude’s, “A Galaxy Uncherished” with special guests One Idiot from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City, performing in their critically acclaimed, lost play from Tennessee Williams, “What The Horse Saw”.

More details plus everything else sketch in Philadelphia below…

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Sketch Comedy In Philadelphia – May 9th through May 15th

No time for love today; only news about sketch comedy shows happening in Philadelphia. Big news of the week? There’s a new sketch group in town and their name is Nakatomi. Even bigger news of the week? That same brand new sketch group is making their debut this week opening for PHIT Sketch House Team, Dog Mountain. But the most big news this week? All of Nakatomi’s writers & performers are improvisors. According to Nakatomi’s Tom Hannigan, everyone in the group has “dabbled” in sketch comedy over the past year and collectively decided forming a group together would give them an opportunity to work out their sketch comedy-chops. We’re thrilled to hear it and excited to see it. What day? What time? Attire? It’s all below! You should really know that by now…

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Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia – May 2nd through May 8th

Yes, you came here to find out what the ‘happs’ are this week for sketch comedy in Philadelphia. But first, we have to take a moment to acknowledge some Philadelphia sketch groups who’ve been accepted into and will be performing in some incredible festivals over the next two weeks. Please join us in congratulating The Flat Earth (PHIT) and The Incredible Shrinking Matt & Jacquie on their acceptance into Montreal Sketchfest 2016 as well as it’s the new., Kathryn & Sarah, Sweetish, and Until Pluto on their acceptance into this week’s Charm City Comedy Festival in Baltimore, MD! If you’re from Philly and looking for an over-night adventure built around supporting sketch comedy from your city, you could make the trip to Baltimore in time to see Kathryn & Sarah (10:00pm) and Until Pluto (11:30pm) on Friday night, Sweetish (4:00pm) and it’s the new. (7:00pm) on Saturday, and then be back in Philly in time for Mother’s Day on Sunday. Or you could stay in Philadelphia and catch all the incredible sketch comedians that are performing this week. Who are they? See below for all the details…

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Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia – April 18th through April 24th

Now that we’re are all caught up from Philly Sketchfest 2016 we’re ready to return to this website back to some regularly scheduled content highlighting all the sketch comedy taking place in Philadelphia on a weekly basis. We’re also excited to announce here that we’ll be posting more articles and interviews with Philadelphia-based sketch groups as well as becoming the official home of the “My First Sketch” podcast hosted/created by Josh Higham. That’s good news. Some might say great, but we like to think of it as leaving ourselves room to grow. So what’s happening this week already, right? Well word on the street is that you have a hot date with sketch comedy on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday. Check out the events below to see exactly who’ll be taking you out on the town each night…

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2016 Philly Sketchfest News Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia

PHILLY SKETCHFEST 2016 – OPENING NIGHT AT RUBA CLUB

Tonight is OPENING NIGHT of Philly Sketchfest 2016! Please join us and hosts, comedians Rachel Fogletto (Comedy-Gasm) and Chip Chantry at The Ruba Club (416 Green St., Philadelphia, PA 19123) for all the sketch comedy you can fit into a single evening with performances from – it’s the new., Locked In Julia’s Basement, Wretched Hive, Youth Large, Dog Mountain, Peggylouloulouloulou by Amanda Xeller, Sweetish, House of Solitude, Bye Bye Liver, and for the first time in Philadelphia (we think? say maybe, 98% positive?) a PAY-WHAT-YOU-LIKE sketch comedy cover show called, ‘Old To Begin’ with performances from The Prince, High Dramma, Your Mom, it’s the new., and Uncle Robert. Check out the details below or at our festival calendar here

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Philly Sketchfest Opening Night Show #1
Philly Sketchfest 2016 – it’s the new. + Locked In Julia’s Basement + Wretched Hive
The Ruba Club 416 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Thursday, March 31st – Doors at 6:45pm and Show at 7:00pm / Tickets – $10

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Philly Sketchfest Opening Night Show #2Philly Sketchfest 2016 – Youth Large + Dog Mountain + Peggylouloulouloulou by Amanda Xeller
The Ruba Club 416 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Thursday, March 31st – Doors at 8:15pm and Show at 8:30pm / Tickets – $10

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Philly Sketchfest Opening Night Show #3Philly Sketchfest 2016 – Sweetish + House of Solitude + Bye Bye Liver
The Ruba Club 416 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Thursday, March 31st – Doors at 9:45pm and Show at 10:00pm / Tickets – $10

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Old To BeginPhilly Sketchfest 2016 – ‘Old To Begin’ a Sketch Comedy Cover Show
The Ruba Club 416 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Thursday, March 31st – Show at 11:00pm / Tickets – PAY WHAT YOU WILL/FREE

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Can’t wait to see everyone tonight. Don’t forget about all our shows and workshops! – Brian, Curt, and Ben!

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Interviews News Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia Whole Man Whole Horse

Q&A with Frank Farrell and Jamie Glasheen of The Prince

Tonight at 10:00pm, Philadelphia-based sketch comedy duo The Prince will debut their brand new show, “Whole Man, Whole Horse” directed by Maggy Keegan. Hosted by comedian Joe Bell and featuring guest performances from Julia Hudson (Barbara Bush/Sweetish), Sue Nelson (Barbara Bush) and Hunter Steffes (Big Baby Improv), this full length show serves as the duo’s largest and most ambitious production to date. Philly Sketchfest sat down with Frank Farrell & Jamie Glasheen of The Prince to discuss their origins, how they approach writing & performing sketch comedy, their influences and a little taste of what’s to come in tonight’s show

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News Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia

Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia – February 1st through February 7th

Happy February 2016 everyone! We’re absolutely thrilled February is here because that means that in a few short weeks, we’ll be announcing the line-up of performers, workshops and panels taking place at Philly Sketchfest 2016, March 31st through April 3rd. If you haven’t heard, we’ve extended our submission deadline by 48 hours making today the final day to get your sketch group in on the festivities. But that’s not all we’re up to in February as Philly Sketchfest is also presenting two new sketch showcases! Both shows take place on Friday, February 19th with our 8:30pm showcase featuring sketch from Spirit Animal & The Flat Earth who will performing their sets from the 2016 Chicago Sketchfest with stand-up from Alyssa Al-Dookhi. Then at 10:00pm it’s a brand new set of sketch from The Prince entitled, ‘Whole Human, Whole Horse’ directed by Maggy Keegan with stand-up from Joe Bell.

Philly Sketchfest is also a proud sponsor of the 2016 Bechdel Test Fest celebrating Philadelphia’s women and trans comedians at the Christ Church Neighborhood House. You can find out about all the sketch groups performing in it after the break…

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News Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia

Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia – January 25th through January 31st

This is a reminder that you have until January 31st to apply to Philly Sketchfest 2016! If you’d like to sign up please click on this link and get to submitting your incredible sketch group! Then check out all the sketch in Philadelphia for this week…

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News Sketch Comedy in Philadelphia Sketch Hangover Uncategorized

2015 Year In Review – Courtney Painter of Barbara Bush and Dog Mountain

This week Philly Sketchfest will be taking a look back at the year 2015 through the eyes of the writers, performers, directors and producers that make sketch comedy in Philadelphia a reality. Every single day of the week, you will find Courtney Painter living and breathing comedy in Philadelphia. She writes and performs with the ‘first ladies of comedy’ in Barbara Bush and this year, was asked to join PHIT Sketch House Team Dog Mountain as both a performer and writer. She’s the lead house manager at PHIT and wrote multiple shows for the Black Friday Comedy Marathon including a sketch show written with the children she takes care as a daytime Nanny along with writing partner, Jolie Darrow. And to think it all started just over a year ago, with a submission to sketch comedy game show, Iron Sketch offering to be in as many groups as we would allow her to work with. She’s that driven and it’s not just talk; Courtney simply does. You can see Courtney tomorrow night with Dog Mountain and the rest of the ‘first ladies of comedy’ in Barbara Bush, on New Year’s Day, as they perform their first sketches of 2016 at our Sketch Hangover! In the meantime, please enjoy Courtney’s look back at Philly sketch in 2015…