Jason Mantzoukas and Rob Heubel performed at UCB during the Del Close Marathon in 2009.
Recently I was introduced to The League, a sitcom about a fantasy football league and it’s members. I love that show now. The first time I watched it, I screamed when Jason Mantzoukas came on screen, “I saw him perform at Del Close!”
The Del Close Marathon (DCM) is an improv festival that happens in NYC every year. Improvisers flock to NYC to perform, watch, and loose sleep all weekend. There are shows all hours of the day and night, except when they close the theaters for a much needed cleaning.
The photo above was taken at UCB during DCM in 2009. The show was supposed to feature Rob Heubel and Rob Riggle. They’d performed together a few years earlier, and that show was absolutely one of my favorites. I was really excited to see them again.
But they announced that Rob Riggle wasn’t performing that night. Total disappointment. Then Jason Mantzoukas walked onto the stage.
What happened after that was glorious.
The show was incredible. Hilarious. Raunchy. Fun. Fearless. And so funny I couldn’t get a good picture because I was laughing too hard. (You gotta keep the camera super still to get a good shot in a dark theater without a flash.)
Today I couldn’t tell you what that scene was about, but I remember laughing hysterically. I was totally impressed.
I remember wishing I would be that fearless on stage. I returned to Raleigh, N.C., stoked about doing brave shows that make people laugh so hard they cry. I was performing with Big Fat & Stealthy then and we were having so much fun on stage together.
Improv is a wild beast.
It’s tough to put into words. You never know what’ll happen on stage. Some shows are great, plenty of them are total crap. It can be tough to put on a good show. Really tough.
So, since I’ve been an improviser, I’m always impressed when I see a good show. Something magical happens during a good show. I totally fall in love with improvisers; I become a silent champion of their life and career, and I get really excited when I see them succeed. (That makes me feel like a total creeper, btw.)
It’s wonderful to watch The League and cheer on all those great improvisers. It makes me really miss improv. I love it so much. Perhaps I can marry improv and filmmaking a little more in 2013…
Big Fat & Stealthy was an improv team that performed regularly at ComedyWorx in Raleigh, N.C. We had lots of fun! I took our team photos and designed our marketing materials each month. Playing to a sold out show is a great feeling. Every time I hear Kanye’s “Stronger” I think of BFS.