We had some unsolicited reviewers show up for Mrs Gruber's Ding Dong School at sketchfest, which is great because normally if you want reviewers to come to a sketch comedy show you have to track them down and beg them. Hooray for you, Sketchfest.
Here they are for posterity purposes:
"Meanwhile, Robot vs. Dinosaur’s full-length show, Mrs. Gruber’s Ding Dong School (which debuted last year), offered a twisted take on children’s programming (think Romper Room from hell). Using puppets, arts and crafts and events like story time to tell some pretty sick tales, the show was at its best when poking sly fun at the unrealistic crap we teach children. In one scene, the Reality Fairy sings, “While there’s unlimited dreams just for you, there’s limited money to make them come true.” And in another, a couple of sprightly puppets struggle to understand a guy dying of bone cancer (even going so far as to eat out of his bedpan). But a couple of sketches were clunkers. I didn’t care for the wife-hating Professor Smart (too hammy), or an oddball sketch about a homeless man, but the show finale, in which Mrs. Gruber is revealed to be a fraud, was a gut-buster."
-Jason Heidemann at Time Out Chicago, 1/12/2010
"Robot Vs. Dinosaur – The name gets an A; Saturday’s set, a B. The abridged version of its Gorilla Tango show, Mrs. Gruber’s Ding Dong School, starred Rebecca Levine as a kindergarten teacher bestowing bitter life lessons to a group of children. Except this class isn’t really a class at all, but something far more disturbing. Attempts at shock humor tends to be more shock than humor, but RvD manages to be both. From a pessimistic song about the futility of dreams to a courtroom re-enactment doll’s traumatic, sex-and-drugs filled confessional, this is some dark, twisted stuff – and I mean that in the best possible way. Grade: B."
-Piet Levy at True/Slant, 1/13/2010
"The evening started out with Robot vs. Dinosaur performing their current show, "Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School." The old schoolmarm holds things together as she takes the cast and their visiting classmates through a memorable trip through the magical world of learning. All of the children's TV notes are hit just right, with the group skewering traditional themes of sharing, field trips, and Career Day...and a disturbing Career Day at that. It's clear that the cast gels well together, carrying their individual characters well while also picking up new roles for the various scenes. In all, its a show that seemed entirely too short to us, as there was plenty of school age material to mine. Robot vs. Dinosaur worked the room extremely well, and while the show had to end eventually, it ended on a pitch perfect note."
-I See What You Did, 1/10/2010
Showing posts with label Mrs Gruber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mrs Gruber. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Go See It Tonight!
We already put out a plug for Robot vs. Dinosaur presents Mrs Gruber's Ding Dong School this Saturday January 9th at 7:00pm at Chicago's Sketchfest 2010 - 1225 W Belmont Ave. Well don't you want comedy sooner? How about checking out 365 Sketches tonight? Robot vs. Dinosaur's own Joe Janes, if you haven't heard, has been diligently writing a sketch a day for a full year. He is presenting a sample of these sketches at Sketchfest this year. It will be great, so check it out.
[Editor's Note: RvD is actually performing one of the sketches, "I Love 2 Boogie," in tonight's show, featuring Nat Topping, Mary Cait Walthall, Becca Levine, Doug Werder and Don Loukota and directed by Chris Othic.]
Then after you see Robot vs. Dinosaur presents Mrs Gruber's Ding Dong School this Saturday January 9th at 7:00pm at Chicago's Sketchfest 2010 - 1225 W Belmont Ave, you'll be screaming for more comedy! How about Creepy Hug on Sunday? RvD member Greg Wendling also helped write that show, so it's great.
365 Sketches, Thursday January 7th at 8:00 PM, North Theatre. Double billed with Happily Ever Laughter.
Creepy Hug, Sunday January 10th at 4:00 PM, North Theatre. I know both groups.
Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival
Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W Belmont Ave
Chicago IL
For tickets call the Box Office at 773-327-5252
[Editor's Note: RvD is actually performing one of the sketches, "I Love 2 Boogie," in tonight's show, featuring Nat Topping, Mary Cait Walthall, Becca Levine, Doug Werder and Don Loukota and directed by Chris Othic.]
Then after you see Robot vs. Dinosaur presents Mrs Gruber's Ding Dong School this Saturday January 9th at 7:00pm at Chicago's Sketchfest 2010 - 1225 W Belmont Ave, you'll be screaming for more comedy! How about Creepy Hug on Sunday? RvD member Greg Wendling also helped write that show, so it's great.
365 Sketches, Thursday January 7th at 8:00 PM, North Theatre. Double billed with Happily Ever Laughter.
Creepy Hug, Sunday January 10th at 4:00 PM, North Theatre. I know both groups.
Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival
Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W Belmont Ave
Chicago IL
For tickets call the Box Office at 773-327-5252
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sketchfest Plug!!
This Saturday, January 9th at 7:00 PM, be prepared to ring in the new decade with some good ol' fashioned teachin'! And who better to learn you than a little old lady who knows a little something about life?
That's right, Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School is back in session!
Asses in seats, my friends. Here is Sketchfest general info, and here is the performance schedule for the festival. If, for some ungodly reason, you had to miss the full run then now is your chance to redeem yourselves!
Yaaaaay!
Slightly abridged and ready to school Sketchfest
Saturday, January 9th at 7:00.
Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival
Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W Belmont Ave
Chicago IL
For tickets call the Box Office at 773-327-5252
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Kids in the Hall and the Death of Sketch Comedy
For all you comedy nerds out there (our primary readership, apart from the HERS foundation of course), here is an article about the return of the famous Canadian sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. They have a new series coming out for the CBC called Death Comes to Town. I would be excited to see it except that I basically have Flintstones television (or, network television) and whatever wireless Internet I’m able to scrounge up, so I’m probably going to have to wait awhile.
Regardless, the article is a very interesting read, not only for the writer’s profession of love for a sketch troupe that is quite deserving of the praise and adulation – I grew up watching them on Comedy Central – but also for the assertion that sketch comedy as an art form is either dead or dying.
“But now who needs a troupe, or a name, or a stage?” laments the author, himself a former sketch comedian from Toronto. “All you need is a digital camera and a firewire.”
Typically over dramatic artsy-person.
There has been an explosion in the last decade or so of sketch comedy videos on the web. So, in a way, I understand the author’s point. Literally anyone can throw up something funny in a comparative short amount of time and get seen by thousands of people. Hell, a group of friends and I used to do the same thing back when we started out here in Chicago. Our group was called Date-Nite, and while the website no longer exists (after we stopped producing shorts, the desire to pay for a website ceased), I believe you can still find some of our shorts floating around on Youtube.
And, as someone who apprenticed for over a year at a legitimate theatre before moving to the city, I’ve spent a lot of time around people worrying that film/television/the Internet is slowly strangling live performance. So I’m used to hearing these concerns.
It’s hard not to agree. With the Internet, with DVDs and Netflix and On Demand and Hulu and whatever else the kids are using these days, entertainment has become more and more convenient. From the audience’s standpoint: why take the time and extra cost to go to a theatre and see something that may or may not be any good when they know they’ll at least mildly enjoy whatever they were going to watch from home? From the performer’s standpoint: if the ultimate goal is to do televised comedy on SNL anyway, why bother with the live performances that get audiences of ten people?
And yet, as anyone in the sketch comedy community can tell you, sketch is not dead. Here in Chicago, a new sketch group is born every five minutes. Hell, take a look at the performer list for this year’s Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. There are over a hundred sketch troupes taking part, and those are just the groups that made it into the festival.
So what the hell, guys? What are we doing here? Wasting our time while we save up to buy digital cameras?
You probably guessed this already, but being that Robot vs Dinosaur is a sketch comedy troupe and that we’re devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to it, the time has come in this little tangential rant to defend the decision to waste our time with this live performance nonsense despite the evident futility of our actions. So here goes:
I think the reason sketch comedy (and live theatre as well) is still around and not likely to disappear anytime soon is the fact that film and Internet video can’t actually talk to you. By you, I mean ‘you personally’ not ‘you as an audience of millions.’ In the online short world, you personally can’t talk back either. Yeah, you can leave a snarky comment or something on the video message board or something, but there’s no instant communication with the performer the way there is with a laugh or a groan.
This is the only advantage live performance has over filmed performance. You and the performer are both there, at the same time, and that performer is talking to you. There’s no substitute for the charisma of a live performer. Film will forever be better at special effects, breadth and depth of story, setting, notoriety of the performers, etc. etc. etc. Even the best equipped theatres with the highest budgets and the most seasoned actors can only make a dent in what a big budget movie is capable of doing.
Sketch comedy has none of these technical capabilities – most shows are done with nothing more than a couple of chairs – you think that can’t be replicated by some jackass in his basement somewhere in the middle of nowhere?
No, the only advantage you have, fellow sketch comedian, is that your audience is right there in front of you experiencing your show right before your eyes. You can hear where they laugh; you can see their reaction when you’re talking right to them; you can bring them into the experience that is a live show.
When we were putting together Mrs. Gruber, we deliberately tried to play to these strengths. I’d go into detail, but we’re doing the show one more time at Sketch Fest (SHAMELESS PLUG: SATURDAY JANUARY 9TH AT 7:00 PM) and I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone who hasn’t seen the show yet.
For live sketch comedy to keep its audience and remain vital, it has to be aware of what strengths and advantages they have. Your reward, sketch comedian, is what you learn from having people there in the room with you. You learn where they laugh, what they find funny, what doesn’t work so well, what can be done to improve your performance or your script. In short, you learn all the stuff that you can’t really learn by throwing something out for people half way across the world to watch in the comfort of their own homes.
And with that, I shall end my ridiculously long post. Go forth, sketch comedians, and multiply.
Regardless, the article is a very interesting read, not only for the writer’s profession of love for a sketch troupe that is quite deserving of the praise and adulation – I grew up watching them on Comedy Central – but also for the assertion that sketch comedy as an art form is either dead or dying.
“But now who needs a troupe, or a name, or a stage?” laments the author, himself a former sketch comedian from Toronto. “All you need is a digital camera and a firewire.”
Typically over dramatic artsy-person.
There has been an explosion in the last decade or so of sketch comedy videos on the web. So, in a way, I understand the author’s point. Literally anyone can throw up something funny in a comparative short amount of time and get seen by thousands of people. Hell, a group of friends and I used to do the same thing back when we started out here in Chicago. Our group was called Date-Nite, and while the website no longer exists (after we stopped producing shorts, the desire to pay for a website ceased), I believe you can still find some of our shorts floating around on Youtube.
And, as someone who apprenticed for over a year at a legitimate theatre before moving to the city, I’ve spent a lot of time around people worrying that film/television/the Internet is slowly strangling live performance. So I’m used to hearing these concerns.
It’s hard not to agree. With the Internet, with DVDs and Netflix and On Demand and Hulu and whatever else the kids are using these days, entertainment has become more and more convenient. From the audience’s standpoint: why take the time and extra cost to go to a theatre and see something that may or may not be any good when they know they’ll at least mildly enjoy whatever they were going to watch from home? From the performer’s standpoint: if the ultimate goal is to do televised comedy on SNL anyway, why bother with the live performances that get audiences of ten people?
And yet, as anyone in the sketch comedy community can tell you, sketch is not dead. Here in Chicago, a new sketch group is born every five minutes. Hell, take a look at the performer list for this year’s Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. There are over a hundred sketch troupes taking part, and those are just the groups that made it into the festival.
So what the hell, guys? What are we doing here? Wasting our time while we save up to buy digital cameras?
You probably guessed this already, but being that Robot vs Dinosaur is a sketch comedy troupe and that we’re devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to it, the time has come in this little tangential rant to defend the decision to waste our time with this live performance nonsense despite the evident futility of our actions. So here goes:
I think the reason sketch comedy (and live theatre as well) is still around and not likely to disappear anytime soon is the fact that film and Internet video can’t actually talk to you. By you, I mean ‘you personally’ not ‘you as an audience of millions.’ In the online short world, you personally can’t talk back either. Yeah, you can leave a snarky comment or something on the video message board or something, but there’s no instant communication with the performer the way there is with a laugh or a groan.
This is the only advantage live performance has over filmed performance. You and the performer are both there, at the same time, and that performer is talking to you. There’s no substitute for the charisma of a live performer. Film will forever be better at special effects, breadth and depth of story, setting, notoriety of the performers, etc. etc. etc. Even the best equipped theatres with the highest budgets and the most seasoned actors can only make a dent in what a big budget movie is capable of doing.
Sketch comedy has none of these technical capabilities – most shows are done with nothing more than a couple of chairs – you think that can’t be replicated by some jackass in his basement somewhere in the middle of nowhere?
No, the only advantage you have, fellow sketch comedian, is that your audience is right there in front of you experiencing your show right before your eyes. You can hear where they laugh; you can see their reaction when you’re talking right to them; you can bring them into the experience that is a live show.
When we were putting together Mrs. Gruber, we deliberately tried to play to these strengths. I’d go into detail, but we’re doing the show one more time at Sketch Fest (SHAMELESS PLUG: SATURDAY JANUARY 9TH AT 7:00 PM) and I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone who hasn’t seen the show yet.
For live sketch comedy to keep its audience and remain vital, it has to be aware of what strengths and advantages they have. Your reward, sketch comedian, is what you learn from having people there in the room with you. You learn where they laugh, what they find funny, what doesn’t work so well, what can be done to improve your performance or your script. In short, you learn all the stuff that you can’t really learn by throwing something out for people half way across the world to watch in the comfort of their own homes.
And with that, I shall end my ridiculously long post. Go forth, sketch comedians, and multiply.
Monday, November 23, 2009
School's Out...
...or at least until January.
We just wrapped up a successful run of Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School this past Saturday at the Gorilla Tango. Under normal circumstances, this would be the time for mopey blog posts about how I'm going to miss everyone and how thankful we are for our excellent actors and how great of a time we had putting the whole thing together.
Luckily, we can forestall that by a couple of months!
Mrs Gruber is going to Chicago Sketchfest!
That's right, kiddies, you heard it here first. January 9th at 7:00 PM. Be there!
We just wrapped up a successful run of Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School this past Saturday at the Gorilla Tango. Under normal circumstances, this would be the time for mopey blog posts about how I'm going to miss everyone and how thankful we are for our excellent actors and how great of a time we had putting the whole thing together.
Luckily, we can forestall that by a couple of months!
Mrs Gruber is going to Chicago Sketchfest!
That's right, kiddies, you heard it here first. January 9th at 7:00 PM. Be there!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School - Master Post
For posterity purposes, RvD is pleased to present the master post for our Sketch Comedy:
Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School
FULL RUN:
October 16th - November 21st, 2009 @ 8:00
Gorilla Tango Theatre
1919 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL
SKETCHFEST (SHORTENED) VERSION:
Saturday, January 9th @ 7:00
Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival
Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W Belmont Ave, Chicago IL
"Ding dong! Ding dong! Do you hear the school bell ring? What shall we learn about today? Science? Geography? How about soul-crushing reality? Or what happens when a monkey meets a toaster? Oh, so much to learn! Welcome to Mrs. Gruber’s Ding Dong School!"
Puppets, happy songs, racist cloud creatures - Mrs. Gruber has them all and she just can't wait to fill your little brains with life lessons.
More information at the links below.
Press Release:
"People of all double-digit ages will appreciate Mrs. Gruber’s Ding Dong School – inspired by kids, but written with grownups in mind." - Read the full press release here.
Reviews:
Reviews:
"If you haven't checked out Robot vs. Dinosaur in the past, this is the one to introduce them." - Read more reviews from 10/20/09, 10/26, 11/1, Sketchfest Reviews 1/18/2010
Cast List:
Cast List:
Another (Miniature) Review
"Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School
Easily the best Robot vs. Dinosaur show to date, Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School takes the audience through a twisted, rollicking day at an academy run by a doddering but feisty schoolmarm with an age-addled brain and a passion for expanding young minds. Spot on casting, warped sensibilities and imaginative puppetry give it a Wonder Showzen feel, without a hint of a knock-off. Tickets are $15, and the show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm through Nov. 21 at Gorilla Tango, 1919 N. Milwaukee (right under the Western Blue Line stop). For tickets, call 773-598-4549 or visit www.gorillatango.com."
Posted to the Gaper's Block events page here.
Easily the best Robot vs. Dinosaur show to date, Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School takes the audience through a twisted, rollicking day at an academy run by a doddering but feisty schoolmarm with an age-addled brain and a passion for expanding young minds. Spot on casting, warped sensibilities and imaginative puppetry give it a Wonder Showzen feel, without a hint of a knock-off. Tickets are $15, and the show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm through Nov. 21 at Gorilla Tango, 1919 N. Milwaukee (right under the Western Blue Line stop). For tickets, call 773-598-4549 or visit www.gorillatango.com."
Posted to the Gaper's Block events page here.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Production Pictures
I feel like every production, we mean to get a camera to rehearsal so that we can get some pictures and every time we forget. Which is a shame, really. The rehearsal process is a lot of fun, and it would be nice to show off our wonderful actors putting in all the necessary work (read: putting up with Greg and my bullshit).
Well this time, through the genius of Chris Othic, we did manage to get a camera in the rehearsal room. So, just to give you a taste, here are just a couple for your viewing pleasure:
Erin Morrill takes a break to snap a quick picture with her puppet, Fluzzo.
Jill Fenstermaker learns parasol technique from our resident parasol expert, Greg Wendling, while Ryan McDermott and Connor Tillman lurk in the shadows.
Susie Gutowski IS Diversity Chicken.
That's me leering at Measels and Fluzzo.
Ryan McDermott is happy to see you. And not in a creepy way. Okay, kind of a creepy way.
Nat Topping squints his eyes to get a better look at the radiant brilliance that is the comedic duo of Andrew Kraft and his pal Measles.
To reiterate what Greg wrote the other day, this cast really is amazing. I think the best decisions we made throughout the run of the show were the casting decisions. And, of course, the show (which, by the way, is hilarious) wouldn't be anywhere near as good without all of their talents. You should check us out if for no other reason than to see these actors act.
Well this time, through the genius of Chris Othic, we did manage to get a camera in the rehearsal room. So, just to give you a taste, here are just a couple for your viewing pleasure:
Erin Morrill takes a break to snap a quick picture with her puppet, Fluzzo.Jill Fenstermaker learns parasol technique from our resident parasol expert, Greg Wendling, while Ryan McDermott and Connor Tillman lurk in the shadows.Susie Gutowski IS Diversity Chicken.That's me leering at Measels and Fluzzo.Ryan McDermott is happy to see you. And not in a creepy way. Okay, kind of a creepy way.
Nat Topping squints his eyes to get a better look at the radiant brilliance that is the comedic duo of Andrew Kraft and his pal Measles.To reiterate what Greg wrote the other day, this cast really is amazing. I think the best decisions we made throughout the run of the show were the casting decisions. And, of course, the show (which, by the way, is hilarious) wouldn't be anywhere near as good without all of their talents. You should check us out if for no other reason than to see these actors act.
Mrs Gruber's Publicity Photos
For posterity, our publicity photos for Mrs Gruber's Ding Dong School, featuring Becca Levine and Gombster the puppet dog:
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Opening Night!
We did it! Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School opened last night, and we had a great opening night. I celebrated my first free Saturday morning in a what feels like a long time by seeing Inglorious Basterds, which rottentomatoes.com has assigned an 87%. I liked our show better, so I'd probably give ours a 93%. That's the same rating that rottentomatoes.com gave "Star Wars". So yes, our show is as good as "Star Wars."
This is such a great cast. They carry the show. It goes without saying that I'm a fan of the material, but it could all fall apart with less talented actors. Come see them! Come see them tonight!
This is such a great cast. They carry the show. It goes without saying that I'm a fan of the material, but it could all fall apart with less talented actors. Come see them! Come see them tonight!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Press Release... RELEASED!
HEY! I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD BUT ROBOT VS DINOSAUR HAS A SHOW OPENING UP IN A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!! EVERYONE EVER BORN SHOULD SEE IT! PRESS RELEASE BELOW!
For Immediate Release:Robot vs. Dinosaur Presents:
MRS. GRUBER’S DING DONG SCHOOL
Brought to you by the letters RvD
Opening: October 16, 2009
Closing: November 21, 2009
Days and Time: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Location: Gorilla Tango Theatre
1919 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Tuition: $15
For Tickets, Call 773.598.4549 or visit http://www.gorillatango.com/
CHICAGO, Ill. – (October 1st, 2009) – Grab your inside voice and your thinking cap because Robot vs. Dinosaur is going back to school with their latest show, Mrs. Gruber’s Ding Dong School. Directed by Robot vs. Dinosaur members Nat Topping and Greg Wendling, Mrs. Gruber takes its audience through thirteen sketches, each teaching a rather unorthodox lesson.
Inspired by children’s televisions shows of yore, as well as the ensemble’s own skewed childhood memories, the show is taught by Mrs. Gruber, a good-intentioned but not entirely lucid schoolmarm, and touches on a multitude of coming-of-age topics, including death, racism, squirrel bites and laser fish.
People of all double-digit ages will appreciate Mrs. Gruber’s Ding Dong School – inspired by kids, but written with grownups in mind.
More about Robot vs. Dinosaur: Robot vs. Dinosaur originated in New York and was brought to Chicago by Joe Janes in 2007, when he assembled a roster of writers and performers with a great deal of experience in the Chicago sketch comedy and improv scenes. The ensemble is a writer-centric group whose goal is to write and perform original comic material that is eclectic, dynamically staged and fun for audiences. Robot vs. Dinosaur consists of Mike Bauman, Geoff Crump, Joe Janes, Catherine Monahan, Chris Othic, Nat Topping and Greg Wendling. To promote comedy writing in Chicago, Robot vs. Dinosaur also hosts Robowriters, a weekly writer’s workshop.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Our Cast - Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School
Hey everybody! Considering we're now in production of our new Sketch Comedy Show "Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School," it's probably a good time to post a cast list.
Behold, the names of our lovely cast members!!
Jill Fenstermaker
Susie Gutowski
Andrew Kraft
Rebecca Levine
Ryan McDermott
Erin Morrill
Connor Tillman
We've had our first read through and our first rehearsal, and we're really looking forward to the process and getting the finished show up (October 16th through November 21st at Gorilla Tango - GO, BUY TICKETS. BRING YOUR FRIENDS.)
Ahem.
More info, including press releases and all of that foolishness, to follow so check back often.
Behold, the names of our lovely cast members!!
Jill Fenstermaker
Susie Gutowski
Andrew Kraft
Rebecca Levine
Ryan McDermott
Erin Morrill
Connor Tillman
We've had our first read through and our first rehearsal, and we're really looking forward to the process and getting the finished show up (October 16th through November 21st at Gorilla Tango - GO, BUY TICKETS. BRING YOUR FRIENDS.)
Ahem.
More info, including press releases and all of that foolishness, to follow so check back often.
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