SF Sketchfest Delivers Laughs In Second Weekend
By Dave Pehling
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The 18th annual SF Sketchfest presented by Audible brings together another stellar line-up of talent to over a dozen SF comedy and theater venues for 18 days of hilarious improvisation, live podcasts, tributes, stand-up and ensemble comedy over the course of a whopping 250+ shows. Plenty of national names will be making appearances this year including such television and film legends as Carol Burnett, Bruce Campbell, Neil Patrick Harris and the cast from influential Canadian sketch comedy show "Kids in the Hall," stand-up talents Paul F. Tompkins, Eugene Mirman and John Hodgman, noted improv troupes the Upright Citizens Brigade and Groundlings as well as return appearances by noted locally grown talents like Doug Benson, Margaret Cho, W. Kamau Bell, Greg Behrendt and popular drag queen Peaches Christ.
This year the festival spotlights television shows and landmark films with events dedicated to Comedy Central's "Baroness Von Sketch," the CBC smash "Schitt's Creek" and the HBO couch-surfing comic hit "Crashing" featuring Pete Holmes, animated programs like "Futurama" and "We Bare Bears" and tributes such cinematic creations as the improvisational ensemble comedy Best in Show, the beloved 1983 comedy Local Hero and director Mike Judge's landmark debut Office Space. The number of venues utilized by the festival continues to grow with spots in the Mission District (Brava Theater Center and Brava Studio, the Chapel, the Alamo Drafthouse), North Beach (Speakeasy), downtown SF (Mezzanine, Pianofight) and Hayes Valley (The Sydney Goldstein Theater, formerly the Nourse) hosting events.
On Friday, the festivities ramp up with a perennial SF Sketchfest favorite when Judge John Hodgman presides over the Castro Theatre. First coming to fame with his hilarious commentary on 'The Daily Show," Hodgman has since achieved broader success as an author, actor and popular podcaster. He hosts a live onstage version of his podcast Judge John Hodgman where he weighs in on such philosophical questions as whether a hot dog is a sandwich with NPR radio host and Hodgman's co-host/moderator Jesse Thorne, and musical guest Martin Luther McCoy (Fri/18, 7 p.m. $35-$100).
Friday also brings another round of SF Sketchfest at the Speakeasy with a special immersive night of comedy patterned after the interactive theater regularly held at the venue by the Boxcar Theatre. In addition to each night featuring a different headliner performing two shows in the Mainstage Cabaret (comedian, writer/producer for "The Simpsons" and "Stan Against Evil" creator Dana Gould and "Mr. Show" co-creator and the star of "The Office" and "Better Call Saul" Bob Odenkirk are featured on Friday), but attendees can delve into a "choose-your-own-adventure" style experience throughout the Speakeasy, engaging in impromptu encounters and conversations with performers, working with comics to craft jokes and interacting with strolling improvisers, getting pulled into intimate comedy sets and more (Fri/18, 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. $125). Other headliners during the second weekend include Hodgman with his regular stage and podcast collaborator Paul F. Thompkins on Saturday.
Another highlight on Friday is the annual SF Sketchfest edition of Porchlight, the long-running regular storytelling event hosted by writer/editor Arline Klatt and author/actress Beth Lisick. This year's show at the Swedish American Hall will include stories told by comedian Guy Branum, comic/actor Jon Glaser ("Delocated," "Parks and Recreation" "Jon Glaser Loves Gear"), record-holding "Jeopardy!" champ Ken Jennings, actress Lucy Davis (BBC shows "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Office," "Shaun of the Dead") with music from Red Room Orchestra band leader Marc Capelle and Dirty Ghosts guitarist Ally Baker (Fri/18, 7:30 p.m. $25). Additional Friday shows include the clash of bizarre video titans Found Footage vs. Everything Is Terrible at the Castro (Fri/18, 10 p.m. $23), Off Book: The Improvised Musical with Jessica McKenna, Zach Reino and special guest Sean Cullen at the Gateway Theatre (Fri/18, 10:30 p.m. $25) and sketch/improv variety show The Fork! with comic Caleb Lush, Chris Fair (who presents his Laser Comedy Show) and sketch crew JV at PianoFight (Fri/18, 11 p.m. $15).
On Saturday, things get off to an early start at Cobb's with the sold-out live recording of the Feral Audio podcast Doughboys, with hosts Nick Wiger (aka Burger Boy) and Mike "Spoonman" Mitchell discussing their favorite subject -- chain restaurants -- with guests Eliza Skinner and Jordan Morris (Sat/19, 1 p.m. $25-$35). Later that afternoon, Cobb's presents Jon Glaser Loves Gear that will feature Glaser and guest John Hodgeman doing their own stand-up sets followed by clips and a discussion about Glaser's current gear-focus show on truTV (Sat/19, 4 p.m. $25-$35). Over at the Brava Theater Center in the Mission, Worst First Chapter offers up intentionally awful first chapters to a terrible, nonexistent books read aloud by a panel including "The Thrilling Adventure Hour" co-creator Ben Acker, Dana Gould, gifted hip-hop artist Jean Grae, prolific songwriter and in-house musician for NPR's "Ask Me Another" Jonathan Coulton, Laser Malena-Webber of the comedy folk duo the Doubleclicks and comedic musical duo Paul and Storm (Paul Sabourin and Greg "Storm" DiCostanzo) for this show benefiting SF non-profit 826 Valencia, an organization that promotes writing skills for children (Sat/19, 4 p.m. $25).
Saturday evening must-see shows include the annual staging of The Upright Citizens' Brigade's long-form improvisational sketch show A.S.S.S.S.C.A.T. at the Sydney Goldstein Theatre with UCB founding members Matt Besser, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh and guest improvisers Mary Holland, Lauren Lapkus, Jessica McKenna, Zach Reino and special guest monologist, beloved SF comedian and film director Bobcat Goldthwait (Sat/19, 7:30 p.m. $35-$45), the always hilarious Celebrity Autobiography at Marines' Memorial Theatre with a line-up of actors and comics reading verbatim excerpts from the memoirs of various rock stars and Oscar winners. Fresh from a successful run on Broadway, creators Dayle Reyfel and Eugene Pack will curate an evening with noted actor Ed Begley Jr., original 'SNL' cast member Laraine Newman, members of Christopher Guest's ensemble players Michael Hitchcock, Jennifer Coolidge, and Michael McKean and comic/actress Cristela Alonzo (Sat/19, 7:30 p.m. $50), and a sold-out edition of Theme Park Improv at the Brava Theater Center where a cast including Simon Helberg ("The Big Bang Theory"), Michael Hitchcock("Best in Show"), John Michael Higgins ("Pitch Perfect"), Jessica Makinson ("South Park"), Oscar Nunez ("The Office"), and SF Sketchfest founders Cole Stratton (Pop My Culture podcast) and Janet Varney ("Stan Against Evil") take a single suggestion of a theme from the audience, and extemporaneously create an entire set of fast-paced long-form scenes and characters along with stories from special guest monologist Tony Hale of "Arrested Development" and "VEEP" fame (Sat/19, 10 p.m. $35).
The weekend's entertainment wraps up on Sunday, starting out with an afternoon screening at the Castro of Bill Forsyth's classic 1983 film Local Hero with an onstage conversation between co-star Peter Riegert and comic/podcast producer Marc Hershon (Sun/20, 12:30 p.m. $20) and a live recording of the podcast Jordan, Jesse, Go! with hosts Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris discussing a wide range of topics with guest Tony Hale at the Punchline (Sun/20, 1 p.m. $28). The Castro will also present Rifftrax: Day of the Shorts with original "Mystery Science Theater 3000" writers and actors Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy,Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl and Bridget Nelson alongside regular participants Stratton, Varney, Hodgman and Tompkins (Sun/20, 4 p.m. $35).
That night, the like-minded "old movie meets live overdubbed dialog" show Totally Looped takes over the Gateway Theatre with creator/producer Vince Waldron and a cast including Straton, Jessica Makinson, Joe Liss, Laraine Newman, "The Office" actor Oscar Nuñez and comic/actor Rick Overton (Sun/20, 7 p.m. $25) while cast members Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire and Noah Reid appear for the sold-out Schitt's Creek: Up Close and Personal celebrating the hit show at the Masonic (Sun/20, 8 p.m. $48.55-$103.55) and cult actor/writer Bruce Campbell holds forth at the Castro for Who's Laughing Now: An Evening with Bruce Campbell and Evil Dead II that will feature Campbell speaking about his career and the string of classic films he made with director Sam Rami (Sun/20, 8 p.m. $35-$45). For a more detailed listing of events and information on how to get tickets, please visit the San Francisco Sketchfest website.
