Drinking and driving don't mix.
But what about drinking and live sketch comedy?
So far, the blend seems to be working for Theatre on the Rocks. The Lawrence troupe concocts a fresh show each month, presenting short plays and skits from its home base at Fatso's.
"It's theater in a bar, which is kind of tricky to do," says Danny Schluck, Theatre on the Rocks co-founder. "It's tricky because you have to be a little bit louder than you normally are. And you have to time your shows because people are drinking and need to use the bathroom. But it's good because it gets people who don't normally see theater to go out and see it."
Schluck, together with partners Brandon DeLany and Kate Giessel, will debut two long-form sketches at their February installment.
The first is called "My Breakup as Told Through Tom Cruise Movies," written by DeLany.
"It's about a guy who is losing two things: his girlfriend and his love of Tom Cruise, after (the movie star) went crazy. There are about a million Tom Cruise references in it."
The second is "The Adventures of Catman." Schluck was inspired to write the skit after a trip to the grocery store.
"I found a cat mask," he recalls. "I put it on and was walking through Dillons. Some guy pointed at me and said, 'Look, it's Catman.' We thought it would be funny if that happened in real life, and through that chain of events everyone thought this guy was a superhero, but he was just a guy who wore a mask."
Schluck says the drinking angle of their live performances is definitely part of the charm.
Past Event
Theatre on the Rocks-LAST SHOW!
- When: Monday, February 19, 2007, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Where: Fatso's, 1016 Mass., Lawrence
- Cost: $3 - $5
- More on this event....
"The three of us who host the show always do a shot at the beginning, and the cast always gets free beer," he says. "But everyone has been pretty responsible with it. No one gets hammered and vomits onstage."
The group members say the alcohol antics provide one more way to get the crowd to feel like part of the show.
"We'll accept whatever it takes to bond with the audience," Schluck says.
A new perspective
"I don't think drinking necessarily improves the performances. It might improve your position as a spectator," says Giessel, who is taking over producing/directing duties for departing founder Joshua Dubois.
A theater major at Kansas University, Giessel hopes her presence injects a new viewpoint to Theatre on the Rocks.
Aaron Champion (left) Steven Ducey, and Gavin Smith act in Fasto's Christmas Carol on December 18th. The troupe, Theatre on the Rocks, brings original short plays and skits to Fasto's on the third Monday of every month.
"I bring a different sense of humor and a different appreciation for what is funny onstage and what is a waste of time," Giessel says. "The other thing is, I bring a female perspective. That automatically is going to make half of our audience more comfortable."
Giessel has known both Schluck and DeLany for about five years. She believes they have very diverse approaches to crafting comedy.
"Brandon often uses pop culture references and current events. His humor is one of those things where you have to be in the know for something to be funny," she explains. "Danny's humor can be pretty slapstick. He works a lot with linguistic humor, the way certain words fall together. A lot of his stuff is quicker one-liners."
As is the tendency when funny people start drinking, the comedy at the performances can take a turn toward the raunchy.
"Theatre on the Rocks walks a fine line between things being funny and things being offensive ... but they're still pretty funny," Giessel says. "One of my jobs is to keep the offensive in check."
Danny Schluck plays Jesus in the skit Jesus' Birthday party at Theatre on the Rocks' Christmas Special in December.
They apparently could have used her for December's show. During a sketch called "A Fatso's Christmas Carol," some of the more localized references raised some eyebrows.
Schluck remembers, "I had a joke in there about the village idiot and the narrator said, 'Surprisingly, he doesn't work at Papa Keno's.' You know, I used to work at Papa Keno's, and I love it. Sure, sometimes it takes a long time to get service. But they got angry (at the joke). So we're issuing an 'apology' at the beginning of this show."
No apologies
So far there has been plenty of material that might necessitate future apologies from the Theatre on the Rocks crew. The show first debuted in November with sketches called "The Lost Straight Man Scene" and "Penis Envy."
Since then, the material has been aimed at more holiday-themed affairs: Christmas, New Year's Eve and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Theatre on the Rocks
One of Schluck's favorite pieces so far was "Jesus' Birthday Party" (written and directed by DeLany), in which he played the titular figure. At one point, his Jesus is given a T-shirt that says, "What would I do?"
"That was one of his Christmas presents from his mother," Schluck says. "I don't think I ever wore it after that, though. It was a little tight. And I think we spilled beer on it."
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