COUNTERCLOCKWISE COMEDY B KCSTAGE www.kcstage.com AUGUST 2006 1 The Trail Goes West! by Jason P. Hunt • [email protected] “Allied Arts’ mission is to bring operate each year. Fankhauser people and arts together. In says, “We basically fill the gap a nutshell, that is what we’re of what other arts organizations charged to do.” So says Teresa are unable to provide or don’t Fankhauser, executive director provide. So we complement the of the Allied Arts Council of St. other arts organizations in this Joseph, an umbrella organiza- community very nicely.” tion for seventeen performing Besides funding other agen- and visual arts agencies – from cies, Allied Arts has its own COVER: Bess Wallerstein, Keith Curtis, community theater to museums. program, mainly as an advocacy and Wade Meredith make up Counter Since 1964, the Allied Arts organization for arts education. Clockwise Comedy, debuting Aug 19 ................2 Council has served the St. Joseph The Artists in the Schools pro- arts community in several ways, gram brings local performers Features The Trail Goes West .........................................1 most notably as an advocate and artists into classrooms to With Strings Attached ......................................3 with public officials, “making demonstrate or perform for stu- More Career Tips for Beginners.........................6 sure that our senators and rep- dents. And in the summer, AAC resentatives recognize the fact operates a one-week arts camp Notes that we need state and national known as Artscape. Located on Playwriting Intensive with Arthur Koppit...........4 funding for the arts to survive the campus of Missouri West- in any community, particularly ern State University, Artscape Spotlight in St. Joseph.” Fankhauser says provides students with up to David Fritts.......................................................5 they spend time tracking na- six different arts-related activi- tional trends in arts support, ties per day. Fankhauser says Stand-Ins Auditions ........................................................20 coordinate publicity for the area each year there are a large num- Calendar.........................................................10 arts organizations on a national ber of applications, many from Click!..............................................................19 Film Clips........................................................14 and regional level, and allocat- the Kansas City area, to fill the Performances ...................................................8 ing money for the various agen- 180 positions. cies that apply for it. Allied Arts is also a partner Cast List Out of the seventeen agen- with the St. Joseph school dis- Scott Bowling....................................Webmaster Richard Buswell......................... Managing Editor cies tied to AAC, seven (includ- trict and the Albrecht-Kemper Bryan Colley ............................. Graphic Designer ing AAC itself) receive funding Museum of Art in the Kennedy Angie Fiedler Sutton ........................... Marketing through the ArtsFund program, Center’s Partners in Education Tricia Kyler Bowling.....................Subscriber Rep an annual fundraising drive program, which brings commu- Letters to the Editor....... [email protected] geared to generate the financial nity artists together with teach- support requested by the apply- ers to help them “art up” the ing agencies. Arts organizations curricula. Fankhauser says it’s apply to Allied Arts, the goal a great way for teachers to learn for ArtsFund is set – the 2006 new artistic and creative ways KCVolume 09 STAGE• No. 8 • Issue 83 • August 2006 goal was $180,000 – and an al- to present their material. [email protected] • 816-361-2325 locations committee determines Another educational program PO Box 410492 • Kansas City, MO 64141-0492 how much each agency gets is the Art for the Health of It pro- September Submission Deadline: August 10 based on the final total of money gram. A juried competition ev- www.kcstage.com raised. Through a grant process, ery spring and fall, the program © Copyright 2006 by KC Stage. All material contained in this publication Allied Arts disburses money to features seventy to eighty pieces is the property of KC Stage. Any use, duplication, or reproduction of any or all content of this publication is prohibited except with the express arts organizations to help them Continued on page 14 written permission of KC Stage. Printing by Alphagraphics. R B KCSTAGE www.kcstage.com AUGUST 2006 1 CounterClockwise Comedy: Reverse Your Thinking by Kate Egan • [email protected] “Comedy is the use of humor; sometimes, but three performers hop in and out of scenes at mo- not always, in the form of theater, in contrast to a ments that leave the audience dying for more. tragedy. A recognized characteristic of comedy is Once rehearsal was complete, I sat down for an that it is an intensely personal enjoyment. People interview with CCC’s founding members - Keith frequently don’t find the same things amusing, Curtis, Wade Meredith, and Bess Wallerstein. but when they do, it can help to create powerful And after drying my eyes from the laughter, I bonds.” – Wikipedia.com started asking questions. Powerful bonds and finding the same things Egan: It seems everyone in Kansas City has started amusing are what started Kansas City’s newest some sort of performing arts troupe. New theater up and coming comedy troupe, CounterClock- companies are popping up all over, and it appears wise Comedy. Bess Wallerstein, a local director that Kansas City has a plethora of comedy troupes, and founder of One Time Productions as well as one of which you are all members of. What made a regularly performing member of the comedy you decide to start a troupe of your own? gang Improv-Abilities, began the new troupe in Curtis: We’ve all sort of come together in the last February with Improv-Abilities founding mem- year, specifically through Improv-Abilities. I’m a ber Keith Curtis and local comedian and fellow founding member of that troupe, and I’m proud I-A member Wade Meredith. The synergy of of what we’ve done. None of us are leaving I-A thought and humor between these three light- anytime soon, but as we started collaborating, ning-fast performers is matched only by their we realized that we wanted an outlet to explore goal to make Kansas City a true comedy city. more than short-form improv. We’ve seen other CounterClockwise Comedy will be making groups do longer form comedy and a few other their public debut on August 19th with two things, and we wanted to explore what might be shows at the Westport Coffeehouse. I was invited out there. We’ve seen a lot of other people move to a recent rehearsal to see their thoughts on a to Chicago to become famous for comedy, but new direction for comedy in Kansas City and see leaving Kansas City doesn’t help to further the how they’re making it happen. cause here. We wanted to keep a Chicago-style Rehearsal was first. This is a troupe that works comedy revue here. And we found the possibility for their laughs. The improvisational games when we met each other. We all have the same are fresh, hip, creative, and hysterically funny, sense of humor. though it appears that CCC will not be limit- Meredith: We definitely all have the same sense ing themselves to being only an improv troupe. of humor. We started this troupe after all seeing Wallerstein’s theatre background has led to co- Second City, and we got really excited about the medic interludes that the troupe is referring to as possibilities for a new troupe that could explore “standalogues,” a specifically directed combina- more than just stand-up or improv. tion of both stand-up comedy and theatre mono- Curtis: I also went to the Dallas Comedy Festival logues that break up the unrehearsed feel of the with I-A and came back really inspired by what improv. And while it may not appear in their first some troupes are doing. We’ve made contact show, the troupe is also working on perfecting with a lot of them and started sharing ideas. We long form improv, an ambitious feat especially really wanted to do something new. given the troupe’s small size. One long form that Wallerstein: Most of the local troupes here de- will appear is the one they’re calling specifically, fine themselves by a single style. There’s noth- “CounterClockwise Comedy.” In this daring of ing wrong with that; it plays to their strengths all games, the troupe has three long-form inter- and that’s great. But CounterClockwise Comedy active pieces moving at the same time, leaving doesn’t want to be limited to one style of comedy. audiences hungry for what happens next as these Continued on page 18 “All you need in the world is love and laughter. That’s all anybody needs. 2 KCSTAGE To have love in one hand and laughter in the other.” ~ August Wilson www.kcstage.com AUGUST 2006 3 With Strings Attached by Jack L. McCord • [email protected] Worldwide, puppets are very popular - and we’re not talking about the political arena but, actual MCCORD puppets. Nancy Clark, President of the Puppetry JACK Arts Institute (PAI), explained, “The U.S. just does not realize and appreciate puppetry the way Europe and Asia do; as an art form.” Clark added, “Puppetry is growing in the U.S.; they are opening more and more centers, we have some outstanding puppeteers, but so many people view puppets as being only for little children. In Europe and Asia they recognize that it is for all ages and they have a deeper appreciation for it.” Local puppeteer (and magician) Harris Deutsch echoed that thought. “I would say that many Americans still see puppets as being only for children, although they can bring out the kid in all of us. Puppetry can be used on all levels, from gospel to the bizarre.” The PAI’s mission is to preserve and promote puppetry through education and entertainment for all ages.