The Need to Think and Pound a Bit Harder

Monty Python paved the way for the sketch comedy world, with their style of irreverent and timeless humor. Their sketches were not based on celebrity or current events, but rather absurd situations with amazingly funny punch-lines. A trip to a cheese shop with no cheese ended in murder – a zany spin on a topic that normally wouldn’t be funny.

Then came five guys from Canada named “The Kids in the Hall,” who reinvented the rules originally broken by Monty Python. Since then, sketch comedy has been a dying art-form that is rarely done right

After seeing “Think Pound: Blame the Audience,” its future seems uncertain.

Kerrie Bond, Josh Burstein, Tyrus Cukavac, Michael Rehse, Jaclyn Silvestri, and Matthew Zellman form the troupe and while they share some on stage chemistry, their humor is based on issues that are not timely. A sketch involving the characters of “Sex and the City” dating X-Men  runs the gambit of semi-interesting to completely stupid. Sketch comedy works best when not based on television characters, especially ones that have been off the air for several years.

There are lively moments when the troupe briefly shines, but they eventually fall flat on the punch lines.  A sketch about gender issues starts off timely and comically but then goes downhill with an ending that includes an alligator. The same could be said about a sketch about ADHD that wears out its welcome long before it’s over.

The humor is reminiscent of the style of MTV’s “The State,” minus the satisfying payoff, as these sketches come off amateurishly. Loud, which many of the troupe’s sketches were, isn’t necessarily funny.“The Kids in the Hall’s” best moments come from the type of setting in which two characters are having an outlandish conversation. A prime example of that would be Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald’s over a title of a movie seen on the previous night. Foley describes “Citizen Kane” but refuses to admit that is its title. The sketch is funny without being loud and in your face and stands the test of time.

The sketches performed by the troupe can’t help but remind one of the introductions to a Troma DVD. They are loud and a little stupid with hammy acting. Sadly, Lloyd Kaufman or a Troma movie is nowhere to be seen after the sketch. It seems the troupe’s biggest challenge is finding their target audience.

The evening wasn’t all bad though and some sketches that involved a talking pony, a funny commercial for the new lunch treat and the authors of “101 Schoolyard Jokes.” Those skits do hit their targets and show the promise of what this troupe may be of they just tightened their act up a bit.

Comedy is one of the hardest art forms and if “Think Pound” attempts to push the envelope just a little harder, they might stand a chance to break past mediocrity. Right now however, their work leaves something to be desired.

Photo by Ron Hatcher.