Magic Meathands

Open Call for Laugh Makers, Joy Givers

The Magic Meathands Comedy Ensemble have really been picking up steam lately, which thrills me to no end.

Last night, as part of our expanding Comedy Outreach Project, we did an hour-long live show of improvised comedy for a group of women at the Alexandria House here in Los Angeles. We had tons of fun, and really look forward to our next show there in February. Tonight we’ll be returning to the Joy Center at the Hope for Homeless Youth in Echo Park. We perform there once a month and have made some great friends. It’s always a good time. The Meathands’ Comedy Outreach Project is a big part of the group’s mission, and our base of regular organizations that we visit is growing. We bring comedy to people who may not have the means to come to us. We bring laughter to the greater Los Angeles and Southern California community, instead of holing up in a theater somewhere expecting people to come to us. It is a tremendous gift for both us performers and our audience.

That’s not to say we don’t do the more traditional shows everyone can attend. Every first Friday of the month we perform at Mission IMPROVable’s Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, opening for the hilarious Waterbrains. We also have regular appearances at The Spot Café & Lounge in Culver City, including our popular Family Friendly Night every second Saturday of the month with Jump Start Comedy Improv. I’m extraordinarily lucky to have this outlet where I get to perform to a live audience usually once a week, sometimes more. Seriously, this is like manna from heaven for someone like me. (No surprise I’ve done well over 100 shows with the Meathands.)

I’m also getting to stretch other creative muscles. Through our recently launched sketch videos program, I get to write, produce, direct, and edit comedy shorts. Hey, I’m actually using my college education! What a concept! This program is sure to grow in the future, and we’re already talking about doing a web-series.

OK, so you get it. I love the Meathands and I’m a big suck-up. Yay for me. Well, if you’re in the Los Angeles area and this sounds like something you would also enjoy, we just so happen (complete coincidence, I’m sure!) to be holding auditions for new members. If you’re interested and are a comedic actor/improviser 18 years or older with training in performance level improvisation, email your resume to our director Bill Johnson. Workshop-style auditions will be held on Monday, December 6 at 7 PM. Callbacks will follow the next evening, Tuesday, December 7. See here for more information about being a main company member of the Magic Meathands.

Pants: A Nightmare

Magic Meathands sketch comedy video #3!

This one has a whole lot of me in it. I wrote it, I co-directed it (with fellow Meathand Kevin Callahan who was a great help in breaking this sucker down so we had a super-efficient shoot), I starred in it, I wrote the music (or as I like to call it, sonic enhancement), I edited it. So there’s me all over. But it would simply not exist at all without the Magic Meathands. The fantastic camera work is by Wendy J.N. Lee (she also provided invaluable technical consulting). I absolutely love the freaky taunting by Shane Boroomand, Lara Sterling, Travis McElroy, Kevin Callahan and Mary Benedict. And of course Nikki Turner as Mom. Getting her costuming to work was way harder than I expected but it came out way better than I expected so it was way worth it. Way.

I hope you enjoy it. If so, please comment, give it thumbs up at YouTube, favorite it, forward it on, and all those other things people do on the Interwebs.

Check back next week for the fourth and final video from our first batch of videos.

And there’s more to come! Yesterday, we shot another batch, and again one of them is written by me. So it’s off to the land of editing with me once again. You’ll probably start seeing the second wave in December or January.

Archives:
Magic Meathands Video #2: Fun and Games
Magic Meathands Video #1: Eddie the Enforcer

Everybody’s laughing for the weekend

This Saturday night is the Magic Meathands‘ popular Family Friendly Night, and I’ll be there performing with my fellow hands of meat. Opening for us will be Jump Start, an improv group based in Redondo Beach.

$7 gets you in for the whole night! Only $3 if you’re 12 or under!

The show starts at 8 PM at The Spot Cafe & Lounge in Culver City! See you there!

Also be sure to check out our new sketch comedy videos, the Magic Meathands Originals at the group’s YouTube channel!

Fun and Games

Magic Meathands video #2!

I acted in this and I also edited it. Wendy Lee did the fancy hand-held camera work.

Also featuring Mary Benedict (writer/director), Nikki Turner and Travis McElroy, also of the Magic Meathands.

This was a lot of fun to be in. My mission: yell and be angry. Bonus points if you can name all of the real games Mary used to create the fictional Calcatron. (I love that name. Sounds like Megatron’s forgotten step-brother.)

Oh and if I ever invite you to game night, I promise it’s not like this. No, really, it’s not!

Archives:
Magic Meathands Video #1: Eddie the Enforcer

Eddie the Enforcer

New sketch comedy video with me!

I provided the voice-over and also appear in this mock commercial written and directed by fellow Magic Meathands performer Shane Boroomand.

Also featured are Kevin Callahan, Nikki Turner, and Mary Benedict.

I recorded most of the voice-over in one take with memories of all of those awful “as seen on TV” ads that seemed to infest daytime and late late night. I don’t know, maybe they still do.

Anyway, this is the first of a new series of sketch comedy videos that the Magic Meathands have produced and are producing. I hope you enjoy! We’ve had a blast making them! To make sure you don’t miss any of them, subscribe to either my YouTube page (for ones with me) or the Magic Meathands YouTube page.

Don’t forget: The Magic Meathands are performing at the Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica this Friday!

Laughter for Post-Election Blues

Depending on how today’s elections go, you might need to soothe the pain of loss. Or to celebrate the victories. Laughter is kind of a multi-purpose cure-all.

This Friday, I’m performing with the improv comedy group the Magic Meathands at the Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica! Following us will be the very funny Waterbrains and the theater’s own Mission IMPROVable. You can get in to see all 3 groups for just $10.

Click on the Hand o’ Meat for the Facebook event listing!

Time: Friday, November 5, 8:00pm – 11:00pm
Location: Westside Comedy Theater, 1323-A 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, 90401
Price: $10.00

The First 100

Famous Funnies #100 - Nov. 1942, Eastern Color (Image from CoverBrowser.com)

This probably merits a blog post. A couple of weeks ago, Bill Johnson and the Magic Meathands entered me into the Century Club by way of a good ol’ fashion comedy roast. According to Bill’s meticulous record-keeping, I performed 100 shows with the comedy improv group with meat for hands, as of our June 3rd show at The Spot Cafe, making me eligible for induction into the Magic Meathands Century Club.

I’m the sixth Meathand to reach 100 shows. And also according to Bill’s legendary Excel spreadsheets, I’ve broken the record for getting to 100 shows in the shortest amount of time so far – 1 year, 4 months, and a few days. My first show with the group was on January 29, 2009, although I had performed with them as a student before then.

I’ve had a complete blast performing with the Meathands, and I don’t see it ending any time soon. It’s just too much fun to give up.

Thank you to everyone that has come out to see one (or more) of our shows. It is always a huge honor when someone spends their valuable time seeing me make a fool out of myself on stage. And it’s such a kick to see our audience regulars come back again and again. It really tells me we’re doing something right. For those who haven’t made it out yet, I hope to get the chance to share this pure joy and fun with you soon.

And of course thank you to the Magic Meathands for letting me play and making me laugh.

For our show schedule, check out my last blog post here, or check in with MagicMeathands.com. You can also ‘like’ our Facebook fan page.

This Thursday with the Meathands – for the last time!

This week is my FINAL Thursday Night Comedy Cafe with the Magic Meathands. The Meathands are retiring the long-running show at the end of June, so see it before it’s gone forever!

For those that have never been, it’s live improvised comedy made up completely on the fly using audience suggestions. It’s tons of fun!

Details: June 17, 8 PM, The Spot Cafe, 4455 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA 90230. Tickets: $5.00.

Zzzzz…

Can’t blog…

Sleeping…

But I’ll see you tonight ready and rarin’ to go for the Magic Meathands show with Jump Start at Culver City’s The Spot Café!

Our monthly Family Friendly show starts at 8 PM and is only $7!

This Saturday – Magic Meathands team up with Jump Start

The Magic Meathands (with me!) and Jump Start reunite for another family friendly show, 8 PM at The Spot Café, 4455 Overland Ave., Culver City! Tickets: $7!

This is always a fun show with lots of opportunities for the audience to get involved and play with us. Or if you’re shy, just sit back and enjoy laughing at the silliness.

Also: There’s no Thursday Night Comedy Café show this week. We’ll be back at our weekly gig in The Spot Café starting next week, January 14, 8 PM. Tickets: only $5!