What's So Funny?

mnartists.org is a joint project of the McKnight Foundation and the Walker Art Center. Our new podcast, "What's So Funny?" is a monthly show hosted by writer and performer Levi Weinhagen about the craft of comedy and improv.

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“I know that because of improv I’m a completely different person than I would have been.”

Comedy writer and performer James Moore talks about starting ComedySportz in High School and realizing that he had found a place he fit. Now, 20 years later he breaks down how stand-up comedy lets him think and create on his own and improvisation forces him to be the best, most social version of himself.

A native of Richfield, MN, James Moore has been doing stand-up for over ten years. He’s a regular featured performer at Acme Comedy Company, and has been a member of ComedySportz Twin Cities since 1995. He’s performed at colleges, clubs and Bar Mitzvahs nationwide. James has also been seen in national television commercials, and has appeared on Fox Sports Network’s Softball 360. He was also seen for, literally, half a second on Last Comic Standing.

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“It’s like work, you’re not going to be best friends with all your co-workers.” Comic Jenn Schaal talks about how difficult it can be to feel like you’re often forced to compete with your friends when building a stand-up comedy career. She shares how her desire to support and hold up others can bump up against creating opportunities for herself. Jenn also talks about finding ways to get re-excited about writing new material and creating unscheduled time for her brain to work. Plus, Jenn shares a lot of thoughts on Rape jokes. And she talks about how important it is to not have the audience pity the comic. Recently, Jenn performed in the inaugural 2013 Limestone Comedy Festival, opening for her comedy idol, Maria Bamford and Jon Roy. Additionally in 2013, Jenn was named the third Funniest Person with a Day Job in the Twin Cities, and performed in the Boston Women In Comedy Festival. She was also a semi-finalist in the 2012 Rooftop Comedy National College Competition. https://twitter.com/jennschaal http://jennschaal.com/

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“Finally, the things that I am doing and the things that make me happy are converging.” Courtney McLean aka Courtney McClean is a comedian, musician, storyteller, and actress originally from Southern California. She lived and made work in New York City for 5 years but now calls the Twin Cities home. She is the bandleader of “Courtney McClean & The Dirty Curls,” pioneers of naughtybilly: dirty comedy bluegrassy music. Courtney builds her world on dichotomies. She deals primarily in comedy and yet she is incredibly positive about the world and the people in it. She is ambitious and driven but is also a self-identified stoner. She loves to be alone onstage but is also always seeking collaborations. And perhaps most importantly, Courtney wants to give everyone the finger while at the same time telling them they’re awesome and capable of anything. In this conversation, Courtney talks about writing dirty comedy songs and having to decide is something is dirty enough or funny enough to work in a song. She shares stories of her young feminist self and talks about loving Steve Martin and the banjo without realizing that Martin plays the banjo. Plus, Courtney tries to break down the differences between stand-up, comedy music, storytelling, and acting. She’s funny the whole time, you should listen. http://dirtycurls.net/

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Bill Corbett is not afraid of dumb jokes.

Bill Corbett talks about writing comedy for the stage, the radio, TV and beyond.

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Bill Corbett is a former writer for MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 and also a performer on the show, providing the voice of the robot Crow (v.2.0) and playing various other strange characters -- including the all-powerful but clueless alien The Observer (a.k.a. "Brain Guy").

Corbett is also a screenwriter and playwright. Corbett's screenplay STARSHIP DAVE, co-written with Rob Greenberg, was made into the movie MEET DAVE starring Eddie Murphy, released by 20th Century Fox. His plays have been produced internationally. Corbett's comedy THE BIG SLAM has been produced at numerous theaters across the U.S., including Woolly Mammoth in Washington, D.C.; ACT in Seattle; and actor Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Michigan. Other plays include HATE MAIL, THE STUFF OF DREAMS, and his comic book holiday mashup SUPER-POWERED-REVENGE CHRISTMAS #1.

He has been a contributing writer to National Public Radio's PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, and is co-creator of the animated web series POKER NIGHT on Icebox.com.

Corbett has also been an actor in the resident acting companies at the Guthrie Theater and the Berkshire Theater Festival, and has taught playwriting and screenwriting at Kenyon College in Ohio, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and many other universities and schools.

He's a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, where he earned an MFA in playwriting and screenwriting. Before that, he received a BA from Yale College.

Click here to listen to the podcast!

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Mike Fotis doesn't always have to be funny

“After I did that show, this is the least anxious I’ve felt in a really long time.”

Comedy writer and performer Mike Fotis talks about working in multiple comedy platforms. He talks about the differences and similarities amongst improv, sketch, story telling, and writing for the radio. Mike also talks about the experience of sharing very personal stories on stage and trying to do things that aren’t comedic after building an audience that expects only comedy things from him. Plus, he shares stories of writing for the Brave New Workshop and the radio show Wits. 

Listen to Mike on What's So Funny now!

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Comic Brandi Brown loves Heathcliff and hates racism

“If people would stop saying and doing stupid stuff, I’d be happy to never talk about race again.”

Click HERE to listen now!

Comic Brandi Brown talks about being a black, female comedian working in the Midwest. Brandi talks about how going to a mostly white prep school helped her figure out how to talk about race in front of all white audiences. Plus, she tells the story of how an inside joke about the Supreme Court turned into a 60-minute play. "I have this complicated relationship with the stand-up community... they drive me crazy."

Brandi Brown does a lot of internet things. Here are some of them. Twitter: @itsthebrandi www.houseofprocrastination.org Orangecatantics.wordpress.com Statefaircliches.wordpress.com

https://audioboo.fm/boos/2387735-what-s-so-funny-with-brandi-brown

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Lauren Anderson breaks down the funny

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“You have to cheer for yourself because if you don’t, no one else will.” Since 2004, Lauren Anderson has been a full time Actor/ Writer for the Brave New Workshop comedy theatre. In the past decade she has been in over 35 shows, more shows than most other actors in the 50+ years history of the BNW. You can also see Lauren performing with other improv groups around town: Five Man Job, FOTERSON, and Show X. These groups have performed all over the country including: Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. She is a co-producer of the The Twin Cities Improv Festival (now in it's 8th year), and Improv-A-Go-Go (just celebrated it's 12 year anniversary). You can currently see her in “The Wolf of Walmart” now playing at the BNW through October.

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More coming

Working on future episodes featuring such fantastic comedy guests as 

Brandi Brown

Lauren Anderson

And

Bill Corbett

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Episode 1 featuring comedian Ben San Del

“One of the best feelings that I ever have is when I come up with something new and then it works onstage.” Ben San Del is a stand-up comedian. His next stand-up hour, Fiddlestick Conundrum, will debut this August at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Find out more or watch clips at bensandel.com.

Listen to episode one of What's So Funny? now!

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Visit Original Link

The first episode of the new What's So Funny? podcast comes out on June 10, 2014. But here's a taste of the show's theme music created by Mr. Dietr.

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What's So Funny? is a new podcast produced by mnartists.org. 

mnartists.org is a joint project of the McKnight Foundation and the Walker Art Center. Our new podcast, "What's So Funny?" is a monthly show hosted by writer and performer Levi Weinhagen about the craft of comedy and improv.

A new episode is released the 2nd Monday of every month.