Sep 7, 1998 22:16 from Patrick
 
Whoa.
 
It's going to be a long toilsome semester; and then, eventually, you'll
graduate and do something.
 
Definetly maybe on that last part.
 
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Sep 7, 1998 21:59 from Ender
 
Alice from Hell (and maybe someone else?  Can't remember):
 
Yes, people have spilled things on the floor before.  At No Shame.  The only
difference between those occasions and this one is that this time Mandi
mentioned it here and let everyone know it was a problem; the other times it
was a problem that the violating performer alone got to deal with.
As in, it was made VERY clear to them what shouldn't have happened.  The point
is an educational one:  Since the definition of "damage" was apparently
ambiguous to some, it has now been made more public, here on ISCA.  About 30
posts back Dan explained how spilling wet things on the floor counts as damage
due to its effect on stage surface and lighting in subtle but VERY IMPORTANT
ways, since lighting designers take their jobs very seriously.  You've twice
reiterated the "where's the damage?" question, so perhaps you should go back
and read it again.  Just look for the posts that have "20,000" in them, and the
one that's 30-40 posts back will hopefully enlighten.  (ouch)
 
I think the idea of a slightly more detailed list of rules that performers and
potential performers could read (and/or are required to sign) is not the worst
idea to ever cross the plate.  A bit of red tape, but it would clarify things
without damaging top-of-the-show energy.
 
On the other hand, I'm a bigger fan of people just using common sense.  It's
courtesy to move the table and chairs out of the way after you've used them,
but if you don't, no biggie.  However, leaving the stage as clean and
dry as you found it is a must.  Dan's subsequent piece, for example, involved
rolling around on the floor.  Performers don't generally write their pieces
with the thoughts "will the stage be clean enough to roll on?" or "will I need
to limit running since it might be slippery?" in mind.  Injury would DEFINITELY
put No Shame in the shithouse.
 
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Sep 7, 1998 23:10 from SportsCenter
Hmm.  The notice about damage to the space was made here on ISCA, and not
before the next show?
 
I don't know about you, but I'm willing to bet that almost half of our No Shame
audience doesn't even use ISCA, so how can they see the notice?
 
Just a question.
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Sep 7, 1998 23:13 from Honeybunny
notice of not damaging the space is one of the FEW things said at the
begining of EVERY show.
[No Shame> msg #7203 (118 remaining)] Read cmd -> Next
 
Sep 7, 1998 23:16 from SportsCenter
I know that.  What I'm saying is that Mandi never mentioned that it was
becoming an increasing problem during the regular beginning monologue.  She
only did it here on ISCA.
 
And we're the only ones who see it.
 
What does that do to the rest of the audience that wants to perform?  Mandi
doesn't say that it's becoming a problem, and it needs to be toned down a
little bit, at least once before a show, and performers will get the idea that
what they have seen before can be termed as not damaging the space by the
board, hence they raise the bar a little bit.
 
And, from what's been being mentioned in here, it's gotten a little bit too
high.
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Sep 7, 1998 23:23 from Carolyn
(I keep being reminded of the huge pieces of plastic sheet we lay down before
Mark D. Johnson's Best of the Best of NoShame piece where 4 people throw
glasses of liquid at themselves.  Spreading the things down became kind of a
mini-piece in itself.  There was a mainstage production in Maibe at the time,
with a painted floor, and everyone was VERY nervous about it.  Neither here nor
there in terms of this recent debate--just a piece worth remembering.)
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Sep 7, 1998 23:29 from Thufir
Jesus.  You know, the No Shame board gets to decide what constitutes damage to
the space because they're the No Shame board.  I don't know why others seem to
be having such a problem with this concept.
 
If you don't like their conception of the word "damage", worm your way onto the
board.  Until then, enjoy the show.
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Sep 8, 1998 00:30 from Publius
I don't see that the question of "damage" is relevant.  It's basic commonsense
politeness:  When you are a guest in someone else's home, you do not make a
mess on the floor (or any of their other property) without getting permission
first.  If you make a mess by accident (which does happen) you own up for it
and take responsibility for cleaning it up, whether that means pushing a mop
for a few minutes or buying a new carpet.
 
And making a mess ON PURPOSE is just plain rude, whether it "damages" anything
or not.
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Sep 8, 1998 08:30 from Ender
 
SportsCenter:
 
If you look carefully, you'll find a post in the last 40 or so, at LEAST one,
by a board member saying that some of this may need to be said in the
announcements on stage at least once.  The thing is, announcements happen on
Friday.  THIS problem happened LAST Friday.  So it was highly unlikely that the
announcement would be made before it happened last week, and there's no reason
things shouldn't be discussed here before they are announced on stage this
Friday.  No one said, to the best of my recollection, that stating things here
was a substitute for addressing the problem elsewhere.  The board may decide to
do it during announcements, they may decide to give the info to performers as
they submit their pieces each week, they may get new performers to sign a copy
of the rules (the long version, if one were written) the first time they
perform, to apply to all pieces ever put on by that performer at No Shame--
however they want to address it, that's cool.  But mentioning it here can't
hurt, especially since a reasonable percentage of the performers from the last
2-3 years DO read this forum.
 
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Sep 8, 1998 08:55 from Ender
 
Just in case anyone has anything more to add to commentary on piece content,
here's a refresher:
 
1) Coasting On Good Looks and Popularity by James Erwin
2) An Evening With No One in Particular or This Is the Only Piece I Wrote
Tonight that Does Not Contain the Phrase "Violent Bowel Movement" by Dan Brooks
3) Friday 10:16 pm by Greg Wicklund
4) Moving by Chris Okiishi and Adam Burton
5) Steve the Cat by Syniva Whitney and Kelli Rae Powell
6) Canada by Mandi Lee
7) Elvis and the Slippery Turd by Jamal River and Chris Stangl
8) I Love My Mom by James Erwin
9) Three, Two, One...BUZZZ by George Anastasiou
10) Theodore Roosevelt: A Sketch That Makes a Fart Come Out of My Butt by Chris
Stangl
11) Being and Nothingness: A Metaphysical Exploration or The Violent Bowel
Movement Sketch by Dan Brooks and Peter Franke
 
re: Greg Wicklund's piece, "Wow, that sucked!"  Alcohol issues aside, it was
just bad.  Almost everything he said seemed to be filler to cover the time it
took him to drink, and then he yelled at us.  Thanks a lot.
 
re: the piece Chris and I did, I agree it lacked oomph.  I thought that part
where Chris faked blindness, followed by "Lame? Syphlitic?" was an amusing
moment, but the ending was weeeeeeaak.  And anyone who think Adam is always
playing the same character, please raise your hands now.  (That's me.  Adam.)
I like to think there are exceptions, but damn..  This role is getting
familiar.  I suppose in comedy there is often a call for someone on stage to
get pissy with someone else who is being absurd in order to stress the
absurdity, so maybe it's okay that I keep ending up in that spot; hopefully
this means I'm effective or something...
 
I really liked Steve the Cat.  Beautiful pacing.  And a strictly visual piece,
which we don't see every show.
 
re: Canada.  There's something about this whole genre of piece that I can't get
into no matter how I try.  I don't mean that as an insult to the quality of
writing; I just can't even begin to judge the writing because as soon as it
starts, my mind wanders.  Even when I'm consciously trying, at the end of the
piece I realize "wait, I missed half of that."  I've enjoyed Mandi's sketches
immensely (the window-washer piece and "Harmonica Harry" come to mind),
but there's something about the "monologue of hurt" that deactivates
my auditory nerve.  Perhaps that's why I enjoyed one of the monologues so much
more last semester, the one about the antiques and old things getting sold off
at the mall--it wasn't a "you hurt me" or "I long for you" or about that kind
of personal pain, and it held my attention.  In a case like this, a writer gets
to say, "okay, that's a type of audience member I'm simply not meant to reach,"
or take what they've got and work to include more people if that's something
they feel strongly about.
 
Which brings us to Chris Stangl and Jamal River.  I don't know if anyone has
ever noticed this besides myself, but they tend to write one piece each every
show, and the one written by Jamal is usually more palatable.  This week the
one written by Jamal lists Chris as an author as well, and good money says
Chris wrote the line calling the No Shame audience losers.  Thisis all just
speculation on my part, of course.  In any case, it's not surprising to me that
they lost audience support on that one.  In fact, if one looks back over their
body of work, the pieces Jamal writes also tend to be shorter and funnier.
Stangl seems more concerned with saying "I can do ANYTHING and these people
laugh!" and then doing it just to prove what stupid cows we all are.  In fact,
it IS a Friday night and people will try desperately to enjoy whatever you dish
out because they want to have fun.  If this gives him some odd sense of power
he likes to flex, that's a poor motivation.  Once again, speculation on my
part.  I'd like to see him challenge himself to do more work that doesn't rely
on pure shock value; he's got the guts to devote himself to a piece, and enough
of a presence that I wonder if he's planning on pursuing comedy further, but
shock has been done before and will be done again, so hopefully he can find
something a little stronger on which to rely.
 
As for James Erwin's love for his mom, I think this piece, judging by
commentary here, was an overlooked gem of the evening.  Short'n'sweet, and well
performed.  And involving one of those lighting things which might best be
pointed out to the light board operator before the show because it may seem
very simple, but it's also important, and the light-runner rarely has a chance
to read ahead (especially on a short piece), so let 'em know.  (This is what I
would want as light board operator, anyway; if the current board op doesn't
agree, we'll hear about it and I'll feel duly corrected.)  Lights aside though,
I liked this lots.
 
And everyone seems to agree that George's piece rocked.  It did.  Timing,
memorization, and good acting.  Day-um.  MORE!
 
Stangl -- already addressed.
 
Dan Brooks--Good first piece.  I like the jockeying between characters.  Second
piece--you're playing the whole spectrum of taste.  I think this goes under
"versatility." :)
 
Anyone?
 
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Sep 8, 1998 09:42 from Thufir
I'm with you about a billion percent on the Mandi Monologue issue.  I have
enjoyed sketches that she's been in; I simply am completely unable to get into
any monologue she does.  My attention wanders and I try really really hard to
stay focused, but I just can't.  In fact, if I had given a piece-by-piece
review of this No Shame I had planned on glossing over "Canada" with the
disclaimer "I can't ever pay enough attention to these monologues to give them
fair reviews, so I won't review them."
 
I've never liked anything that Chris or Jamal has done.  Nothing.  At all.  I
got bored the very first day on the shock-as-humor schtick, and it hasn't been
getting any more entertaining as time's gone on.
 
I _did_ like "I Love My Mom", but I thought that was only because I had an
Asian mother myself and, thus, could identify strongly with every little
sentence that James brought up (all of those tidbits in the piece were actual
facts, FYI).  Apparently that's not the case.  I'm glad to see it had some
merit for those of us who don't have weird Asian mothers.  Heh.
 
Greg Wicklund's piece sucked.  There wasn't any way that he could make it
better, either, aside from actually writing it instead of just ad libbing on
stage (which is what he seemed to be doing, whether or not he actually was).
 
And, yes, Adam, you always get stuck playing the "straight man" role, of sorts.
I'm not so sure that this is a bad thing, but there it is.  And your piece was
pretty weak overall.  There were some entertaining bits when Okishi was
overacting (which, BTW, seems to be his schtick), but the ending was lame, and
it seemed to lack coherency.
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Sep 8, 1998 09:47 from Dan
I've got to agree with Adam that Chris seems to be working from an angry
perspective more than Jamal. And anger can be very, very cool onstage, but in
my opinion even if some of it is directed toward the audience, some of it has
to be from a place that the performer will let the audience be in, too. It's
akin to a performer like Dennis Leary; he's angry at the world for being stupid
and mediocre and he's angry at the audience because they're a part of that
world, but he never attacks them just for being where they are at that moment.
Speaking as someone who has done my share of abusing audience trust (my
freshman year was long and choked with terrible, evil lies), my guess is that
Chris could push a lot more boundries if he could communicate to the audience
the idea that he holds them in some sort of respect. Right now he exudes a "Me
against you" vibe that may not serve him best as a comedian -- especially one
that intends to challenge the audience's sensibilities.
By the way, I'm not sure why the theme for the night was "gastronomy", but it
definitely was. And I would once again like to state for the record that the
Violent Bowel Movement Sketch was really funny in my living room. Dammit.
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Sep 8, 1998 09:46 from Whitewolf
 
Carolyn's right about the piece that got a performer banned for a year after a
confederate dropped a bag of powdered sugar on his head from the catwalk to
represent God giving mankind cocaine. I believe, in fact, that that was the
piece that prompted the don't-damage-the-space rule in the first place. There
have been a lot of subsequent messy pieces, as people have noted -- one I
recall involving shaving-cream pies flung about the stage, one involving
florescent green paint spattered on one performer by another, etc. Todd Ristau,
No Shame's founder, and Cheryl Snodgrass, the original No Shame dark matriarch,
did an earthshattering piece that involved firing blood-red paintballs at each
other at close range. When I was on the board, a performer did a piece that
involved kneading chocolate pudding. The second he came onstage, I was running
for the nearest bathroom. Sure enough, by the time I got back with a handful of
wet paper towels, the pudding was all over the floor, which he didn't seem to
have planned on. And in every one of these cases (except the paintball one;
that was before I was involved in NS as anything other than a stunned observer)
the floor ended up sticky and/or moist, and the board went ballistic and people
said "What's the big deal?" or "Ban him for a month/a year/life" depending
mostly on whether they liked the skit or the performer involved, as near as I
could tell.
 
Yeah, it's happened before. That doesn't mean it's not a big deal. Especially
to the board, who has to take responsibility both for cleaning up someone
else's mess and for defending the irresponsible to the theater department,
whose friendliness toward No Shame is about as predictable as the Asian stock
market right now. Blaming the board for being antsy about messes and
rule-breaking is kind of like blaming oil-fouled seals for the Exxon Valdez.
 
My question is, what's being done about the performer that made the mess? That
hasn't much entered into this discussion, and I think it's relevant. No Shame
has three clear and well-establish rules, but does it have any clear penalties
for those who break them, or is it up to the board to judge on a case-by-case
basis and thus run into that I'm-a-performer-not-a-policeman-dammit-Jim
attitude Dan seemed to be complaining about?
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Sep 8, 1998 09:59 from Thufir
Had you been drinking heavily while performing Violent Bowel Movement, Dan?
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Sep 8, 1998 10:05 from Dan
No I had not. And while I had also not been drinking when I wrote it, in
retrospect maybe I should have been. If the joy of actually writing said sketch
could somehow have been communicated to the audience, perhaps _that_ would have
been a worthwhile piece. Hoo boy. Cleaning out the summer, I guess.
As for what happens to the performers who broke the rules last week, that's
something the board will be deciding as a group and then administering to
quietly. If any action is taken, the parties against whom aforesaid action is
taken are free to share the methods of administration and consequences thereof
with any third parties whom they see fit. However, the board will make no
public statement of the aforesaid action, administration or consequences in
this forum or any other. It should be noted that this statement reflects the
personal opinion of one board member and should not be construed as the opinion
of the entire NS board. Finally, it is decreed by the aforesaid singular board
member that everybody shoud let this one go and return discussion to the actual
pieces performed Friday night. This is by no means an official proclamation,
and is subject to all the caveats expressed previously. However, at this point
the aforesaid singular board member is begging you to let this one go.
Everybody. Please.
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Sep 8, 1998 10:26 from Whitewolf
 
Sorry, you didn't use the phrase "party of the first part" in there even ONCE,
so it ain't legally binding.
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Sep 8, 1998 13:22 from Frogczar
Well, if you want to know the part that I felt was the funniest about teh
Violent Bowel Movement piece went entirely unheard by the audience, due to the
fact that it was in maibe and also the little planning that went into creating
some volume for the effect. It involved some synthetic Gurgling provided by one
od Dan's and mine's friends blowing bubbles into a large cup of water with a
straw. I doubt many heard it or would have appreciated it if they had. If I
could do it over again I would have gotten a large tub, filled it with pudding
and blown into it with all my might through a garden hose to simulate the
appropriate gastrointestinal sound. Oh well, maybe next time. Lets hear it for
plastic food!
[No Shame> msg #7216 (130 remaining)] Read cmd -> Next
 
Sep 8, 1998 13:35 from Babbling Wombat
Oh, he did that?  I missed it, heh.  Actually, I think also a part of the
problem was the interlude between the previous skit and Dan's.  As I
mentioned earlier, I did think the cleanup was mildly more entertaining
than some of the skits I watched, however it did remove me partly from
the "Sit back, relax, and watch the show" mood, and I don't think I was
really prepared for Dan's last skit.  And in that skit, he also didn't
seem to be nearly as vocal, and his words and subtleties were lost to my
ears.
 
I neglected to mention earlier, and I do appologize, that I liked the
skit about the Y2K bug.. was that George?  I can't remember, heh.  The
pace to the recording was simply amazing, and should be applauded.  Decent
wit as well.  That bent leg thing just looked painful.
 
And on the beating a dead horse thread, is there any reason that reprimands
should not be made public?  I realize the board(excuse me, one member of the
board that did not use the phrase, "party of the first part") wishes to
maintain an air of confidentiality.  However, my points against this are
the following:
 
* A performer that needs reprimanding, broke the rules in a public forum,
  thus we the people already know they deserve some type of punishment.
 
* Public revealing of said reprimand will be able to serve to other
  performers as a deterrant to breaking the same, or other, rules in the
  future.  Currently, as stated previously, there seems to be an attitude
  of "pushing things to the limit," as if performers are daring to be
  reprimanded.  If other performers believe their peers are merely hand
  slapped, there is no real need for them to discontinue this.
 
* Going along with the first point, rules are made public.  Everyone knows
  the rules.  Thus if you berak them, you do so knowingly.  There should be
  a set policy for reprimands, if there isn't.  If there is, then it should
  be no problem to state publicly, "xxx broke this rule, and according to
  our policy, that constitutes 3 shows that he can't perform at, an
  apology on the NS stage to the audience, and a spanking from Dan and
  Mandi(each getting 1 cheek)."  If there isn't a set policy for reprimands,
  I'd strongly urge on creating one.
 
* My final argument for this, is that I belive it would show the powers that
  be that you do care about how your performers conduct themselves.  Your
  rules exist for many reasons, one I am positive is so that you can continue
  to have a place to conduct the theater.  By reprimanding and informing the
  powers that be of these reprimands, you are telling them that A) you do
  not condone the actions of a said performer, and B) you are taking steps
  to prevent them, or anyone else, from doing such things in the future.
 
* Inquiring, snoopy minds want to know.
 
 
Ok, I'll stop beating the horse now.
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Sep 8, 1998 15:08 from Prufrock
I _did_ tell the light lady.  Unfortunately, Mabie eats up sound so she missed
the cue. Once again: I don't like doing Mabie unless there's five hundred
really hyped people there.
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Sep 8, 1998 15:12 from 
um
so don't,perform in Mabie unless there's 500 people in the lobby?
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Sep 8, 1998 15:16 from Whitewolf
 
If Theater B's not available, Thorn, there's not much of an option. It's take
the theater you're given, or perform in the lobby (which would doubtless also
cause a problem with any show going on in A or B) or perform outside, which
causes similar problems with lighting and sound problems.
 
Not to mention that I imagine the Theater Department would REALLY flip if
someone spewed creamed corn on the lobby rug. Outside, though...
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Sep 8, 1998 15:20 from 
Actually there's an option - if you don't like performing in Mabie - don't
perform in Mabie. Wait till next week. I"m not saying all of No Shame doesn't
go up- well unless all of No Shgame also has this trauma of performing in
Mabie with less than a full house.
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Sep 8, 1998 15:46 from Ender
 
I have definitely seen people who intended to perform postpone due to being in
Mabie.  More often it has been because it's a more intimidating space in which
to perform, though, practical considerations aside.  It took a long time before
I was comfortable in Mabie Theatre.  It helps when people really pack into the
first few rows, though, making it a virtual smaller house somehow.
 
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Sep 8, 1998 15:50 from Alethe
if all goes well we will not have to worry about being in mabie for quite somwe
(some) time.
the forst mainstage is in there ( CLOUD 9-  kick ass show) .  And as long as we
are good little children, we will be aloud to ahve no shame in theatre B.
Lobby no shame will not work due to the precious new carpet and expensive
tables we can't touch and no lights.  OUtside No SHame I guarentee willb be no
easier to hear that in mabie.
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Sep 8, 1998 15:55 from Ender
 
By the way, this past summer I encouraged people to discuss other local theatre
events since there wasn't any No Shame to talk about.  I still feel (in the
spirit of the weekly pre-show announcements) that local theatre in general is
on-topic, perhaps even including reviews now and then; I like knowing what's
happening, and it's good to get the word out.
 
Technically I should have posted that as a Forum Moderator post I guess.  Seems
so formal though.
 
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Sep 8, 1998 17:35 from Katya
On that note Ender, can I express my deep disappointment with Tandy Cronyn's
performance in  "Blue Yonder?" Or is this strictly an "announce it" type of
thing. 'Cause if we can "critique it" I'm all "there" (in the spirit of
"quotes").
I loved the show, especially Mary's baseball bit, and Rachel's Woolworth's bit.
But as far as Tandy goes, I felt she was majorly lacking in the emotional,
enthusiasm bit. An inside source to go unnamed told me she was a little
unenthused to even be here.
Does look amazingly like Jessica Tandy though. Gee... I wonder why.
"rhetorical" question. Boop boop be doop.
[No Shame> msg #7225 (121 remaining)] Read cmd -> Next
 
Sep 8, 1998 17:43 from Ender
 
I'm mostly in favor of reviews of shows that are still running, from a selfish
stance, and also 'cause that way the rest of us still have a chance to go see
it..  Also, this is more in keeping with the announcements, which exist to
encourage theatre attendance in multiple venues.
 
But thanks for answering the call so quickly. :)
 
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Sep 8, 1998 17:45 from Babbling Wombat
Speaking of announcements.. What type of announcements/advertising is there
going to be for this friday's No Shame?
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Sep 9, 1998 15:39 from Katya
Wondering... are you allowed to do two pieces of your own work in the same
night at No Shame? Or does it depend on the amount of performers.
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Sep 9, 1998 15:44 from Babbling Wombat
Katya>  Performers regularly do more than 1 piece a night.  Scroll back and
check out last friday's roster.. Dan did a couple, as did Chris.  I'm just
waiting for a night when someone goes and "ironmans" his way into every skit.
hehe.
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Sep 9, 1998 15:49 from Katya
Actually, I think I knew the answer to that question, but as I'm in a hazy
shade of Too Many Things To Think About, I asked it anyway. Thanks for humoring
me. :)
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Sep 9, 1998 20:43 from Ender
 
...and yes, when the roster gets full, people who have authored multiple pieces
get bumped.  This doesn't prohibit someone from ACTING in any number of pieces;
the idea here is to encourage a variety of authors.  Another twist:  If I write
one solo piece, and co-author another, technically those two pieces have
different authors so neither would get bumped on a full night.  However, I
might graciously decline to perform my solo work if I wasn't terminally ill and
unlikely to ever have another chance to perform it...
 
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Sep 11, 1998 07:01 from Jeff
Now that there's a little more memory space, I've rearranged the No Shame Web
Archive to allow for storage of more graphics and scripts.  Please check it
out [http://www.noshame.org] and lemme know what you think, or if you have any
ideas [NoShTh@aol.com].
And if you HAVE any scripts or pictures you can scan up, let me know where to
find them so I can include them in the archive.  Still looking for any
information from the "lost" years.
...Jeff
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Sep 11, 1998 14:04 from Ender
 
I heard a rumor that the Cain Brothers are in town, and likely to appear at No
Shame tonight...  (some of you may recall their banjo and accordion stylin'
from years past.)  Should be worth checkin' out!
 
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Sep 11, 1998 22:54 from Tanj
Anyone interested in e-mail addresses that end in "noshame.org"?  Hmmm....
[No Shame> msg #7234 (112 remaining)] Read cmd -> Next
 
Sep 12, 1998 09:41 from Babbling Wombat
Damn it, due to a banquet lasting longer than I had anticipated, I missed NS
last night.  Anything noteworthy(I noticed that the schedule hasn't been posted
yet..)?
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Sep 12, 1998 09:59 from Furious George
you missed a very fine night of no shame.
i can only remember 2 pieces that were blah and boring, really.  the "i have
issues" or whatever those girls were chanting and the hanson-goes-to-the-ob/gyn
weren't thrilling. if there were others, well, i don't remember.
otherwise, it was well worth $1.
i think the guy who did the ffff-uuhh-ck!-innnnng piece needs to do the
announcements at the beginning.
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Sep 12, 1998 10:57 from Katya
Quite frankly, I found the audience to be almost as entertaining as the actual
pieces. I could have watched them for a good half hour. A bunch of kids that
looked like they'd just stepped out of  "dazed and confused" walked past me.
        But I didn't really feel the show got going until the middle or end,
particularly with Moses' parody of Tandy Cronyn. I wasn't sure what to make of
Mary Fons' monologue, but I think I liked it.
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Sep 12, 1998 11:50 from Ender
 
If you figger in a few "half pieces (like number 3.5), it was an eighteen-piece
night with a sold-out house.  I thought it was a blast.  Reserving specific
commentary till I can refer to the order, though; my memory for specifics
usually needs a little joggin'..
 
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Sep 12, 1998 17:55 from Alethe
I was actually rather in favor of aprille's piece about hanson.  for my money
the OBGYN is pretty damn funny, come on, waving salad tosser turned speculum
around...thats pretty great says I.
I thought Jame's had quite a fine piece himsefl this week.  About time him and
dan got it on on stage ( snickers to herself)
AS always , i appreciate the fine songs provided by the brothers cain.
all in all a rockin week.  full house, full docket.  good stuff.
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Sep 12, 1998 19:44 from Tampico
I thought that the best part of the Hanson skit was the performer who played
the doctor.  He was great and, I think, made the skit really funny.
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Sep 12, 1998 20:22 from Katya
I could have done without the abortion killing thrown in. It was pointless and
tasteless.
Kyle was funny though. Very true.
(BTW, this is Aprille's piece, I'm talking about :)
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Sep 12, 1998 22:34 from Ender
 
Has anyone got the order to post?
 
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Sep 13, 1998 12:00 from Dan
The order, with apoogies for extreme tardiness:
1) Three Big Spheres by Bradley Harris
2) TwilightCul De Sac: The Pilot by Mandi Lee
3) Conversations with My Uterus by George Anastasiou
3.5) The Theatre Arts Major Visits Europe by Walt Stein
4) Compulsions by Mandi Lee
5) Hanson Gets His Pipes Cleaned by Aprille Clarke
6) Dead at Twenty-One by Dan Brooks
7) This Skit Est Omnis Divisa En Tres Partes by James Erwin
7.5) Cynics by Dan Brooks
8) Take Me Along by the Cain Brothers
9) I Do Noises, Maybe by Michael Rothschild
10) Also Wrote a Parody of Tandy Cronyn, But Had Good Decadency or
Wimpisherness to Wait 'Til She Left, Unlike Dan by Mose Hayward
11) Chip
        's Cult by Eric Curtis
12) New York or William Collins Almost Didn't Go by Dan Brooks and Mary Fons
13) Sociological Ramifications of the King, Elvis Presley: A Posterior
Perspective by Mose Hayward
14) The Intervention by Mark Hansen
15) Por Todas Partes by Los Hermanos Cain
16) Fucked by Chris Okiishi
Back and bad, says I.
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Sep 13, 1998 15:08 from Prufrock
This is what happens when Greg doesn't show up. Everyone (except for that
schmoe who did the parachute joke) turns in a decent skit.
 
Highlights for me- Dan's noises, Mandi's acting, Mary's accent, the Cain
Brothers' songs. And I wish I had actually heard Tandy Cronyn's speech now.
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Sep 13, 1998 15:20 from Dan
First off, what a terrific night. Let's hear it for having a shload of new
performers. My big faves for the night:
Mandi's Compulsions ruled. It was very tight and genuinely funny. I really have
a weakness for presentational pieces like this as opposed to sketches.
I really liked James' piece, and I dug being in it. While the pseudo-art piece
is often an overdone oeuvre at NS, I think this one made all the boring one's
worth while. I have a big apostrophe problem lately.
I thought Friday night was a very good acting night. Oftentimes, NS focuses on
writing over the performative aspects, and I feel last night reflected a steep
improvement in simple stagecraft. Maybe it was a function of there being more
theatre majors onstage or maybe it was something else, but I dig.
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Sep 13, 1998 16:22 from Jeff
The lyrics to the Cain Brothers' Por Todas Partes are posted on the No Shame
web archive [http://www.noshame.org] - (look in the "scripts" archive)
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Sep 13, 1998 16:26 from Jeff
By the way, does anyone have any idea who might have started a No Shame at the
University of Alaska in Fairbanks?
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Sep 13, 1998 18:00 from Alethe
I thought the night was particularly good.
I didn't like the theatre arts major visits europe.  It was a joke i had deard
before (deard means heard by the way) and it was not innovative in its
delivery, and it was over all very dry.
I liked Crhis's cult a great deal, it seemed to go a long a litte slow-like,
but i was in the lightbooth.  It was a good idea and was decently delivered, i
htought it may have been  improved by picking up the cues a bit, but overall a
nice piece.
The writing in mose hayward's tandy parody was pretty incredible, he flubbed it
a bit on stage, nerves i suppose, but he had  lot more grammar and syntax jokes
woen into the text itself.
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Sep 13, 1998 18:05 from Alethe
also, about the intervention piece.. pretty good concept, the writing was all
right, but they were killing themselves witht heir timing, which is
everything
in comedy.  If they had picked up on their cues, they
would have turned an all right piece into a great one...
 
 
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Sep 14, 1998 00:28 from Thufir
...and once again it is proven that No Shame is made better by my absence.  You
people should thank my long-distance girlfriend, who lures me out of town so
that y'all may have an enjoyable show every once in awhile.
 
I'll be there this Friday, unfortunately.
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Sep 14, 1998 07:59 from King Of Kale
*nods* I agree, it was a really wonderful No Shame, and it wasa good evening
for it to be so good since there were so many.  Now there will be even moe No
Shame regulars.  Look out society.
The Intervention and The Theatre Arts major were not my favourites of the
night, but I think part of it was because they were all so good, that in
comparison they seemed somewhat, umm, uininteresting.  Had it been a bad No
SHame they were done at, we'd all be praising them. Heh.
Three Big Spheres I didn't think would be funny.  When it started out, Bradley
dropped the balls, and didn't say anything, and wasn't very charismatic, but
once he got into it, it was fabulous.  He certainly dropped the balls a few
times, but he was charismatic and funny about it.  I liked this one.
Compulsions I thought was funny, just because I know people with all of those
compulsions. Hehe.  It was well written, and humourous.  I think it could have
been a bit more offensive, but for an unoffensive piece it was wonderful.
All in all, it was a good night.
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Sep 14, 1998 08:24 from Lear
so just what constitutes a "good night" or a "bad night" with and without
relation to Thufir.  I'm curious here.
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Sep 14, 1998 08:25 from 
A lack of vomiting is always a plus.
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Sep 14, 1998 20:40 from Dan
I'm always one for A) No vomit and B) between 13 and 18 pieces, a nice sized
crowd (100+), one or two pieces that try to do something new (for the performer
or the forum) at least three pieces that are just plain solid, and maybe a
couple new performers. I guess that would be a great night. A good night meets
at least one of the qualifications of B.
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Sep 15, 1998 10:41 from King Of Kale
Egads, this friday is ISCANIC weekend. Heh.  Umm, well, I'm planning on doing a
piece at the next No Shame, though being Nic weekend who knows if I'll do it.
Anyway, I went looking for my guitar, found it with two broken strings in the
back of a closet and realised I can't play anymore due to lack of skil and
guitar, so if somebody would like to help me out, Mail> me ASAP.  I just need
somebody who is somewhat musically talented who can figure out what chords to
play along with the chorus, and do so, andperhaps sing the chorus too. It's a
sing-along.
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Sep 15, 1998 11:31 from Carolyn
ISCANIC weekend sounds perfect for a sing-along.  Do it!  Do it!
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Sep 15, 1998 11:46 from Babbling Wombat
With iscanic weekend, will NS be held in Mabie again?
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Sep 15, 1998 18:48 from Alethe
no shame will be in theatre B.  there is a mainstage prodruction whose set is
being built on the mabie stage.
 
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Sep 15, 1998 22:13 from Fanky Maloon
Oooh boy.  In other words, if you're planning No Shame this Friday, you gots to
get there REEEEEALLY early.  You have been forewarned!
Guaranteed early sellout, I'm thinking.
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Sep 15, 1998 22:14 from 
Keep in mind IscaNICs happening as well.
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Sep 15, 1998 22:21 from Ender
 
Yep...  That's WHY you need to get there early.  ISCAnic always brings a big
crowd knockin' at No Shame's door, and last week's crowd indicates there
wouldn't be any trouble filling seats even if it weren't ISCAnic weekend..
 
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Sep 16, 1998 07:52 from Ender
 
re: last week's show
 
Bradley Harris rocks as always.  I like his new look (it's almost the first
time we've seen him in something other than his brown pants/vest/hat combo).
This outfit had a little more of a laid-back air.  And ya know what?  He didn't
know what he was going to do beforehand, just that he'd get up there, play it
by ear, and when it felt done he'd do the "ta-da!" kinda pose, lights out.
That's cool.  I mean, since it's really hard to script juggling anyway, right?
 
Twilight Cul de Sac:  The tune still haunts me.  Fun piece.  Cool seeing Kelli
Rae Powell in an actual sketch; not sure I have before.
 
George Anastasiou's Conversations with my Uterus.  Very clever to take a simple
but pervasive No Shame Theatre convention (motioning for the board op to bring
down the lights) and make it into an entire piece.  And non-verbal, too.  I
don't know why I'm such a fan of silent pieces, but there it is.
 
The Theatre Arts Major piece didn't trip my trigger.  The best thing going for
it was the punch line, and ya know what?  I've heard that punch line before.  I
did a search on the web for a page containing the words parachute, backpack,
and joke, and found the same joke featuring Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, a
pilot, a priest, and a hiker bound for Mt. Kilamanjaro.  Nevermind that hikers
don't usually take airplanes; it was the same joke.
 
Compulsions--"Nobody told me I had to have THREE compulsions!!!"  I love that
line!  :)  Pieces like this often fall into a rhythm.  Person 1 speaks, then
Person 2, then 3, or maybe it's all mixed up but they all say the same number
of things.  And there's nothing wrong with that as long as what they're saying
is worth listening to; the rhythm is a comfortable backdrop.  But having a
character acknowledge it is funny.
 
This Skit Est Omnis Divisa En Tres Partes--That whole part about Dan saying "I
love you" instead of reading the script seemed way too familiar, and sure
enougyh, it was a parody of a Smick/Burton phone piece.  One wherein I probably
got pissy for comic purposes.  Heh..  I was paranoid for the rest of the night
that people would be doing caricatures of my self-proclaimed typecasting.  But
it was still fine entertainment.
 
I've still got the tune to the Cain Brothers' "Take Me Along" in my head.  I
was SURE it was going to burst into silliness, but it never did.  I kept
thinking maybe there was a more subtle joke, though.  The lyrics go back and
forth ("Take me along...  just go away..."), but honestly, real people go back
and forth on what they want or think they want, so maybe we were s'posed to be
amused or maybe it was a Statement on Life and Love.
 
Mose was really good.  It was a miracle he kept as much of a straight face as
he did.  And I, too, wish I'd seen Tandy's piece to give it that much more
oomph.
 
Dead at 21--nice blend of absurd (doc saying "you'll die at twenty-one" with no
idea what would cause it) contrasted with look at less-comic reasons not to
stick around for the long haul.  I'll have another scoop of that flavor,
thanks.
 
The pacing of Chip's Cult wasn't the best, but the idea ("Okay, we've done a
good job of getting one of you in every home; we must strike hard and fast")
was definitely a new twist for the beanie baby phenomenon.  Heh..  (Probably
just needed a little trimming to make the piece feel smoother.)
 
Mary Fonz's performance was really good.  There was the writing (big kudos to
that) and then her delivery, which simply rocked.  I want to see it again and
again!
 
Intervention--The bit about the characters commenting on the use of lights as a
device to indicate the passage of time right before the lights were brought out
and back up again to indicate the passage of time was pretty darn amusing.  And
the rest was too slow, though the elements of comedy were definitely present.
Pacing, party of three!  Hope to see more.  (I love seeing all these new faces
on stage!)
 
Por Todas Partes, by Los Hermanos Cain--
...and then the Cain Bros came through with the humor.  THAT song keeps
alternating in my head with the others (Take Me Along and Chris' rendition of
the TwilightCul de Sac theme).  This is a classic instance of the "response
piece" genre, which really kicks ass when done well, and acts as a bad sequel
when done poorly.  But these guys know their stuff, and it kicked butt.  For
those who didn't catch the show, this was a rebuttal to Stangl's puking piece
from the week before.  The lyrics, better with music but entertaining even
without, are (as previously noted) on the No Shame web site at www.noshame.org.
 
And lastly, "Fucked," by Chris Okiishi.  Or, as Dan typed it in sans commas or
quotes in the order:   Fucked by Chris Okiishi.  Heh.  I dream of someday being
able to say the word "fucked" the way he did after explaining all three
syllables of a word most thought was much simpler.  Yet another piece that
mixed the comic with the much more serious.  Good stuff.
 
What was the "theme of the night," anyway?  There always seems to be one.  At
the moment, all I see are two pieces with the word "partes" in the title, which
ya gotta admit isn't too common.  But it's funny how sometimes it really does
work out that there'll be a theme night.  Like multiple pieces about
masturbation, three that mention a uterus in one night, stuff like that.
Almost spooky, collective consciousness an' all that.
 
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Sep 16, 1998 10:35 from Thufir
God, it's depressing to read a solid review from someone I trust to a show that
I didn't attend.  Bastards.
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Sep 17, 1998 14:57 from Psychicpajamas
The drag show inside of the Union Bar at 9:00 p.m. will be fabulous, but
the one outside of the Union Bar will be even more so...
Never before have you seen the likes of the famed Drag Queen, Wilma Titzgro...
watch her as she channels the musical talents of David Lee Roth, Barry Manilow
Nikki French and others...  watch her dance, sing, whistle dixie in four part
harmonies through her butt hole...  It's a show not to be missed... it's
guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye, a lump to your throat and possibly even
your trousers.... well, maybe not your trousers...  but she'll bring a lump.
hagrinned by the modern day divas of Drag, and excluded from the Union's show
for her unparallelled baudiness, raunch, and kink, Miss Titzgro will be holding
her show outside of the Union Bar, concurrent with the regularly scheduled
show... watch her shimmy, shake, gyrate and contort as though her body has been
taken over by genuine pagan gods... but be warned, her show is not for the
prude, the blue nosed or the feint of heart... ...or those who are pregnant,
except under the supervision of a doctor. Who knows what the night holds in
store... entertainment... detainment... hand jobs...  :)  Come one and come
all, just remember the way to the egress...
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Sep 17, 1998 16:32 from Lear
wait a minute, drag is guys dressed like women, right?  So why does everyone
keep calling them "her" and "she", etc.
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Sep 17, 1998 17:25 from Rabbit In The Moon
When a man is in drag you call them by the appropriated sex.  Her or She.
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Sep 17, 1998 17:34 from Ender
 
Yes.  And ANY further discussion on that topic can go to a more appropriate
forum.
 
Thanks for announcing the show, Psychicpajamas!
 
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Sep 17, 1998 20:04 from Psychicpajamas
you're welcome, ender... I know you, by the way.
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Sep 17, 1998 20:54 from Thufir
Stalker!
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Sep 17, 1998 23:21 from Katya
This is getting spooky.
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Sep 18, 1998 09:07 from Ender
 
S'ok.  But if I don't arrive at the show tonight--call the police!  :)
 
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Sep 18, 1998 11:28 from Tampico
When did this forum turn into a John Waters movie?
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Sep 18, 1998 11:32 from Ender
 
Gooood question.
 
So, I hope y'all have your talents honed.  'cause it's a full house tonight!
Barring natural disasters or something.  Are there any other shows going on in
the Theatre building tonight that might resent a loud crowd waiting in the
lobby, or are we without competition tonight?
 
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Sep 18, 1998 11:43 from Thufir
Maybe we had better line up on the other side of Theater B.  You know, through
the other door.
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Sep 18, 1998 12:29 from Alethe
I think there is a show that starts teching tonight.  BUt no show in its
run.
 
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Sep 18, 1998 15:32 from Prufrock
I'll be dressed as Divine tonight.
 
Well, maybe.
 
In any case, if you see someone else dressed up like Divine, beat them up cause
it was my idea first.
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Sep 18, 1998 19:52 from Tampico
Prufrock--there is a John Waters marathon on Comedy Central tomorrow night so
in the spirit of it I'd recommend going as Divine.
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Sep 18, 1998 21:10 from Psychicpajamas
is noshame tonight?  where?  someone x me!
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Sep 19, 1998 00:59 from Frogczar
Great night, too bad I had to listen to it instead of watch it. Perhaps, moving
to Maybe due to massive numbers in attendence might be a good thing. But thats
all I can say thats good about Maybe. (is it "Maibe"?)
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Sep 19, 1998 02:07 from Ender
 
Yeah, generally Mabie Theatre is a must on ISCAnic weekend.  Unfortunately, due
to the requirements of other shows, Theatre B was the largest space available
to No Shame this week.  :/
 
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Sep 19, 1998 07:46 from Babbling Wombat
Only thing I have to say about this weeks show, is that a better door needs be
found.  We tried to slip him a tip, we offered him one of our friend's woman,
but he still insisted the theater was full.  A more corruptable door man is
definitely needed...
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Sep 19, 1998 08:05 from Alice From Hell
My party got there early last night...about 9:30 or so.
And we ended up being second in line *heh*
I gotta say it was a damn fine No Shame. Two in a row. I hope it keeps up.
*nods*
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Sep 19, 1998 10:32 from Dan
The order for the evening, 9/18/98:
1) Letters to Mom or The Easiest Way to Save a Dollar by Mike Cassaday and
Aaron Galbraith
2) Two Women by Kelli Rae Powell
3) Chip Returns as Judge, Jury and, Of Course, Executioner by Eric Curtis
4) Skeeter Finds a Job by Nathan Peterson
5) Commercial Number One by Mark, Steve and Kelli Rae
6) We're Told It
                's Fear of Entirely Knowing and That's Why the Theatre Is Empty
by Syniva Whitney
7) Everything I Say Is a Lie, Including This by Mike Rothschild
8) News Broadcast: The Kenneth Starr Report by Mark Hansen
9) I Can't Think of a Good Title Joke That Only Takes a Few Words, So I Usually
Write Long Titles and the Lovely Dan and Mandi Though Are Pretty Good at
Reading Them Anyway and Barely Stumble, Stumble by Mose Hayward
10) Serial by Sommer Austin, Lauren Austin and Mandi Lee
11) Antidisestablishmentarianism: Part Two by Jeremy Wilson and Brook Gibleom
12) The Presidential Dong Goes Ding by Mose Hayward
13) Pussy by Baker McDonald
14) Sometimes I Like to Pretend I'm Erik Estrada by George Anastasiou
15) Lo Odio by Chris Okiishi and Adam Burton
16) The Funnyman Cometh, The Funnyman Goeth by Marvin SMASH Wooten
17) The Finger Song by Ben Schmidt
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Sep 19, 1998 18:45 from Lear
yes, who was the doorman.  He's entirely not corrupted enough.  I had a fresh,
crisp $20 bill and my woman to hand over to him, but the seats were still full.
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Sep 19, 1998 19:03 from Wilsobn
Hello! So, how did everyone like the show last night? I thought it went well!
It was all around funny!
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Sep 20, 1998 16:15 from Thufir
By God, what a great show.  Seriously.  Kudos to everyone who wrote, performed,
showed up, heard about it, anything.  Bravo, the lot of you.
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Sep 20, 1998 16:53 from 
I've got to say I was terribly impressed. That doesn't happen often for me.
On the whole, I think only two kits didn't impress me. That would be damned
fine considering how any went up... Great job to all who wrote and performed.
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Sep 20, 1998 20:21 from Ender
 
Thufir/Greg--I hope you whispered your sentiments very quietly before posting,
just to make sure the skies wouldn't rip asunder at this, your most bold and
encompassing statement of appreciation for a night of No Shame in years.. :)
Yes, it was quite a night!
 
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Sep 20, 1998 20:53 from Wilsobn
Which ones didn't you like?
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Sep 21, 1998 03:45 from Jeff
Adam suggested I let y'all know that anyone who wants they're scripts posted in
the No Shame Web Library need only email NoShTh@aol.com
He also suggested I suggest that it might be a good way for people to see what
they liked about your piece when it comes time for Best of voting.
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Sep 21, 1998 23:44 from Carolyn
Usually when Larry shows up, he either wows the group or bombs big.  (Having
been *in* some of those bombs (Arkansas, Arkansas, I've got a brand new
Sarkansas), I don't feel to bad saying this.)  How did his piece this week go
over?
 
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Sep 22, 1998 09:02 from Ender
 
Well, it cracked ME up, and I was in it.  He really adds something to any
piece...
 
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Sep 22, 1998 11:19 from Thufir
I'll say what I _didn't_ think was absolutely spectacular first, because
someone asked which pieces weren't liked.  (And I'm a negative sort of guy.)
 
2) was pretty average.  A little off beat.  Part of the problem with this piece
was following on the heels of the outstanding piece before it.  My friends and
I did the Wave for 1), we were laughing so hard.  So it's possible I'm not
judging this one accurately.
 
4) was also average.  OK.  Didn't do anything to draw me in.  I was expecting
it to be really bad for some unknown reason, so I was pleasantly surprised that
it didn't suck, at least.
 
8) could have been far more original, IMJO.  Of the three pieces done about the
"Monica-gate" bit, this one was the weakest as far as I was concerned.  Again,
it was OK.
 
10) was the ObSerious piece.  I b'lieve Mandi wrote it; it sounded like an
awful lot like something she would write, right down to the delivery by the two
actresses onstage.  I know it sounds like I'm picking on Mandi, but I'm not.
I'm just picking on her style of piece.  I don't like it, it doesn't amuse me
or teach me or awe me or anything like that.  But that's just my opinion.  This
was probably the only piece of the night that I actually disliked (rare, for
me).
 
13) was just odd.  OK, guy in drag wandering around talking about the pussy.
Um.  Yeah.  Next?
 
There was also the one about the elevator that I can't remember the title or
number to offhand that just wasn't that entertaining or creative.
 
All these negative comments aside, it was still a wonderful night, and even
these pieces I'm criticizing would probably have seemed just fine on an average
night.  Garnets can't help but look diminished in a pile of rubies.  I was in
stitches for a vast portion of the evening.  And I particularly liked George
Anastasiou's piece, which managed to give strong social commentary while being
extremely entertaining.  I'm really starting to like that guy.
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Sep 22, 1998 12:05 from Ender
 
I thought the first piece would have benefited greatly if the letter-writer
hadn't read off that slip of paper at the beginning.  It's a little thing,
really, especially in a venue known for the presence of scripts.  But when
you've only got a little bit to say, and it's direct address to the audience,
it can add a lot to the piece.  Still, very funny.  One of the best lines of
the night:  "Those homeless guys would take a bullet for me...  if I shot 'em."
 
The Skeeter piece--well, I've run into Nathan now and again around town, and I
gotta say, that was a little bit character and a lot real.  And that kind of
bizarreness is morbidly fascinating to me.  (Nathan:  If you're reading this,
ya have to admit you're not the average man-on-the-street...)  So I was both
afraid and entertained, independent of piece content.
 
One problem I'm encountering is that there are so many pieces taking place,
often with titles only somewhat related to content, that sometimes I don't
remember what's what.  Like the elevator piece (which yes, would have seemed
pretty good on a lukewarm night of No Shame but was less impressive this week).
 
The Chewbacca thing was amazing, by the way.
 
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Sep 22, 1998 12:48 from Ender
 
Oh, and re: the piece Chris and I did, yes, I was angry AGAIN.  But hate is
different from pissiness, honest. :)  I had a lot of fun doing that one.  And
although I had my script out there, I only glanced at it once...  Just a touch
more prep time and it would have been superfluous.
 
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Sep 22, 1998 17:39 from Wilsobn
Well,  I thought that the whole night was really good. I liked the elevator
skit. It may not have gone over well with some of the audience, but I thought
it was very funny and very creative, and I thought that the performance was
very well done by freshman considering it was their first time. I also liked
the Skeeter skit, It was very adorable, and I though it was very well done. A
few other favorites were the sex skit on the computer, and the poem read by the
two girls (I don't know their names). It was very well written and performed.
Well, that's about it! I think the whole night went really well!!!
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Sep 22, 1998 22:09 from Ender
 
Yes, I don't hesitate to make allowances for first-time performers, though
sometimes noting the weaknesses of a piece gives insight to the performers
and/or authors.  I'm hoping most of these people keep coming back, and ideally
we all learn in the process (what works, what doesn't, why, how, etc.).
 
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