How to Organize a Sketch Comedy Group
A sketch comedy group performs skits that you and the rest of your group write. Before organizing your sketch comedy group, determine your role in it. Would you like to be a writer, or a writer and a performer? Once you figure this out and come up with a few solid ideas for possible sketches, you can start organizing the rest of your group.
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Instructions
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Hold auditions if you do not personally know enough people to start your group. No matter what your city or town, you will be surprised at how many people want to be part of something funny.
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Have your auditioning members read a monologue from a funny movie, or read dialogue back and forth with them from something familiar. The idea is to catch them in their element, to see what it looks like when they are acting naturally.
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Choose which members you like the best. With each one of these, have an honest discussion about what your intentions are for the group, and what role it is that he can play. Will you only need him for sketches every once in a while, or will he be a regular performer? Do not string somebody along if you do not intend to use him much. He most likely has other projects he could work on.
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Locate a nice space for your group. This could be as simple as someone's apartment, but it has to be away from distractions so that everyone could focus.
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Brainstorm. Go around the room and have everybody say an idea for a sketch. Write these down on a piece of paper or a chalkboard until everybody is finished. At the end, choose the best sketch idea based on a consensus of the group members, and start working on it. Let everyone speak if they have an idea, and take it slow so that they all get in to the sketch.
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Read through your sketch. Make sure that you assign roles after you have finished your sketch idea. A read-through will just be a way to start figuring out how the lines will be said. Members may still read from their script, but they should act as close to the real thing as is possible.
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Choose how you want to present your sketch. You may want to perform it live, which means you will have to find a theater that supports comedic sketch groups. If you want to record it and put it on the Internet, find a director who has the equipment you need. You will most likely have to pay her for her services, but many directors offer reasonable rates for short videos.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure you find people who you have good chemistry with, not just those who are funny.
References
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