What is sketch comedy? How does it differ from improv comedy or a comedic play? We blended our own experience with a healthy dose of Wikipedia, and here’s what came out:
Sketch comedy has its origins in vaudeville and music hall, where a large number of brief, humorous acts were strung together to form a larger program. In today’s sketch comedy, these acts are short comedy scenes or vignettes, called “sketches”, each one commonly between one and ten minutes long.
Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. Sometimes sketches are first improvised by the actors and written down based on the outcome of these improv sessions. Such improvisation, however, is not always part of developing sketch comedy.
Once the show hits the stage, you see big differences between improv, sketch, and comedic plays. In a comedic play (for example, the Living Black & White shows produced by Pegasus), the actors are contractually bound to stick to the script as written by the playwright. In improv, the very essence of the genre calls for something new and different at every turn. Sketch comedy more closely resembles a comedic play than improv, though depending on the producers, some improvisation may take place during the run of the show.
Historically, sketches in a sketch comedy tended to be unrelated, but more recently, groups have introduced overarching themes that connect the sketches within a particular show, sometimes with recurring characters that return for more than one appearance. (This is true to some extent of The Naughty Bits, though it isn’t a major feature of the production.)
In North America, contemporary sketch comedy has been strongly influenced by the improvisational comedy scene that flourished during the 1960s, largely growing out of The Second City in Chicago and Toronto, and The Committee in San Francisco. Today, notable American stage sketch comedy groups include The Second City, The Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings.
Dallas has a thriving improv and sketch comedy scene, including groups such as:
- Addison Improv Comedy Club
- Backdoor Comedy
- The Band
- ComedySportz Dallas
- Dallas Comedy House
- Four Day Weekend
- Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub
- Pavlov’s Dogs
- Section 8 Comedy
If you’re looking for an evening of laughter, check out one of these talented groups for a blend of improv and sketch comedy!
Better yet, come see The Naughty Bits at The Bath House Cultural Center along White Rock Lake! There are TWO MORE SHOWS, so don’t delay!!
Tickets are available at thenaughtybits.bpt.me and are $25 for general admission. Discounts are available for seniors and students. For more information, call (214) 821-6005 or visit our show page.
