Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

<b>
Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkel's Absurdist Totally J/K!</b>
By Andrew Krucoff & Ricky Camilleri


joe mande noah garfinkel

This week, we’re bringing you video interviews with some of the biggest and most respected names in New York comedy. While many think of comedy shows as cheesy affairs featuring lame stand-up comics and two-drink minimums, a new crowd of performers are changing the game by hosting their own shows to showcase their own talents as well as those of their friends,... Read More

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The Stepfathers Are Gods of Improv Comedy</b>
By Andrew Krucoff & Ricky Camilleri


The Stepfathers

This week, we’re bringing you video interviews with some of the most respected names in New York comedy. While many think of comedy shows as cheesy affairs featuring lame stand-up comics and two-drink minimums, a new crowd of performers are changing the game by hosting their own shows to showcase their own talents as well as those of their friends, colleagues, and heroes. Today, we... Read More

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The Goofball Comedy of UCB's John Gemberling & Anthony Atamanuik</b>
By Andrew Krucoff & Ricky Camilleri
May 22, 2012


tony and johnny

This week, we’re bringing you video interviews with some of the biggest and most-respected names in New York comedy. While many think of comedy shows as cheesy affairs featuring lame stand-up comics and two-drink minimums, a new crowd of performers are changing the game by hosting their own shows to showcase their own talents as well as those of their... Read More

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Getting Freaky with Matt Besser; Or Why I’ll Never Grind Again</b>
by Dan Casey on May 18, 2012

Dancing has always been a source of controversy in our culture. Whether it was its inability to produce rain, the oh-so-revealing outfits of those jazz-obssessed flappers, Elvis’ hypnotically gyrating hips, or the time it killed all those kids in Footloose, dancing is morality’s Public Enemy Number One.

Veteran improviser and Upright Citizens Brigade co-founder Matt Besser loves dancing,... Read More

Congratulations to UCB's
Craig Rowin,
Sara Schaefer & Amy Rhodes for their Daytime Emmy Nominations!

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES The 39th ANNUAL DAYTIME ENTERTAINMENT EMMY® AWARD NOMINATIONS</b>

Daytime Emmy® Awards will be presented on June 23rd, 2012
At the Beverly Hilton Hotel

Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards Gala
To be held at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown LA on Sunday, June 17, 2012
Executive Producer, Bill Geddie to... Read More

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NBC Schedules Remaining 'Best Friends Forever' Episodes</b>

The final two installments of the Lennon Parham, Jessica St. Clair comedy will air Friday, June 1.
by Lesley Goldberg

Best Friends Forever
NBC
"Best Friends Forever"

A week after being yanked from NBC's schedule, the network has scheduled an airdate to burn off the two remaining episodes of freshman comedy Best Friends Forever.

The final two half-hours will air Friday, June 1 from 8-9 p.m., The Hollywood Reporter... Read More

<b>Join UCB's Matt Walsh For A Live Q&A On HBO Connect</b>


Matt Walsh
Mike McLintock from Veep

A founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, Matt Walsh has appeared in such notable films as The Hangover, Role Models and the upcoming summer comedy Ted. Walsh also recently directed the film, High Road. He's now Vice President Selina Meyer's Director of Communications in the new HBO series Veep. Join him in a
live Q&A at HBO Connect Monday, May 7 at 2pm ET/11am PT. Read More

<b>NBC and The UCB Theater (NYC) 2nd Annual Diversity Scholarship - How To Apply</b>

NBC will offer a scholarship to students with advanced skills in improvisation at The UCB Theater. NBCU will sponsor one student, for a full year of UCB Classes.

A live “Finalists Showcase” will be scheduled in the fall at The UCB Theater for 10 finalists selected by the Artistic Director of the UCB Theatre. The 2012/2013 Diversity Scholar will be selected by both UCB and NBCU executives based on the... Read More

<b>NBC and The UCB Theatre (NYC) 2nd Annual Diversity Scholarship</b>

NBC will offer a scholarship to students with advanced skills in improvisation at The UCB Theatre. NBCU will sponsor one student, for a full year of UCB Classes.

A live “Finalists Showcase” will be scheduled in the fall at The UCB Theatre for 10 finalists selected by the Artistic Director of the UCB Theatre. The 2012/2013 Diversity Scholar will be selected by both UCB and NBCU executives based on the performances at the... Read More

<b>A.V. Club Chicago</b>


Interview
<b>Matt Walsh</b>
by Marah Eakin
April 13, 2012

As one of the founding members of Upright Citizens Brigade, Matt Walsh arguably changed the course of improv comedy, routing it thankfully more toward the absurd than the mundane. After making its name in Chicago in the mid ’90s, the group—which also featured Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and some broad named Amy Poehler—headed east, then west, opening theaters in New York and L.A. that have gone on to produce... Read More

Congratulations to
Kate McKinnon, who was recently added to the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live as a featured player. Kate is a veteran performer at UCBT whose solo shows Disenchanted, Best Actress, and Kate McKinnon On Ice enjoyed runs at our New York City theatre. She has also been a member of various MAUDE Teams.

Kate made her SNL debut in several sketches on this past week's episode including a turn as Penelope Cruz attempting to sell shampoo along side Sophia... Read More

Comedy Central's second annual Comedy Awards nominations have been announced! Congratulations to UCBT co-founder Amy Poehler and UCBT shows and performers Aziz Ansari, Comedy Bang Bang, Rob Delaney, Donald Glover, Anthony Jeselnik, Julie Klausner, The Midnight Show, John Mulaney and Chelsea Peretti on their nominations.

The annual event dedicated to honoring and celebrating the world of comedy will be taped at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday, April 28 and will premiere on... Read More

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‘Parks And Rec’s Katie Dippold Sells Untitled Female Buddy Cop Script To Chernin</b>

EXCLUSIVE: Chernin Entertainment dipped into its discretionary fund to spend mid six figures to option an untitled female buddy cop action comedy written by <b>Katie Dippold</b>, the writer and producer on Parks And Recreation. Dippold most recently sold an untitled comedy for Chernin about babies that break out of daycare. Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark and Jenno Topping were in the middle of this and the... Read More

Congratulations to the UCB Theatre's
Jen Bartels! Jen was cast in the upcoming Fox reboot of the 90s sketch comedy show 'In Living Color'.


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Fox's 'In Living Color' Reboot Rebuilds Cast</b>

EXCLUSIVE: Kali Hawk, who recurs on Fox’s freshman comedy New Girl, has been tapped as a performer on the network’s In Living Color reboot, executive produced by Keenan Ivory Wayans, creator and star of the groundbreaking 1990s original. Also cast in the remake is <b>Jennifer Bartels</b>. They join... Read More

On Sunday, May 20, 2012, The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre will be participating in the annual New York City AIDS Walk. This team will be organized by UCBT's John Milhiser and Ryan Williams

This will be the first year that UCBT will be participating in the walk. UCBT performers, writers, students, employees, friends and hangers-on are invited to take on the challenge of raising funds for the AIDS Walk by asking friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, audiences and teammates to... Read More

Congratulations to UCBT performer and teacher
Margot Leitman (Stripped Stories), who has signed a deal to have her book of stories published with Seal Press. Look for it on your favorite book retailer's shelf in 2013.

From the publisher's description:

Comedian Margot Leitman, a storytelling teacher at the Upright Citizens Brigade, puts tall girls into three categories. There’s the effervescent model-types, who glide from room to room with grace and elegance, whose clothes drape... Read More

Elle April 2012
The Other Woman
by Nojan Aminosharei

The creators and stars of NBC's Best Friends Forever share a love that cannot speak its name -- not if the censors can help it.

Since Lucy met Ethel, TV has spun comedy gold from female partnership. But it's never been so eerily familiar as in NBC's hilarious new Best Friends Forever, about a pair whose sweatpants-and-Steel Magnolias cry-fests are interrupted when one's live-in boyfriend enters the fold. Here, series... Read More

From Jezebel.com:

<b>
Introducing Pam & Sue, Your New Favorite Comedy Duo</b>

You might know
Sue Galloway, one half of the comedic powerhouse Pam and Sue, from her role as Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout on 30 Rock and, if you happen to have access to the UCB Theatre, you might recognize
Pamela Murphy from The C Word, her fantastic and hilarious one-woman show about getting cancer. Or maybe you don't recognize them at all. Either way, they are a delight and you should watch their... Read More

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'Trale Lewous' Is Official Skittles Spokesman Thanks To Viral Videos</b>
Anna Almendrala

LOS ANGELES -- Police detentions, pratfalls, crazy dance sessions and a general sense of shamelessness have paid off rather well for
Nathan J. Barnatt.

The LA-based actor (with the help of his creative partner, director Paul Cummings) has just been selected as Skittles' official spokesman for an ad campaign called "Ride The Rainbow," but Barnatt didn't win the post through auditions or a... Read More

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I Hate Being Single's Rob Michael Hugel Is Your New Favorite Hipster</b>
By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment


Rob Michael Hugel's new web series a
I Hate Being Single is becoming a fast favorite amongst those who have discovered it, and we're here to pass it along to you. Hugel has created the opposite of the MTV brand of hipster caricature portrayed in I Just Want My Pants Back, and manages to cover the H-word nation in a much more refreshing way (yes, it's possible). So sit... Read More