(This is the first in an ongoing series where we will be interviewing some of Seattle’s bright new Sketch Comedy groups that you should be on the look out for when seeking laughs and/or a good time.)
Fresh off a hit run at Seattle’s Open Circle Theater that featured among other things my favorite tape worm sketch ever…and that really does mean something coming from me…
Meet John McKenna of THEM!
How many people are in “THEM!”
A core of three and then we add actors as needed.
What are their names?
Core: John McKenna, Aaron Allshouse, and Ron Sandahl
Other Actors: Deneice Bleha, Ray Tagavilla, Toni Rose, Andy Justus, JenRenee Paulson, Don McEllis
Is there a “THEM!” approach to sketch comedy?
We are a new enough project that we are still figuring out our approach. On the surface it seems like our work is simply horror/scifi based with touches of the profane thrown in, but that’s not really an approach; that’s just where the three writers’ heads are at most of the time. There is a basic philosophy behind the group though. My goal in starting the group was to not rely so much on “comedians” but on “actors”. One of my main criticisms of where sketch is these days is that by and large the acting tends to be shallow and somewhat lazy. I wanted to create a new type of sketch that could have more detailed characters, and more deeply rooted drama, and trust in the quality of the acting enough that it can go for awhile without anything necessarily funny occuring. In my honest opinion, we have not acheived that 100% yet, but I think our MO is still evolving; we have all the components to properly build this monster, and we just need to figure out the proper combination of elements. Then we get the laughs. Then we get the weemen.
How long has the group been around and how did it form?
A little over a year. It formed, quite simply, because I had been out of sketch for a while and wanted ot get back in. It’s my favorite genre. I had been doing plays with Open Circle [cory: a local super cool theater] for several years and essentially blackmailed them into backing it. I said “We can either do a recurring Open Circle sketch project or I quit the company.” Luckily they considered me useful enough to humor me.
Is there an exciting story behind the name of the group? If not do you want to make one up?
I have wanted to call a project “THEM!” since I was about 18. It just has this non-specific menace about it. It seemed appropriate for an ostensibly “dark” sketch group. As far as an interesing story about the name, before Open Circle agreed to produce THEM! I had already settled on the name and was considering doing a one-man sketch project. I had these great images in mind of publicity photos with THEM! in big letters and photos of only one guy.
Where can we see you perform?
Open Circle Theater. Check out octheater.com
What is funny?
Contradictions. People who use “Zeigeist” and “fuckstain” in the same sentence. Pretty girls that fall down. A gorilla with glasses on. Being exTREMly serious. The word “underpants”.
Anything else?
We’re always looking for directors. I ended up directing the last show, which is a baaaaad idea. Very difficult to act and direct at the same time. If you have an interest in directing a future THEM! show, contact johnmckenna23@gmail.com and we can chat.
Thanks John! Next up…QUIET MONKEY FIGHT!
