Today we talk to Daniel Finkel of Quiet Monkey Fight (a group I met recently at the SketchFest PUSH event)
How many people are in “Quiet Monkey Fight?”
We have 8 right now.
What are their names, ages, etc?
In alphabetical order: Blythe, Brian, Dan, Jed, Pat, Ryan, Scott, and Shawn. We go from low to high twenties.
QMF started out as an improv group correct?
We did, and that’s still primarily what we are.
What prompted the decision to approach scripted comedy?
I think there is a natural desire to want to keep some of your good scenes and good ideas, rather than letting everything go after you’ve done it. However, we haven’t made the transition yet. So far we’ve just dabbled in sketch.
How long has the group been around and how did it form?
We met in classes at Unexpected Productions. Last March we performed informally at a party, and got such a great reaction from the crowd, and had such a great time, that we decided we should try to do it more frequently. The momentum has just increased since then.
Is there an exciting story behind the name of the group?
It’s from a piece of advice we once received after a scene we did in class. There were two evil masterminds who both had pet monkeys, kind of James Bond style, and at one point the monkeys got in a fight. In our commitment to reality, it got pretty loud, and distracted from some other stuff that was happening on stage. Our teacher, Jay Hitt, told us afterwards that “the monkey fight could have been a little quieter.” It was advice to live by.
Where can we see you perform?
We have a show at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford at 7:30 on November 18th. Also, many of us will be performing on November 16 at the Unexpected Productions class showcase at the Market Theater.
Do you have a website we can plug?
We’re at http://myspace.com/quietmonkeyfight . You can also email us at quietmonkeyfight@gmail.com.
What is funny?
The truth is funny. You can justify that in a more roundabout way by saying that the truth is painful, and suffering is funny.
Anything else?
I think we’re good.
