In the era of the smartphone and being horribly bored at work, comedy has largely become a commodity for those that need a laugh right at this very instant. Out of that, Funny or Die, College Humor, and many more online humor content providers have sprouted successfully to fill the need of cubicle dwellers across America and across the world. As a result, live comedy as a viable way of showcasing the art form of stand-up, sketch, improv, etc. has come under massive pressure to change. Many believe the days of the old fashioned comedy club and their two-drink minimum are nearing an end. Yet, this new dynamic in comedy has brought about greater control and responsibility to comedians and producers to build a following on their terms. A perfect example of comedy being done on the individual’s terms (as opposed to what a network thinks the public wants) is The Super Serious Show.
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Super Audience
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Happening every third Thursday of the month at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, CA, producers Joel Mandelkorn, Mandee Johnson, and Betsy Koch along with their league of tech savvy volunteers put on one of the best independent comedy shows in the constantly burgeoning LA comedy scene. To put it into perspective, it’s amazing that people even go to see comedy at a place that isn’t a comedy venue in LA with such well-known venues like the Hollywood Improv and the Comedy Store, (not to mention the plethora of other great entertainment options). It’s even more amazing that they can and do proudly charge $10-$15 and still get a crowd nearing 200 people considering that the majority of indie comedy shows in LA have to be absolutely free in order to have any sort of crowd at all.
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Sarah Silverman
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Every month, a photo studio is transformed into quite the performance space with tightly packed chairs, a gorgeous red curtain draped over a wide stage, and strings of lights carefully arranged to give a respectful indie vibe. One could compare it to watching movies or comedy/music respectively at the Arclight or Largo, both respected LA venues where people come to see art exhibited live in the best possible circumstances. Armies of professional photographers, videographers, sound technicians, stagehands, caterers/food trucks, etc. reinforce this atmosphere. Even the craft beer that’s provided by sponsor Eagle Rock Brewery makes Super Serious stand out of from the hordes of shows that offer free Tecate from 7-11.
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Natasha Leggero
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Their website constantly updates Super Serious followers with loads of proof of the caliber of Super Serious with gorgeous black and white clips of stand-out performances from past shows to unbelievably unique portraits by show producer Mandee Johnson and much more.
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Reggie Watts – Charles In Charge
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Though the high ceilings would normally make an awkward space for comedy, as Todd Glass would probably note, the tightly run show fills it line-ups with some of the best comedy from around the world, making Super Serious a noteworthy exception to this rule. Mandelkorn, Johnson, and Koch always seek out quality whether it’s name is backed by a bunch of TV and movie credits or not.
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Sklar Brothers
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Longtime warm-up act for Conan Jimmy Pardo has hosted as well as the ubiquitous Greg Proops while hilarious acts on their way to distinction in comedy like the Walsh Brothers, James Adomian, Garfunkel and Oates, and more have been featured on the show. The producers actually go out of their way (meaning not just hanging out at comedy clubs) to see performers in the weird nooks and crannies of the LA comedy scene (French restaurants, garages, etc.) to find such innovative acts resulting in a consistently high quality show. This is almost a prerequisite to programming against other live shows with festival worthy line-ups that LA provides on a nightly basis.
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Greg Proops
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Furthering Super Serious even more as a show is their strict adherence to having a variety in the comedy they present. On a given show, one can see stand-up from the inimitable Jon Dore, a completely made from scratch song from the amazing Reggie Watts, sketches from one of LA’s best sketch groups, the Midnight Show, a surprise appearance from Sarah Silverman, as well as an offbeat video about dating etiquette from Moshe Kasher and Brent Weinbach. By the end of the program, the price of admission is often an afterthought to most audience members.
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James Adomian – Dear Diary
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The Super Serious Show just celebrated their one year anniversary to a beyond capacity audience. If you were to hear only audio from the show, the brilliant comedy being performed coupled with the uproarious laughter would suggest that you’re at a massive theater with a huge name or the biggest room at a club. Yet, as said before, it’s put humbly together in photo studio by a dedicated crew of people that love and appreciate the art of comedy, which has brought them the loyal following (that’s willing to pay) that they have. On its own terms, the Super Serious Show, though dealing in the business of funny and making people laugh, has branded itself to live up to its name and will undoubtedly have more anniversaries to celebrate.
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SO Note: Jake Kroeger is a contributing writer to Serial Optimist, Laughspin, a filmmaker and comedian, and also the founder of the super informative site The Comedy Bureau. For more information on the Super Serious Show and schedule check out there website here and follow them on Twitter @SeriousShow.
*All photos courtesy of Rebecca Adler Rotenberg.