Author: The Committee Movie

Grateful.

The Committee Movie
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courtesy of The Digger Archives. www.diggers.org

It’s been a week since we presented a five minute sneak-peek of our film to a live audience. It was the first new material that we’ve presented in a while that shows off the depth of the material that we’ve uncovered, in addition to choice interviews, including interviews with Committee co-founder Latifah Taormina and Howard Hesseman. As we have said in the past, we are between production and post-production, editing the material that we have assembled into a rough story, while still looking forward to interviews that are outstanding and crucial to our story.

Since we are not focussed on edits that will be presented to the public online, we can now truly play with our sandbox, including the vast amounts of material that we’ve identified that we will need but for which we have not yet secured the rights. This project has been a joy from day one, but now that we’re getting into the edit, it’s getting really fun, and our subject’s broad, deep appeal is becoming more and more evident.

The clip that we showed at The San Francisco Improv Festival was edited by Jamie Wright as part of an application process that we were in the midst of. The edit focussed on The Committee’s activism and the difference between The Committee and The Second City. We chose material that was super-timely, both to issues in the culture like Black Lives Matter and a certain Presidential candidate’s shameless demonization of immigrants. The edit was edgy (trigger warning!) but well received by our audience. We will continue to shape this story and will show material regularly in the Bay Area and beyond as we identify funding sources and continue to build awareness. To keep posted on our progress, follow us on Facebook or watch this space.

 

Who Says Satire Has a Limited Shelf Life?

The Committee Movie

Forty-Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s refusal, in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, to stand for the National Anthem reminds us of how The Committee depicted a similar instance of non-violent resistance. As spot-on today as it was almost 50 years ago, The Committee’s “Star Spangled Banner” scene is emblematic of their vision of American nationalism, the militarism at the heart of our national identity, and what happens to protesters who won’t stand up and salute the flag. This clip is from 1969’s “A Session with The Committee”, but the scene goes back with the company to 1966 at least.  Featuring Peter Bonerz, Barbara Bosson, Carl Gottlieb, Christopher Ross, Garry Goodrow, Howard Hesseman, Jessica Myerson, and Mel Stewart. #respect #Kaepernick #nationalanthem

Wildly Incandescent Lucidity.

The Committee Movie

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“I was Del’s student in Chicago in 1970, then he cast me in Second City Touring Co, then he directed me in two shows in Minneapolis in an improv theatre there in ’72 and ’73.. Then after 5 years in L.A. ’75-80 (where I worked in a comedy troupe with Julie Payne among others) I returned to Chicago, where I reconnected with him. When he left Second City in the early 70’s to return to The Committee, my boyfriend and I at the time moved into his apartment in Chicago that he shared with his girlfriend George Kingson. Then he stayed with me in Minneapolis for awhile. I caught him in the early 70’s at Second City in a brief moment of wildly incandescent lucidity and from the moment I stepped on stage in his workshops we understood one another. It was a joy for me.” – Rochelle Richelieu Winter

 

Chris Ross’s “What is Humor? – The 33 Points.

The Committee Movie

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The story of The Committee wouldn’t be complete without a look at the life and comedy of the troupe’s youngest performer (and star) – Christopher Ross – who died tragically of a drug overdose at the age of 25 in 1970.

We met Chris’s brother Fred earlier this year and he passed along a small token from Chris’s life that we couldn’t resist sharing with you. It’s a piece of burgeoning comic theory that resonates deeply with us, bringing to mind the time when we were first exposed to -and infatuated by – improv and sketch comedy and when we thought way too much about how comedy works.

Here it is as written. Enjoy:

What is Humor?
The 33 Points…
(Revised Edition)

An Ultimatum
by Christopher Ross

1. Obvious, Simple, Predictable
2. Repetition
3. Deadpan and Understatement
4. Extension of Reality
5. Lunacy, Pointlessness
6. Pain or Cruelty
7. Mistakes, Accidents
8. Failure
9. Afflicted, Deformed
10. Unexpected (Surprise, Shock)
11. Sarcasm
12. Humiliation and Embarrassment
13. Frustration, Aggravation
14. Ignorance or Stupidity
15. Rude, Obnoxious
16. Out of Context
17. Word Play
18. Cliche
19. Pomp, Formality
20. Ethnic
21. Pathos, Poignance
22. Helpless, Hopeless
23. Hysteria
24. Sex
25. Toilet
26. Appearance or Condition (Physical or Otherwise)
27. Facial Expression
28. Movement, Walk, Etc.
29. Reaction, “Takes”
30. Voices, Noises
31. Innate Rhythmic Pacing (Timing)**
32. Recognition, Comparison, Mock
33. Weakness

**#31 may cause some alarm. Disregard if you think it will make it easier.

(Note: I sincerely hope this list will help to clear up any and all disagreements or conflicts and thereby aiding Shtickticians everywhere.)

[Chris Ross image is a still from a home movie, courtesy of Allaudin Mathieu