Festival's focus shifts to educate

Think you can't be taught how to crack a joke? Some would beg to differ. This weekend, the Carolina Union Activities Board hosted the third consecutive Carolina Comedy Festival. In addition to performances, multiple workshops and seminars led by successful comedians, writers and animators broke down the nuts and bolts of humor. The festival concluded Saturday night with a Memorial Hall performance, "Lewis Black and Friends," which featured Alonzo Bodden, Kathleen Madigan and Black. Though it's difficult to ignore the huge draw of Black and other comedy A-listers, UNC junior Mallory Cash, CUAB's festival chairwoman, said she hoped to put a new spin on this year's events by focusing on the festival's educational element. "We hoped that the shows would become like ads for the seminars," she said. "Learning how to do the skills needed for these careers and being able to get advice from people who have gone through it all is invaluable." Most of the performers led a workshop or a seminar before they took the stage, giving students the opportunity to learn about the processes involved. UNC alumnus Anthony King, returned to lead an improvisational acting workshop Friday afternoon with two other colleagues from the New York City branch of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv troupe, where he serves as creative director. The workshop showed students with varying experience how to control scenes by playing off each others' ideas to create situations that seemed effortlessly funny. "Improv is about building things with the people on stage with you," King said. "If you aren't in sync with the people you're performing with, it all falls apart." Sophomore Abbas Rattani, one of the workshop's 11 participants, said he was impressed by King's advice. "I thought he would tell us how to be funny, but instead, he let us be funny on our own and showed us how to let the humor come out on its own," Rattani said. "I was surprised at how well it worked." The festival also allowed students with stand-up comedy experience the chance to show off their talents and receive feedback. Winners from Thursday's Student Comedy Showdown were given the opportunity to perform in front of audiences at either the Carolina Comedy Club in the Union Cabaret or a sold-out Memorial Hall audience as one of three openers for the festival's capstone event. Sophomore Russell Johnson, junior Keegan de Lancie and Duke senior Damian Denoble opened for Black and company Saturday while juniors Leland Timmons and Katie Keenan served as opening acts for Friday's Cabaret showcase. "It's great that I can get a good feel for my act," Timmons said. "And being able to get big laughs on stage is the greatest feeling." Bodden, Madigan and Black led a question-and-answer session Saturday afternoon covering everything from getting started as an artist to how to handle annoying hecklers at a show. "I sure could have used this when I was in school," said Black, who now is in his fourth year of involvement with the festival. Black also expressed interest in seeing the festival both continue and expand in the coming years. "I'd like to see this evolve into a bigger festival and have rooms all around," he said. "I have more interest in people getting up and spending time with folks like them and learning something useful." Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.