The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 44: Cole Stratton & Keeping a Major Comedy Festival Alive

Pick of the Day: Pretty Pretty Pony with Tony Hale

We’re Going Into Another “Wormhole” on July 14th

January 27, 2021

chappelle, cole stratton, emmys, festpocalypse, sf sketchfest, stay at home order

The beginning of every year, as far as comedy is concerned, can be celebrated with the venerable SF Sketchfest, one of the biggest, most respected, longest running comedy festivals in the world. It’s three weeks of hundreds of shows and thousands of the best performers in comedy all over San Francisco making for the first big comedy event of the calendar year.

Of course, that can’t happen this year due to COVID-19 and SF Sketchfest co-founder Cole Stratton zooms with TCB’s Jake Kroeger about what to do in place of nearly a month of live in-person shows with one big virtual comedy extravaganza (and fundraiser for SF Sketchfest itself) Festpocalypse. Cole also details how doing improv has adapted to the virtual space as well as “hot” takes on Chappelle getting COVID-19, the CA stay-at-home order being lifted, and the debacle of combining the late night and sketch variety categories with the Emmys.

Oh yeah, we’ll remind you once more: don’t gather in person to watch the Super Bowl. Watching it alone is fine.

Follow Cole @colestratton on Twitter and @strattoncole on IG. Get tickets and more info about SF Sketchfest: Festpocalypse this Sat. Jan. 30th at 5PM PT/8PM ET here.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).
Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

April 13, 2020

News

cole stratton, comedy show, improv comedy, joey greer, live comedy, long form improv, pretty pretty pony, tony hale, vanessa ragland, westside comedy theater

Throughout our tenure, Pretty, Pretty Pony has been one of our favorite improv groups throughout LA’s vast collection of improv teams (we even picked them for one of our annual 100 Best Things in Comedy We Were Witness To in No Particular Order).

Housed at Santa Monica’s Westside Comedy Theater, they were occupying a monthly slot featuring great guest monologists and a razor sharp team of some of the best improvisers around.

That would include:
Chris Alvarado (Comedy Bang! Bang!/Heyday)
Joey Greer (Mission IMPROVable/Bear Supply)
Vanessa Ragland (Pop My Culture Podcast/Ragland & Greer)
Ed Roe (The Best Man/Queen George)
Atul Singh (Mission IMPROVable/Westside Sketch Co.)
Cole Stratton (Pop My Culture Podcast/SF Sketchfest)

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the Westside Comedy Theater to temporarily close its door, but Pretty, Pretty Pony will keep the show going with one fantastic guest, Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), this Fri. Apr. 17th on WCT’s Twitch channel. The show is free to watch, but they’ll be taking donations for the theater via voluntary ticket purchase here.

July 24, 2017

Uncategorized

audible, cole stratton, comedy in the dark, gary anthony williams, improv comedy, live podcast, long form improv, los angeles, santa monica, stephanie courtney, the bat

The Bat has some of the best improvisers around doing an entire show for you shrouded in darkness. It’s a live taping for Audible, but you can be a part of the show and have your suggestions not only dictate the scene, but sound effects as well.

This episode of the show will happen Wednesday, August 2nd at the Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica will feature special guests Stephanie Courtney, Gary Anthony Williams, Tawny Newsome, and Phil Lamarr.

Tickets are $5 and you can (and should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com

June 12, 2016

Uncategorized

armando, atul singh, chris alvarado, cole stratton, comedy show, ed roe, free, improv, james urbaniak, joey greer, june 13, long form improv, santa monica, vanessa ragland, westside comedy theater, what to do

Improv team Pretty, Pretty Pony was and is still one of our favorite things. More details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events as well as open mics and corresponding maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.

« March 2021 »

June 30, 2015

Uncategorized

cole stratton, improv, improvised stand up, matt kirshen, santa monica, set list, westside comedy theater, wormhole

While an unmanned Space X ship exploded recently, we’re just going ahead with jumping into deep space, comedic deep space that is, and headed into other comedic dimensions again with our show/experiment Wormhole.

For those not acquainted, Wormhole takes you through improv that’s based on stand-up that’s based on improv that’s based on improvised stand-up.

Internationally renowned comedian Matt Kirshen, acclaimed improv group Pretty, Pretty Pony, and another special guest will be taking us through the various dimensions/self-referential bits/etc..

Join in Tues. July 14th at 9PM at Westside Comedy Theater $5.