Hey Cupcakes!
It’s my duty to introduce you to new cultural happenings. Theater is not just Tyler Perry and Last Mama on the Couch plays. If you liked the sketch comedy of Dave Chapelle back in the days or Funny or Die-style parody then you’ll love AMERICAN CANDY. Their next shows are this Thursday January 15 and Friday January 16, 2010, links below.
AMERICAN CANDY is a New York City based sketch comedy troupe that I had the honor of seeing perform a few of times. Last month I invited the show’s creator Hollie Harper to kick off the inaugural night of my monthly reading and performance series Abiola’s Kiss and Tell LIVE with her insane tune, “My P*ssy’s on Fire.” Yeah, they’re crazy like that.
This is a great date idea– and guess what? The team has invited me to perform sketch comedy with them for a couple of shows this spring.
Check out my interview with playwright Hollie Harper…
ABIOLA ABRAMS: Hey love! So proud of you. Give us some background. What is AMERICAN CANDY?
HOLLIE HARPER: AMERICAN CANDY is crackalicious sketch comedy with naughty little songs. We debuted at the Gotham Comedy Club in June 2009. Michael Pauley, artistic director of the Hyperion Theatre Company approached me about starting a new sketch comedy troupe to round out Hyperion’s roster.
ABIOLA: Crackalicious! Who’s involved?
HOLLIE: The troupe consists of 6 writer-directors and about 40 auditioned actors. Produced by me, the Creative Director and Patranila Jefferson. Choreographer, AC Jermyn; Composer, Jeff Joseph Jeudy. Along with me, writers include: Kevin Gilligan, Sherwin Smith, Joyce Turiskylie, Wilkie Cornelius and Keisha Zollar.
HOLLIE: It’s so delicious and nothing goes better together than laughter and love. Our upcoming show looks back at the 80s from a variety of perspectives and many different types of humor. There’s something for everyone. And we sing and dance too!
HOLLIE: The trouble men and women get into is hilarious and universally relatable. We need each other and that’s what gets us into trouble. Rather than pit the girls against the boys, we highlight the shenanigans that happen when love is displace, thwarted, sublimated or repressed. Fun!
ABIOLA: Keep it up, Goddess! What’s the goal for the show? And where can we find you?
ABIOLA: Fabulous! You and Patranila are phenomenal women. Great show. See you there.
