1st Half: (Pickle)

-A married couple who get turned on by the struggle to get their lube jars open.

-Christian Cuddlers on a trip to Six Flags

-A Saw-like morality test conducted by a guy who had never seen Saw - and who hadn’t really thought through how his test would work.

-A guy introducing his date to his dead mother - who floats in a vat of “life gel” in his bedroom.

-A group of wimpy guys who overcome their sexual problems by watching each other have sex.

2nd Half: (Victorian Tea Party)

-In a land where the poor constantly roll around in their own shit, a Duke (who has never seen his feces because it is immediately taken from him and placed in a gold napkin, which is put on a boat that is sailed out to sea and sunk) must choose a new bride.  While everyone around him tries to sway his opinion, his eventual choice is a shock to them all.

from You-Caught-My-Eyes as Creative Kindling

SINGALONG The Upright Citizens Brigade, an improvisational comedy group that is based at a theater on West 26th Street, has long trolled the Internet for humorous material. So when Anthony King, the artistic director, discovered the Missed Connections listings two years ago, they struck him as the perfect ore from which to create comedy sketches. They took the form of songs: the lyrics, Mr. King explained, are always taken directly from the listings and describe the often strange situations that Craigslist posters find themselves in (one describes a man caught masturbating; another riffs on the romantic possibilities of Guitar Hero). The songs are sometimes performed on stage, and several have been turned into animated videos (like the one at right) by artists at Details.com (available at the comedy group’s Web site, ucbcomedy.com). “Because you don’t have to attach your actual personality, people’s weird sides come out,” Mr. King said of Missed Connections. “They’re just such rich fodder for stuff.”

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I’d like to thank the NY Times for printing such an idiotic quote from me.  When I talk to the press, I like to be really vague and throw around words like “stuff” because I don’t want to sound too smart.  ”Hey reporter!” I often say, “Can you go through your transcript of our 10-minute conversation and only print the stupidest-sounding thing I said?  For instance, if at any point I said something that sounds like a valley girl or a drunk hillbilly might have said it while trying to sound intelligent - PLEASE PRINT ONLY THAT.  Better yet - end your article with it.”

justcraig asked: You were in a dream I had last night, and in it your first name was actually Ali, which was an acronym for something. What was the acronym for, and what does it mean that I had that dream?

Thanks for asking, Craig.  This happens from time to time.

It may come as a surprise to some, but I am 17% Choctaw Indian, which means I am Actually Legally Indian (or A.L.I.).

It’s true!

Every now and then, my Native American spirit slips through the huge dream catcher hanging above my bed and infiltrates the dreams of my brothers.

If I had a peaceful day, you’ll usually find me outside a casino, weaving an intricate blanket for my papoose.

But if I had a stressful day, I usually sneak up behind you in dry leaves without making a sound, then cut off your scalp with a sharp stone and trade it for wampum.

I trust your dream was a pleasant one.

P.S. - If you don’t believe everything I have written here, you are a racist.

halphillips asked: Hey dude. Someone was asking me about improv recently, and I paraphrased something you said: "my working theory is that it is the only artform that allows multiple artists to spontaneously create their art in immediate reaction to each other". His response: "That's not true. What about freeform jazz?" Good point. What's your take?

Freeform jazz is another form of improv.

We play scenes, they play songs.

Same ideals, different instruments.

csingel asked: What's the best thing about doing improv as opposed to more financially lucrative forms of comedy such as stand-up or writing?

I don’t think I would ever argue that improv is “better” than stand-up or writing (or any other form of creation).  But I do think improv is different.

Improv is immediate.  It’s 100% about understanding and exploring how you - your personality, your sense of humor, your point of view, your ideas, your willingness/ability to commit - intersect in the moment with the other people on stage (and, of course, the audience).

It’s also disposable.  Second-guessing and revision are not focused on improving a product, but on improving the creative process itself - how you can connect better the next time.

Those two factors alone make improv incredibly freeing and fun.

But - whether or not you’re being paid to improvise (and let’s state the obvious - only an infintesimally small percentage of all artists (comedy or otherwise) are actually financially compensated for any work in any amount approaching “lucrative”), the basic tenets of improv will help you to be a better artist/comedian in whatever medium you choose.

In other words - you don’t have to be a great improviser to be a great stand-up or writer (or actor).  But being great improviser will help you to be a better stand-up or writer (or actor).