1) You were once part of the super group Flaming Box of Stuff. What is it like to go from writing for and with a group to creating a one-man show?

I like to call it “cuttin’ the fat.”

2) Do you think that there is a difference in sketch-comedy styles from region to region?

I think so, yeah. Like, in New York you’ll find more sketches about subways and fashion. Chicago groups only do sketches about hot dogs and pizza. Frankly, it’s the most delicious comedy on the circuit. The LA groups all do cocaine, and I think it really shows in their work. It’s too bad. Seattle groups are always writing sketches about Soundgarden. And Indians. I wrote a sketch called “here Indian, accept this filthy blanket.” It always killed.

3) Imagine you woke up to find a magical, wish-granting fairy on the edge of your bed, and she said, "Dusty, I am going to grant you three wishes, but there are parameters! One wish must relate to your career. One wish must be for a friend/family person. One must be for MEAT." Go.

1) $100
2) For my aunt to be alive. Thanks.
3) Better hair.

4) What do you think the benefits of national sketch-comedy festivals are?

The concept of “paying to perform” had always intrigued me, and these festivals have given me that opportunity.

5) The lyrics "You don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do? ... there must be something inside" could have been written for you. What is the "something inside" that makes you both at peace in the world without substances, and also so ingeniously creative? We know you are blushing right now, Dusty, but seriously.

I heard Joe Rogan does a lot of drugs and stuff … so yeah, don’t wanna be like him.

BONUS QUESTION: What has been one major fun event, cool perk, nice happy accident, that has happened to you or your group because of (or at) a sketch-comedy festival?

I think I aced the first 5 questions—no need for extra credit.

1) Ten West seems like a coordinate. But West of where? And 10 of what units?

No coordinate. Just the westerly directed portion of a freeway that bisects our city, El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles sobre El Rio Porciuncula. Exact geographic coordinates: 34°03'07" N; 118°14'34" W

2) You do a lot of silent mime work in your scenes. Why do you hate words?

3) How did you meet?

Stephen subbed for Jon's 8th grade US history class.

4) How long does it take you to develop a new piece?

Forever. See answer to No. 2.

5) What is the best way to end a sketch?

Pop a balloon.

1) How and when did you guys meet?

Stephen subbed for Jon's 8th Grade US History class in 2001.

2) FEARSOME is big fans of your work, especially "The Coatrack Has Been Drinking" and the "Moon River/Sandwich/Knife" sketch. What, in your opinion, is your worst sketch?

Let's just say that it included an appearance by a live miniature Chihuahua named Josephine.

3) You are a superhero. What are your powers?

We'd have the power to give breaks to all the hard-working, kind-hearted people out there. AND we'd make theater the No. 1 source of entertainment for people instead of TV.

4) Does two-person sketch get lonely?

Sometimes. Masks help.

5) Why 10 West? Why not 405 South?

If we were really smart we would have named ourselves the 101 North. It follows the path of the historic El Camino Real which was built by the Spanish Missionaries to link all the missions, outposts, and presidios found along the California coastline.

1) Is it OK to get aroused by the torsos on your webstore?

Yes, it is perfectly OK. The torsos on our webstore are modeled on those of virtuous Nobel Laureates who are charitable to minorities. They are specially designed for guilt-free arousal.

2) Which member of the troupe is the "cute" one? The "funny" one? The "angry insomniac genius" one? The "president of Uzbekistan" one?

Anne is the "cute" one. The rest of us are men and are, therefore, ruggedly handsome. Paul is the "angry insomniac genius." Jeremy is the "president of Uzbekistan." None of us are "funny." We perform stoic one-act plays depicting issues facing today's youth. Unfortunately, people frequently laugh throughout and have dubbed them "sketch shows."

3) Settle a bet. What is behind that door? Is it tigers? A mudroom?

Have you even considered a glorious combination of both those things?

4) If you look really closely at the crotch of your Free Love Forum thong, it seems to be filled with imaginary vulva. Was that intentional, or a very, very happy accident?

We believe that all vulva are imaginary. The one seen in the Free Love Forum-brand thong is an intentional statement of this belief. Thanks for noticing!

5) You guys are fabulous. What's your secret?

We have spent years ranking every word in the dictionary based on how funny it is. Once you've done that, the rest pretty much falls into place. Just start at the top and work your way down.

1) As I understand it, this year's Chicago SketchFest was the first time the Slow Kids ventured off the Boston University campus in your 11-year history. The praise seemed to be universal, including from me. Now you've got two more festivals to hit this summer (SketchFest NYC and The Best of the Best Sketch Fest in Portland). Is all the love going to your head?

All I can really say is that we are unbelievably excited and honored to be part of these festivals. Just one year ago, we had never even considered stepping out of the Boston area. This has definitely been a year of change for us. And while the love hasn't gone to our heads, we can sure as Hell feel the love.

2) There are many groups out there who met and were involved in college sketch groups and then created another group after graduation (Elephant Larry, Troop!, The 3rd Floor, etc...). The Slow Kids have the distinction of still belonging to the first group; you're all still attending Boston University. And although the cast members rotate as freshmen come in and upperclassmen move on, you seem to have hit upon a very strong combination in the current cast. Are there any plans to continue on after college, maybe under a different name?

The Best of the Best Sketch Fest in Portland will be the last show performed by the current cast of seven. The three Slow Kids who graduated this year are moving to New York in the fall and starting up a new troupe with two other Slow Children at Play graduates; the name of that troupe is super-secret as of now. As for the remaining four, their future is, as of yet, uncertain.

3) You have really beautiful skin, how do you keep it so smooth and soft and glowing and smooth and soft and bronze and smooth?

An erotic blend of Brazilian guava, aloe, and elk sinew, applied once. Only once.

4)OK, walk with me through the winds of imagination, won't you? You are alone in a misty fantasy realm, surrounded by overplayed unicorn sketches and rap finales. Your mother sits nearby laughing about your acne scars while listening to the new album by Wolfmother on her flesh covered iPod knock-off. Who are you looking forward to seeing at SketchFest NYC?

First, let me put down my cup of hazelnut blend, because I really want to use my hands to express myself when I say this: I have three full-time jobs because the goddamn cost of living in this misty fantasy realm is twice that of San Francisco. Twice, Ted. I'm sick of it. Just sick to my stomach. It used to be such a great little place, but ever since TROOP! and MEAT moved out... I don't know, I guess all the zazz went with them. Things would be better if Elephant Larry would turn down that hip funk music he's always playing.

5) So, um, what’s your major and what do you want to be when you grow up?

DAN B: My major is organic chemistry. I've been conducting research in a synthetic organic chemistry laboratory for a year now and after getting my B.A., I plan to pursue a Ph.D., then hopefully be a professor and teach.

And the other Slow Kids?

Two are film/TV students, two philosophy, two international relations. I've never heard anything from any of them about their plans after college, except continuing to pursue comedy in one form or another... I think we've all decided to keep that as part of our lives.

Another 15 or so questions will be answered by the Slow Kids later this month on Sketchcenter.com, the internet home of the SketchFest Nation.

1) Your name is MEAT, in all caps. That makes me think of acronyms. Even though it's not, if MEAT was an acronym, what would it stand for? GO!

Mel (Gibson) Eats Ass Tonight

2) If you had to marry one member of "All American Push Up Party," who would it be… and why?

Dusty; then we could make a hilarious and charming remake of Big Love, called "But Wait! We Don't HAVE to Marry One Man?!"

3) Which one of you is the best kisser? Prove it.

The only way to know the answer to this is if there was a contest... I mean, how would we know otherwise? So let's see, how about you pick someone from your group and we'll kiss them (we should include tongue as mandatory, otherwise it isn't a real contest) and then they can tell us who they think the best kisser is! And then, maybe the "winner" should teach the other girls how to be a better kisser while you watch. How about that? Would that work? Would it? How about we ask your Mom what her son is doing asking questions like this? Hmmm?

4) If you were stranded on an island, and could only bring three of your sketches with you, what would be your top choice?

"The Bookshop" by Monty Python, "That Guy's Taint" from Mr. Show, and "The Soothsayer" by TROOP!. Oh wait, they have to be ours. Christ. Um, "Mr. Knickerbocker," "Shelac" (the Zoltor version), and, for obvious reasons, "Waiting for Pacman."

5) We cool?

As long as you make the producers cast us in your sitcom, yes. We are cool. Oh, and when you return our copy of From Justin to Kelly. It’s been three years, Dusty. Then, then we are cool.

1) First off, give us some sketch-comedy advice. Something you wish you had been told when you first started out. Something you've had to learn the hard way.

Perform, perform, perform. Perform as often as you can, whenever you can, whatever you can. The best way to achieve quality is going through as much quantity as you can. Apparently, the more you do something or "practice" it, the more likely you are to be good at it or "make" it close to "perfect." This has become much clearer in the past year or so, as we've been performing more and more.

2) Now please describe, in detail, the worst Elephant Larry sketch. Perhaps one that has never made the stage. Preferably one that the writer hoped would never be brought up again.

Oof. Well this is Geoff, so rather than hang any of my brethren out to dry I'll go with "Rex King." Rex King is the sketch that, when we are teasing each other about some of the lamest sketches we've done, still makes me uncomfortable and sad to this day.

Rex King was a "character" who spoke in a monotone voice about how numbers were evil and how we didn't need numbers. And how he wanted to punch numbers. Or something. Then he comes back later in the show to relate how much he hated colors and shapes. And finally, in a stirring finale, he mentions briefly how he hates words, and stares down the audience for a minute or so. He inclines his head a couple of times, as if he was speaking. That's it.

I had to look at the script for this thing to remember what it was about exactly. Thanks a lot for making me do that.

3) You've done shows—like The Precinct—that are built around a theme or location. Do you have more place-specific shows in the works? What are the pros and cons of doing shows like this (as opposed to mixed-bag shows of sketches that are not interconnected)?

We MIGHT have another theme show in the works… it's still in the pre-planning stages, but it'd be based on characters in a pre-existing sketch, so at least some of the work is done. Also we'd be performing it on a boat, so that would rule.

We actually did another semi-themed show this past December where we took some old ninja sketches, some old Christmas sketches, wrote some new of each, threw it all together and called it Ninja Christmas. And it was a blast to do…we had a lot of fun and the audience responded to that. A theme just seems to bring a sense of cohesion that makes the show greater than the sum of its parts but also elevates each individual sketch.

Of course, if you have this really great caveman idea and you're doing a robot show, you're just out of luck. For the time being, at least. And that is the only negative: not enough opportunity for caveman humor.

4) What's a Cliff's Notes version of your process from idea to stage?

First, we come up with an idea. More often than not, this happens from us mishearing each other, usually on purpose. Then one or two of us go ahead and write the idea in full. Then it is read to the rest of the group, who laugh or don't laugh based on how funny the sketch is, and give more specific comments and criticisms after that. The authors take it back to shop, work on it, and read it to the group again. This process is repeated until the sketch is deemed done. This list of finished sketches is then democratically, viciously voted on to see what will finally make it into a show. Whoever has the most blood left actually picks the set.

5) If Elephant Larry were Voltron, what would your individual robots look like? And what nefarious (hopefully GIGANTIC) enemy would necessitate you forming into your mega-robot? Also, what would you super-destructo weapon be?

This works out well as we are all cartoon characters anyway! Alex's robot would be a gigantic space-Mac. Jeff's robot would be a gigantic space-ukulele. Stefan's robot would be a gigantic space-electric guitar (differentiated from the ukulele by the fact that it is red and angular and plastic). Chris's robot would be a gigantic space-DVD of Back to the Future. He really likes Back to the Future. My robot would be a gigantic space-baseball. Or spaceball. For some reason I'm compelled to say our nefarious arch enemy would be "Tooth Decay." Failing that, I'd go with Gigantic Joseph McCarthy. We need to make the world safe for communism! And finally, I am pleased to say that Elephant Larry already has a special move, which I'm sure could also double as our super-destructo weapon. That would be the "Trunk Whip." I swear to God it's not what you're thinking.

1) Your origins are in Boston. What are the major differences you've noticed between Boston and LA comedy audiences, in regard to how material plays? Would you say your material has shifted to accommodate these audience differences?

Well, in Boston we met during college: Where students are starving for entertainment. So we could—and DID—put on 3½-hour comedy extravaganzas for a mere $3 door charge. If you watch those shows, you can see that our material still had a bent-surreal edge to it, but leaned more towards parody and the sketches meandered more. Back then we were also on a college-funded budget, which paid for our giant bear costumes, pirate ships, and “pizza get-togethers” (read: keg parties).

Now, as TROOP!, we try to be good about really workshopping the material, being honest about where the fat is that needs to be trimmed, and putting up lean, tight shows while also allowing ourselves to talk too much. Kevin still wants marathon-length shows, but that is also why he will never make a good studio executive or adult in general. Also, we have to skip rent to buy our own bear costume, but…we get to be bears!

2. Can you describe your experience of working with National Lampoon? How did they find out about you? What did you end up doing for them? What was the process of picking sketches to reshoot for them like?

National Lampoon dug our fancy-schmancy press kit and DVD, which earned us a meeting. We sat around a big wooden table and they pitched us their show idea... which we shot just two weeks later. Not So Silent Pictures [Toga TV] is not filmed versions of established TROOP! sketches, but specially-written dialogue we wrote to perform live over old silent movie strips (kind of like MST3k or What's Up, Tiger Lily?). We had six individual heart attacks banging out about 19 pieces of new material and performed them before a live studio audience at LA's M Bar. Then we went to a party and Kato Kaelin was there. Then Bryan was featured on a National Lampoon Spring Break Special where Nikki Ziering said his name whilst topless. Clearly, we have arrived.

3) What was the most exciting show you guys ever performed?

Last year’s SketchFest NYC. It was killer. We had such a good time and were beyond honored to be a part of such a mammoth lineup of Sketch. We’re wicked thrilled to be coming back to this land of big, smart, enthusiastic audiences and one of the most hilariously hardcore Fests in the world.

A runner up for most exciting performance might be the Best of the Fest show at last year’s CanWest Vancouver Comedy Festival…but that was only because the theatre was so huge that we had to use Britney Spears head mics and that made us all feel like sexy-fabulous pop stars dressed like a Soothsayer and a handful of little girls.

4) How would you describe the LA sketch/improv comedy scene? Feel free to make sweeping generalizations.

LA has become a much better place to do comedy over the last few years. For the longest time your only choices for sketch/improv were The Groundlings and ACME (fine choices, but often too elite for grass-roots upstarts). We performed in small theatres and, when invited, the HBO Workspace and Luna Park. After those two places closed down it was a dark time... but then a pretty unique comedy scene started to grow—places like IO West, Garage Comedy at El Cid, the Comedy Central Stage, the McCadden, and the UCB's new LA theatre started popping up—places where there's a definite scene developing with groups knowing each other, going out to see each other, influencing one another’s work. LA is a pretty good time right now... but they still don't have Dunkin Donuts around here.

5) Britt's pretty cute. She single?

Britt is currently engaged to a very patient and wonderful man. However, for the right price, Britt has been known to be very single. That price usually hits around $9.95. So pool your quarters! You are in for a truly mediocre experience!

1) Why sketch comedy? Why not playwriting or standup or accounting?

Sketch comedy is a good format for working as a team. And we're daydreamy and anxious in a way that conflicts with offices/schedules/sitting still.

2) There is a great deal of movement work in your show. Do you come from a dance or movement background? What is it like to prepare for such a physically challenging show?

We each had our first formal dance training in college. Our instructor was incredibly perceptive and personal, and, rather than technique, the training emphasized conditioning and awareness. Since then, dance has felt accessible, exciting, and really appropriate as an element in what we create. We stretch pretty sincerely before every show, which is a ritual I'm appreciating more and more. Makes us slow down and focus.

3) If we paid you $5, would you two make out for us?

Yes, and we would give the money to a food bank.

4) What do you plan to fall back on when sketch comedy (as my dad would say) doesn't "work out"? AND/OR What are your goals as a group, for the future?

If this show tanks and we have a big fight, I'll find some heavy-lifting-type job to make me feel like I'm putting in a good day's work. And if it doesn't tank, I'd like to see us making our living off the show, living in the northwest—which we love—and not having to perform every weekend.

5) What is it that you hope your audience will take away from your show?

We want the audience to leave with a notion like, "Anything is possible." But it's hard to imagine what kind of show would do that for someone.

BONUS QUESTION: What has been one major fun event, cool perk, nice happy accident, that has happened to you or your group because of (or at) a sketch-comedy festival?

We met a bunch of groups that we invited to our own festival. And it went super well.

1) Your troupe is unique in its degree of experience and theatrical training. How do you think this has influenced your work as writers, as performers, and as a working team?

Our experience as individuals and within the comedy world has generally made us our own hardest critics. We all have very strong opinions about what’s good in comedy—writing, performing and film-wise—and so it really keeps us working towards a very high bar. We always know if we can get a laugh out of each other, the audience will be no problem. So basically, it’s made us opinionated jackasses who don’t respect the audience. Be our friends on MySpace!

2) How many incarnations has your troupe gone through? Meaning: How many different sets of performers/writers have you had? Do you maintain a strong family-like history?

The further back you look, the harder it is to really keep track, but [deep breath] here we go…. We started as a sprawling, 17-person sketch troupe/school club based out of NYU Tisch’s Dramatic Writing Department. Over the next year and half, through various additions, subtractions and graduations of both writers and performers, we eventually became an eight-performer, two-director troupe at the prestigious Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, running generally intact for close to two years. Just recently, the group transitioned again, and has downsized to a sleek, shiny, new four-performer, one-director troupe which will actually make its world debut at THIS YEAR’S NYC SKETCHFEST!

3) What kinds of methods do you use to put together sketches or characters? Does one typically develop before the other? Do physicality and language tend to develop together or apart?

We’re all pretty heavily trained improvisers, so a good number of ideas spawn from improv rehearsals we hold weekly. Even more ideas come from the marathon bullshit sessions we hold after rehearsal when we can’t agree where to go get lunch.

4) Would you love to perform sketch-comedy-in-the-round?

No! If the audience can see our backs, they’ll know how we do all our tricks.

5) What can you say you've learned from working in the fields of staged and filmed comedy? Does one speak to you all more strongly? Do you think one is preferable as a creator vs. as an audience member?

One of our former members, DC Pierson, just said this: “Five-minute Internet videos are the new movies.” And as dumb as that sounds, it’s actually pretty true. Audience attention spans are shorter than ever, the industry only consumes ideas in five-minute snippets anyway, and people spend about two hours a day devouring internet crap. As much fun and exhilaration as you get out of doing good live comedy in front of an audience, film is where comedy is at. In two years of running highly successful stage shows at the very popular Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, Hammerkatz still wasn’t able to reach nearly as many people as one week of showing some of our films on CollegeHumor.com [Two of their films here and here]. We even got more hits than a frat dude getting hit in the face with plywood!

1) What would you say the MIPS experience is and how does it fit into "Sketch Comedy"?

To define an "espace-temps" with different levels, as a space which is not any more a place of dialogue on the world but a dialogue on the human, the place where the human exchange with himself, the sound and lighting space appearing as the interface of this dialogue, which specifically has the mission to give shape to this exhibited movable intimacy called performance. Plus fart jokes.

2) Music seems to play a big part in your show. Why is that?

Originally conceived in Columbia in 1968, MiPS is one of the legendary pure psychedelic space jams. Some of the harder-rocking jokes have a fun-house recklessness that recalls aspects of early Pink Floyd and the Velvet Underground at their freakiest; the sedate, exquisitely orchestrated ballads, especially Fart Song and the wonderfully titled Love Song for the Fart, are among the best relics of dreamy psychedelia. Occasionally things get too excessive and self-conscious, and the attempts at comedy are a bit flat, but otherwise they are a near-classic.

3) We hear the two of you are in a hot Seattle band called "Awesome." [Seattle Weekly] What's that about? Does sketch comedy influence that band at all?

"Awesome" is a two-year-old, seven-piece band that we perform with. They (we) have played shows of repute (with Harvey Danger, AC Newman, Reggie Watts) and have created two full-length rock/theater shows and one album. We (they) have some skit vets in the band; ex-Bald Faced Lie and ex-Habit and ex-Flaming Box of Stuff. They (we) often use comedy in our (their) shows to distract audiences from what mediocre musicians they (we) are.

4) You have been described as an ANTI-comedy, comedy duo. What's your beef with comedy?

http://www.danecook.com
http://www.carlosmencia.com
http://www.madtv.com
http://www.timhawkins.net
and so on and so on...

5) If you were to give the members of MEAT punchy or (adjective) nicknames, what would they be?

Biz: Pregnanty
Livia: Pantsuity
Becky: Punchy
Reggan: Pineappley

BONUS QUESTION: What has been one major fun event, cool perk, nice happy accident, that has happened to you or your group because of (or at) a sketch-comedy festival?

This time last year, a few stoners (and Dusty Warren) performing under the name "Flaming Box of Stuff" brought a show to the NYC SketchFest. Some of the folks who steal comedy for the networks saw it and thought they could steal some shit from it, so they strung us along for a while and made us think that we were funnier than we were. You might notice that Flaming Box isn't coming back this year. Pretty funny! However, Dusty is going to be in this year's NYC fest; you should see his solo show. He was always the funny one.