The Knuckleball Now

The Knuckleball Now
Years Active	2005-Present
Cast	Ace Manning Craig Kotfas Deano Jones Michael Joplin Lee Eddy

The Knuckleball Now is an improv troupe that focuses on high-energy montage.

Summary

Press Blurb

This is from the "philosophy" section of their web site:

"The Knuckleball Now is an improv comedy troupe based in Austin... but first and foremost, TKN is a philosophy, an energy and a way of thinking. It's all about having fun with fearless enthusiasm. It's having an unwavering faith in each other, where the brain synapses are in sync, and there is a connection through chaos."

History

The troupe was formed in 2005.

Here is Mike D'Alonzo's explanation of the name's origin:

The second time we ever had a rehearsal for our new troupe, David Modigliani was distracted by the idea that the Boston Red Sox were about to drop their fourth straight game to the New York Yankees in the ACLS, so he asked if we wanted to go and watch the game before rehearsal, and it turned out to be the game that vaulted the Sox back into the series, which they would eventually win, and then go on to break the curse and win the Series. On the mound that night was the greatest knuckleballer of our time, Tim Wakefield, and we were all super impressed.

Cut to a couple days later. We made a list of names for our new troupe, and the only word that appeared on everyone's list was "knuckleball." We knew it was meant to be, but then, we couldn't figure out what to do with it. Modig sort of came up with "The Knuckelball Now" as a double entendre to say 1. this is a weird time we're living in (and it was) and 2. our troupe will be completely different in our approach (which it was). The name stuck, and it gave Craigy an excellent opportunity to do a whole lot of baseball-related promotion, which lasted a few years.

They have appeared in every Out of Bounds Comedy Festival from 2005 to 2014.

In 2014 Lee Eddy, after a long absence, re-joined The Knuckleball Now.

The Knuckleball Now was honored with the Rudy Kloptic Award for Oustanding Improvisational Troupe at the 2017 B. Iden Payne Awards.

Former Members

• David Modigliani (founder)
• Mike D'Alonzo (founder)
• Mike Dolan (founder)

Media

Videos

• Video of their 8/30/08 show at The 2008 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.
• Video of their 6/22/13 show in The 44-Hour Improv Marathon.
• Their 8/31/13 show, part of The 2013 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.
• Video by Dave Alley of their 9/2/13 show at The 2013 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.

Photos

• Photoset by Roy Moore of their 4/10/10 performance in The Saturday Night Special.
• Photoset by Roy Moore of their 4/17/10 performance in The Saturday Night Special.
• Photoset by Peter Rogers of their 5/29/10 performance in The Saturday Night Special.
• Photoset by Roy Moore that includes their 8/21/10 performance at The Saturday Night Special.
• Photoset by Roy Moore that includes their 9/16/10 performance in The Threefer.
• Photoset by Michael Yew that includes their 9/23/10 performance in The Threefer.
• Photoset by Michael Yew that includes their 2/10/11 performance at The Hideout Theatre.
• Photoset by Steve Rogers of their 6/4/11 performance in The 42-Hour Improv Marathon.
• Photoset by Jon Bolden which includes their performance at WaffleFest 2012.
• Photoset by Roy Moore that includes their 11/12/11 show at The Saturday Night Special.
• Photoset by Michael Yew that includes their 1/26/12 performance.
• Photoset by Heidi Rogers that includes their 7/19/13 performance in The Spectacle.
• Photoset by Roy Moore of their 9/1/13 show at The 2013 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.
• Photoset by Claudio Fox that includes their performance in The 2013 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.
• Photoset by Chad Wellington of their 10/18/13 performance in Mister Morbid's Moonlight Movie Mayhem Madness Massacre.
• Photoset by Steve Rogers that includes their 11/22/13 show at WaffleFest 2013.
• Photoset by Chris Curl of their perfromance at The 2014 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.
• Photoset by Chad Wellington of their 10/24/14 show with Mister Morbid.
• Photoset by Steve Rogers that includes their 11/20/14 performance in WaffleFest 2014.
• Photoset by Steve Rogers that includes their 5/1/15 performance in PGraph Presents.
• Photoset by Michael Yew that includes their 9/25/15 performance in "The Indigo Shift Cabaret".

More Information

• The troupe's web site.
• The troupe's facebook page.
• The first forum mention of the troupe.