Two Guys From Yonkers

Two Guys From Yonkers
Years Active	2012-Present
Cast	Paul Normandin Bobby Ford

Two Guys from Yonkers is an improv duo composed of Paul Normandin and Bobby Ford.

History

Paul and Bob completed levels 1-6 at The Hideout Theatre in 2011 and it was from that association that Two Guys was born. Paulie and Bobby, two characters with New York accents, first started appearing in class. After graduating, Bob invited Paul to form the duo on October 31, 2011. After several months of rehearsals, TGFY premiered at The Hideout Theatre on January 19th, 2011. The show eventually settled into two guys hanging out at Richies, a small bar in Yonkers, New York. Regular appearances of fringe characters such as Lizzy, Paulies wife (played by Bobby Ford) and Rupesh, a Somatic Therapist (played by Paul Normandin) followed and thus this unique short-form narrative format was born.

After twenty performances as two fellas from New York, the show moved into a new dynamic in May of 2013. As co-owners of a quaint little bed and breakfast in Yonkers, England the two proper Brits spin tails of life , friendship and the value of a good cup of tea. Ironically (or not), the same tag line was used for the New York version of the show but instead of tea the focus was "a good shot of tequila", which their improvisation troupe coach Shana Merlin taught them how to stage drink.

Name

The name is entirely based on the accent. Neither of the performers has ever even visited Yonkers, NY. And as it would turn out, there is no such place as Yonkers, England.

Here is Bobby Ford's explanation of the name's origin:

Paul Normandin and I started playing these two guys with New York accents around level three at The Hideout. The whole thing started when I walked out and called Paul "Paulie" with the accent, which violated the whole "dont call someone by their name" non-rule rule :lol: to which Paul responded in kind with "Bobby", also in accent. We both sat down on some chairs and started to yammer, noticing that our peers seemed to enjoy the banter. These same two guys kept reappearing in later levels so when we got done with Level 6, the idea of "these two guys" evolved into Two Guys From Yonkers. The Yonkers piece, we debate how that name actually happened, really became a way to identify ourselves with a specific community, this in spite of the fact neither one of us had ever been to Yonkers. Our new format has us from Yonkers, England- which does not exist. It appears that "Yonkers" is becoming a fictional place that we can place anywhere, which is fun to play with.

Shows

• FRONTERAFEST Hyde Park (both 2012 & 2013)
• The Hideout Theatre - The Threefer and The Weekender
• Opening act for Parallelogramophonograph (in 2013)
• The Institution Theater in The Triple Scoop
• Coldtowne Theater and their show the Cagematch

Media

Videos

• Video by Paul Normandin of their debut show.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 4/19/12 show.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 5/4/12 performance in The Cagematch.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 6/10/12 performance in The Weekender.
  • Video by Dave Alley that includes the same show.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 10/17/12 performance in The Weekender.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 12/9/12 performance in The Weekender.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 12/23/12 performance at ColdTowne Theater.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their January 2013 performance in FronteraFest.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 2/15/13 performance in PGraph Presents.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 3/3/13 performance in The Weekender.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 4/6/13 performance at The Institution Theater.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 7/28/13 performance at The Institution Theater.
• Video by Paul Normandin of their 10/17/14 show at The Hideout Theatre.

More Information

• Two Guys From Yonkers Facebook Page
• Two Guys From Yonkers debut show
• Paul Normandin's Vimeo channel