The Masterpiece

The Masterpiece
Years Active	2012
Cast	Jay Byrd Patrick Knisely

The Masterpiece was an improv duo.

Summary

Press Blurb

Their press blurb, taken from a 2012 application to perform at The Hideout Theatre:

Inspired by the lives and/or deaths of Salvador Dali, David Lynch, and Frank Zappa, The Masterpiece creates an organic melange of scenes that are much more than meets the eye/ear. Music functions as a sort of time machine, transporting the characters into parallel universes, creating storylines that are often comically romantic, sometimes poignant, and regularly surreal. The Masterpiece is NOT a montage of disconnected weirdness, but rather a curious theatrical experience with overarching themes of normal life filtered through the strange-colored glasses of Dali, Lynch & Zappa.

"What's Your Deal?"

Their answer to the "What's Your Deal?" question on a 2012 application to perform at The Hideout Theatre:

The Masterpiece takes a tip from TJ & Dave in that we begin our performances before we are even introduced; we don't wait until we arrive onstage, nor do we ask for a suggestion to get us started, we arrive mid-scene. Our shows usually begin with a performance art-like delivery of keyboardist Ammon Taylor to his place upstage center. Patrick Knisely & Jay Byrd take a cue from Ammon's first chord to inspire a few moments of mirroring which turns into a scene, sometimes these scenes are musical, sometimes not. Scenes are edited by a change in the music or a sudden change in character, to a previous scene, or a new one.

We also take a tip from the great Jill Bernard in that every moment need not be comical; what we do can sometimes appear slapstick, but we don't go for the laugh, we let the laughs find us. Of course, we are inspired by the reactions of the audience, the chuckles, the guffaws, the gasps and other utterances, but we are onstage to entertain, not to try to create something the audience has asked for. Regularly we are told our performances are "unexpected," "weird," and "amazing;" we pride ourselves in going the extra mile-and-a-half to change the way an audience sees improv and performance in general.

Media

Videos

• Video of their 4/26/12 show.
• Video of their 9/8/12 show at The Institution Theater.