The Sicks
| The Sicks | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Years Active | 2005-2006 |
| Directed by | |
| Cast | |
| Crew |
|
The Sicks was a sketch troupe, formed of friends from the University of Texas at Austin's Theatre and English departments who wanted to both write and perform their own material, with a focus on more warped and subversive humor and sketches that were often structured more like narrative scenes than traditional sketches. Their name came about after many long and contentious debates on the subject when a friend pointed out them at a concert, "Well...there are SIX of you, right?"
History
Mike D'Alonzo directed their first show run, The Happy Fun-Time Sunshine Comedy Variety Spectacular, which had the following members:
(The Sicks were presented as a group of Mormon orphaned circus children who performed their Brady Bunch style variety show to keep from starving.)
Bob Apthorpe directed their second show run, The Revenge of the Sicks, which had the following members:
- Ben Sterling (Density Lad)
- Jonathan Hunt (Doe Boy)
- Jordan T. Maxwell (Avatar)
- Kacey Samiee (Ms. Conversion)
- Kate Caldwell (The Swallow)
- Lauren Hunt (Gadget Gal)
- Jill Morris (writing only)
(The Sicks were presented as a group of orphaned circus children who had each gained a unique superpower through a random series of unrelated events. The sketches were framed by their quest to find and defeat Kobayashi Maru, the undefeatable foe, a criminal mastermind who allegedly killed their parents and now threatened the world. Mike D'Alonzo and Jeffery Amos alternated guest starring as Maru.)
Their final show run was called "The Sicks Farewell Tour" and ran as a Hideout mainstage show from 4/15/06 to 5/19/06.
The run had the following members:
(The orphaned circus children motif was dropped for this run in favor of the troupe playing exaggerated versions of themselves. Each show in this run featured a rotating revue of brand new sketches, framed by a unique theme each week. Themes included:
- The Tax Evasion Show (4/15/06): The troupe must justify their extravagant expenditures over the past year by using all of them as props and/or costumes in a show. In the end, the troupe is arrested for tax evasion by the ghost of Elliot Ness (guest star Wesley Bain).
- The Lauren Show (4/22/06): Former troupe member and recent New York transplant Lauren Hunt writes a letter to the rest of The Sicks, imagining what kind of sketches they might be performing back home while she's living her dream in the big city, namely writing a screenplay adaptation of Mama's Family.
- The Anniversary Show (4/29/06): The Sicks are honored with the title of Austin Comedy Legends by the Mayor of Austin Comedy (guest star Christopher "Ceej" Allen, based on the sole criterion that they have lasted a year. However, they have let this honor go to their heads and have not written or rehearsed any sketches. The Improv Fairy (also Christopher "Ceej" Allen) arrives and tells them that they can just make everything up.)
- The Day After Cinco De Mayo Show (5/6/06): The Sicks awaken in the aftermath of their own drunken and debauched Cinco de Mayo celebration to discover that a freak meteorological event has created queso hurricanes over the city of Austin so hot that anyone caught in them would be melted into queso. The show ended with the rest of the troupe realizing the bowl of queso they were eating was Jordan, for whom they began to cry and grieve while continuing to eat his remains.
- The Farewell Show (5/19/06): The show opened with a staged funeral for the homemade banner from the troupe's very first show, which devolved into Jeff as the priest lip syncing to Queen's "The Show Must Go On", featured a "greatest hits" collection of sketches from throughout the troupe's run, and concluded with every member of the troupe abandoning Jonathan onstage before he threw open the back curtain in frustration and stormed out of the theatre. The troupe then returned to the stage to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" to dance with the audience.)
Their final show was on 5/19/06, but they also performed a reunion show for The 2010 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.
In lieu of a traditional curtain call, every show ended with the troupe inviting the audience onstage for a dance party.
