SAK Comedy Lab
Encyclopedia
SAK Comedy Lab is a 200-seat Improvisational Comedy (Improv) theater in downtown
Orlando, Florida
, listed as "one of Orlando's most popular entertainment venues" by 10Best.com and as a family-friendly show by about.com. SAK was the first theater of actor Wayne Brady
, who has played in several shows since as a guest performer. SAK's regular performers are referred to as the SAK ensemble.
SAK runs an improv training school
, SAK University (SAK U), which features four levels of classes. Graduates of SAK U may someday join the ensemble.
s of three improvisers, one host/ referee
, and a piano player to add music. SAK will often feature a different ten p.m. show that offers a different format other than the standard Duel of Fools.
While Duel of Fools runs continuously, the club also rotates other temporary shows through its repetourie. These have included the 2007 Rub a Dub Dub, a show in which players dub
their own lines over health films and silent movies
. The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare
, directed by David Charles in 2006, was a parody
of Shakespeare's work, in which the performers synthesized a 5 act play from audience suggestions. The show received positive reviews from the Orlando Sentinel
. The players created a Broadway
-style musical in Fourplay: The Improvised Musical, which ran during the summer of 2006. Also in 2006, were You Bet Your Asterisk, an improv game show
, and SAK Request Live.
Seasonal shows at SAK include variations on Duel of Fools, such as Love for Fools (Valentines Day), Yule of Fools (Christmas
), Midnight Halloween
Torture Show, and Mardi Gras
SAK Style.
Other continuous programs include Lab Rats, a show for invited graduates of SAK's improv training school, and Generation S (Gen S), a showcase of the best of Lab Rats and special invitees who are being trained to join the ensemble.
Improv League for schools in the Orlando area. Members of the league train with a player from the SAK enemble during the Fall and compete in a Spring tournament. In the first year, four teams competed: Pine Castle Christian Academy
, Hungerford Preparatory School, Bishop Moore High School
, and Winter Springs High School. In the 2006-2007 year, Pine Castle and Bishop Moore returned, with new members Boone High School
, Florida International Community School, and Winter Park High School.
High School League Champions:
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, listed as "one of Orlando's most popular entertainment venues" by 10Best.com and as a family-friendly show by about.com. SAK was the first theater of actor Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
, who has played in several shows since as a guest performer. SAK's regular performers are referred to as the SAK ensemble.
SAK runs an improv training school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, SAK University (SAK U), which features four levels of classes. Graduates of SAK U may someday join the ensemble.
Shows
SAK's main show is the Duel of Fools. This show features two teamTeam
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
s of three improvisers, one host/ referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
, and a piano player to add music. SAK will often feature a different ten p.m. show that offers a different format other than the standard Duel of Fools.
While Duel of Fools runs continuously, the club also rotates other temporary shows through its repetourie. These have included the 2007 Rub a Dub Dub, a show in which players dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
their own lines over health films and silent movies
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
. The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, directed by David Charles in 2006, was a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Shakespeare's work, in which the performers synthesized a 5 act play from audience suggestions. The show received positive reviews from the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
. The players created a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-style musical in Fourplay: The Improvised Musical, which ran during the summer of 2006. Also in 2006, were You Bet Your Asterisk, an improv game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
, and SAK Request Live.
Seasonal shows at SAK include variations on Duel of Fools, such as Love for Fools (Valentines Day), Yule of Fools (Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
), Midnight Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
Torture Show, and Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
SAK Style.
Other continuous programs include Lab Rats, a show for invited graduates of SAK's improv training school, and Generation S (Gen S), a showcase of the best of Lab Rats and special invitees who are being trained to join the ensemble.
High School League
In the 2005-2006 school year, SAK Comedy Lab began a high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
Improv League for schools in the Orlando area. Members of the league train with a player from the SAK enemble during the Fall and compete in a Spring tournament. In the first year, four teams competed: Pine Castle Christian Academy
Pine Castle Christian Academy
Pine Castle Christian Academy is a small Christian private school founded in Pine Castle, Florida, an area that sits on a border between Belle Isle and Orlando, Florida...
, Hungerford Preparatory School, Bishop Moore High School
Bishop Moore High School
Bishop Moore Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. It remains the only Catholic high school in Greater Orlando. It is located within the Diocese of Orlando. The school was built in 1954 and was named after Bishop John...
, and Winter Springs High School. In the 2006-2007 year, Pine Castle and Bishop Moore returned, with new members Boone High School
William R. Boone High School
William R. Boone High School is a public high school in Orlando, Florida, United States. Built in 1952, the school is one of twenty high schools in the Orange County Public Schools system, created to accommodate the growing number of students at Orlando High School...
, Florida International Community School, and Winter Park High School.
High School League Champions:
| Year | School |
|---|---|
| 2005-2006 | Pine Castle Pine Castle Christian Academy Pine Castle Christian Academy is a small Christian private school founded in Pine Castle, Florida, an area that sits on a border between Belle Isle and Orlando, Florida... |
| 2006-2007 | ICS |
Location
SAK moved in the beginning of 2010 to a new location in downtown Orlando, 29 S. Orange Ave. Orlando FL 32801. Previously it was located at 380 W Amelia Ave, which lead to parking difficulties during events at the Amway Arena.Current Ensemble Members
The SAK professional ensemble plays Thursdays-Saturdays, Their current cast includes:- Stephen Kadwell
- Greg Yates
- Chris Dinger
- Mark Baratelli
- Jim Doyle
- Mike Carr
- Richard Paul
- David Charles
- Charles Frierman
- Darren Vierday
- John Hunter
- Robyn Kelly
- Clark Canine
Further Careers of SAK Performers
Many of SAK's former ensemble members moved on to careers in acting, film, and other performance roles. These include:- Dee Bradley BakerDee Bradley BakerDee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
- Wayne BradyWayne BradyWayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
- Karey KirkpatrickKarey KirkpatrickKarey Kirkpatrick is an American screenwriter and director. His films include James and the Giant Peach, Space Jam, The Iron Giant, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charlotte's Web and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy adaptation. He has also directed the films, Imagine That starring Eddie Murphy as...
- Jonathan MangumJonathan MangumJonathan Mangum is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member of the variety show, The Wayne Brady Show and is an announcer for the game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
- Joel McCrary
- Paula Pell
- Moira QuirkMoira QuirkMoira Shannon Quirk is a British actress, voice actress and sex symbol who was the referee of the Nickelodeon game show Nickelodeon GUTS for four seasons....
- Michael Rayner
- Justine Reiss
- David Russell
- Clare Sera
- Will Sera
- Aaron ShureAaron ShureAaron Shure is a TV writer/producer and two-time Emmy winner. Shure was an executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond for which he won two Emmy awards in the "Outstanding Comedy Series" category...
- Danno Sullivan
- Paul VogtPaul VogtPaul C. Vogt is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as a cast member on the sketch comedy programs MADtv, The Big Gay Sketch Show and The Rerun Show.-Life and career:...
- Peter Vogt
- David Watts
- Matt Young