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FoOL... a Brief History
FoOL began in the earliest days of Sacred Fools as "The Sacred Fools Improv Troupe," which did pretty much what it said on the label. The group performed late nights on Fridays, and went through several changes in name, including "Wire Fighting Improv" and "The Geralds" before finally settling on the name "FoOL" in 1999.Here is some information on some of the shows:
Damned Fools/Geralds * Family FoOL * AfterFOOL Special * FoOL SamplesIn 2000, FoOL began adding sketch comedy to their repertoire, and would feature a completely new set of sketches with each show.
In early 2001, FoOL did their first all-sketch show, Hot FoOL Injection, as a full-fledged prime-time Dark Night show. Later in 2001, FoOL dropped improv from their late-night Friday shows as well.
Not long after, FoOL disbanded. Several alumnus of FoOL
went on to create the independent sketch troupe Killjoy.
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LA WEEKLY Director Benjamin Davis’ series of mostly improvised sketches is fun, inventive and charmingly unpolished. The first sketch, "Lickety Split," was a fresh riff on the game-show gag, where the contestants racked up points by delivering any ol’ answer as long as they belted it out. Actors Gerald McClanahan (who wrote the majority of the planned skits), Chris Connor, Noelle Potvin, Marty Yu, Guy Stevenson and Weston Taussig were at times amazingly spontaneous. Not only does Fool Samples take audience suggestions, one particularly brutal exercise was overseen by Stevenson, who would call out "switch" when he didn’t like the direction the improvistes were taking, forcing them to pick a new tack on the spot — as if improv isn’t nerve-wracking enough. The show is rounded out by the delightfully absurd "Board Room," in which Stevenson reams all his incompetent employees in what is the kookiest corporation ever. One and a half thumbs up. - Andrew Lentz |
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