Every Wednesday E.L. Wisty writes about the local comedy scene.
Start Strong: Say hello to Rory Scovel:
Who the hell is Rory Scovel, you ask? He’s a stand-up comedian in DC’s burgeoning comedy scene.
Yeah, I know: some comedians on the local scene are just plain awful–so awful that within seconds of hearing their first joke you wanna gut them and wear their entrails around your neck like a scarf.
Rory’s not one of them. He’s arguably the most talented and versatile comedian in DC: a stand-up who plays to the highest intelligence in the room, Rory can effortlessly follow the comedic themes he chooses to their logical (and hilarious) conclusions. He doesn’t have a hack bone in his body, and his ability to be truly in the moment-to, say, abandon his entire setlist to spend 20 minutes mining an audience member’s throwaway comment for all its comic potential-is legendary. It’s no accident that, in addition to being an exceptional stand-up, he excels at improvisational comedy, and was a mainstay in many Washington Improv Theater troupes.
Now: say goodbye to Rory Scovel.
Why? Rumor has it that he’s pulling up stakes and heading permanently to NYC, where the people ride in a hole-in-the-ground, where there’s apparently some sort of symbiotic “make-it there/make-it-anywhere” relationship, and where apartment hunting is a contact sport.
Unfortunately, this is becoming all-too-common: DC comedian builds a following, realizes that the market isn’t big enough to take him or her to the next level, gets a one-way ticket on the Chinatown bus. It started a little over a year ago when local favorite Erin Conroy decided that DC wasn’t where its at. Since then, a number of very talented local comics have apparently followed (or are planning to follow) suit: Ryan Conner. Rory. Frank Hong. Justin Schlegel. And word is that Danny Rouhier is also planning a trip up the I-95 black hole. One wonders how long other local talents like Chris White, who runs dcstandup.com, and Erik Myers, who’s already established himself as one of the funniest stand-ups on the East Coast, can hold out.
Of course, one also wonders about the talent pool they’ll be jumping out of. Nature abhors a vacuum and, while their talents will certainly be missed, the comedians remaining in DC won’t lament the slots made available by their absence-hey, stage time is stage time. Which means it will take some time before another group of comedians like the group that’s leaving finds its collective voice–and then discovers that voice will probably be better served in NYC. Until then, we’ll be forced to wade through too many open-mikers, some of whom, in all honesty, should be encased in blister packs and sold in sex shops.
Big Finish: One person who didn’t go the NYC route is Dawan Owens. Following either Horace Greeley’s or the Village People’s advice (or the advice of the Pet Shop Boys via the Village People), Dawan went West, lighting out for Los Angeles a few months ago. The Baltimore native and DC Improv favorite has already made good: he can now be seen on season two of Spike TV’s Pros Vs. Joes, a reality TV show that pits way-past-their-prime professional athletes such as Jose Canseco and Dominique Wilkens against average Joes in head-to-head competition. Not a comedy gig, but at least he’s getting exposure. And getting paid.
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Big Head DC hears that comedian Kathy Griffin, currently on tour, is complaining that porn star Jenna Jameson upstaged her during her recent visit to Washington. The two ladies visited Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital on the same day, but the troops tended to want to ogle Jameson much more so than goof off with the funny lady. In fact, several vets were overheard asking, “Who’s Kathy Griffin,” despite her recent Emmy win. Apparently, they don’t get BRAVO in Iraq.
An intrepid tipster informs Big Head DC that Dave Chappelle just couldn’t settle down during the wee hours of this morning. The tired comedian was spotted all over Georgetown — first grabbing a late Thursday night dinner at Johnny Rockets, then swinging by a midnight screening of Jackie Chan’s tiresome Rush Hour 3. After the show, he finally picked up a car from the Four Seasons driving in the direction of upper Northwest after 2 a.m.
So it’s 2007 and some people are still debating whether women are funny. Well, DC’s only all-female, all-local comedy showcase plans to put that issue to bed, tuck it in, and sing it a final lullaby when “Broad-Minded Comedy” premieres on Wednesday, June 20 at Riot Act Comedy Club.