Following sold-out performances at Carolines in September and October, adult sketch comedy troupe FUCT (www.fuctnyc.com), has been invited to perform at both the New York Comedy Festival, 11/5 at 7PM, and LA Comedy Festival, 11/14 & 11/15 at 9:30PM, 11/16 at 8:30PM. Winners of the 2008 SkitSkat Comedy Festival, FUCT will also be at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival 11/21 and the Charleston Comedy Festival in January of 2009.
The Fordham Underground Comedy Troupe started out in the spring of 2002 with the idea of putting together an improv group to perform at the end of the semester as a comic release for students studying for final exams. They put on their first "official" show illegally at midnight in the black box theatre with a curtain, microphone and a keg, which they snuck in for the audience. By the following fall, rumors of the show had quickly spread and the second show was another smash hit, leaving no sitting or standing room except onstage with the performers.
Having added a band and slightly tweaked the show, by 2004, FUCT went outside of Fordham with their first performance at the Rattlestick Theatre where they began to amass an avid fan base in New York City. FUCT is now seven years in the making and eight members strong, featuring Sarah Bell, Jon Crane, Joe Galan, Tommy Galan, Brian Gillespie, Ian Lassiter, Janio Marrero, and Graham Skipper--with countless performances under their belt at venues including the Broadway Comedy Club and The Cherry Lane Theatre where they have been performing sold-out runs for the last three years. Jon Crane, FUCT co-founder added, "In college, we created a unique show that elicited excitement and astonishment at what we would do on stage. Over the years, we've not only improved at challenging people's boundaries, but we've also helped our audience findways to laugh at them." Recently, fan Edward Albee (Pulitzer and Tony award winner) said, "The funny stuff is really good and even the junk is funny. There's a great deal of male frontal nudity in the show. The previous remarks apply."
In between sketch comedy performances, the show features games, stunts, music, audience participation and a live rock band. One of the most noteworthy (and memorable) acts is the Wheel of Torture whereby audience members are invited to spin the wheel and then perform whatever torturous act the wheel lands on upon the cast (stun gun, heartstopper, nun ruler, cat o' nine tails, hot wax, rat trap, paintball gun). "Stunts aside, the sketches prove the troupe's comedic tone is one to watch—and with each new show comes brand new sketches. I've seen the show twice and the mix of wildly eclectic scenes have constantly struck me as smart, shocking and ultimately uproarious" queersighted.com. Tony Award Winning Producer of In the Heights and Producer of FUCT Mike Skipper adds "What I like about FUCT is that it's a brand new genre of comedy--it's something that has never been done before. I think the New York Comedy Festival will be a breakout event!"
