Kevin McDonald from Kids In The Hall - Squeezing Comedy from Improv

The class begins with Kevin McDonald sharing his process of writing from improv. Then groups of 4 students at a time get up and improvise a scene. When each scene is over, the students and Kevin discuss how to make a sketch scene from the improvised scene that was just done - how to build up the comedy, build on the characters and create a story for this new sketch, they're creating. Then the scene is repeated, as a more prepared comedy sketch. At the end, everyone performs as a big group improv(with everybody), works on it, and then creates an epic comedy sketch from it. Students learn from improvised scenes and discuss how to build the comedy from the improv, build on the characters, and create a story for new scenes.

Date: 2/18/2023 12:00pm -3:00pm

Location: 5700 6th Ave S Suite 109 Seattle. WA 98108

Maximum Students: 16

Cost: $130 ($135.78 including booking fees)

Prerequisite: None

Ages: 18 and above

About the Instructor: Kevin McDonald has written for The Kids in the Hall, The Martin Short Show, and Saturday Night Live. This is his fourth workshop with Unexpected Productions.

He founded The Kids in the Hall with his friend Dave Foley. They met in Toronto at the Second City Training Center, and the two wrote and performed in sketches together more than any other pair in the group. In the troupe's TV show and stage shows, he portrays several favorite recurring characters, such as the King of Empty Promises, Sir Simon Milligan, and Jerry Sizzler. Still, it's a frequent running gag that McDonald is the least popular member and always struggling not to get kicked out.

Since The Kids in the Hall's end in 1994, he's played many roles in movies like Boy Meets Girl, Agent Pleakley in the Lilo & Stitch series, and Harry Potter in Epic Movie. On TV, he has appeared on The Martin Short Show, Ellen (as a radio personality), That '70s Show (as a confused young cleric, Pastor Dave), Seinfeld, Friends, NewsRadio (on which Foley starred), MADtv, Arrested Development, and Corner Gas. McDonald has also done voice work for various animated series, including Invader Zim (in which he did the voice for Almighty Tallest Purple), The Angry Beavers, Catscratch (in which he voiced Waffle), and Clerks: The Animated Series. He also played an imaginary friend named Ivan in the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends episode Sight For Sore Eyes, and appeared in the music video for "Roses" by Outkast.

In 2006, McDonald hosted a CBC Television special, featuring several of Canada's best-known sketch comedy troupes. "Sketch with Kevin McDonald" won a Canadian Comedy Award (Best-Taped Live Performance - The Minnesota Wrecking Crew), with The Imponderables nominated for the same award.

He was recently in Montréal as a part of the Just for Laughs Festival with the reunion of The Kids in the Hall, and also with his show "Hammy and the Kids" with Craig Northey, based on his two dysfunctional families, his father ("Hammy") and The Kids in the Hall.

Host or Publisher Unexpected Productions