HBO sketch comedy created by an array of black women
After its first episode that premiered last Saturday, Aug. 3, HBO GO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show airs its second episode tomorrow, Aug. 10, from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Created, written and directed by an array of black women who also star in it, the show is a narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests (Angela Bassette in the first episode as the Baddest B—h).
Laugh-out-loud funny and not afraid to be controversial, the dark comedy touches on such culturally relevant themes as social norms, anxiety, religion, sex, dating and relationships. Each episode consists of five to six sketches showcasing the comedic talents of Robin Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, Gabrielle Dennis and Quinta Brunson playing varied characters as well as hyper version of themselves stuck in a house during an end-of-the-world event.
Directed by Dime Davis, tomorrow’s episode titled Your Boss Knows You Don’t Have
Eyebrows, Ashley’s co-stars uncover a shocking truth about her nighttime ritual.
A Black Lady Sketch Show is one of the four new HBO shows discussed at a recent junket at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The three others are His Dark Materials, The
Righteous Gemstones, and Watchmen (more on them in future issues).
Excerpts from Black Lady Sketch’s Thede and Davis:
How do you think your family, friends and relatives will react to the show?
Thede: I grew up pretty religious, in-charge of the church every week. My mom knows that the show is a bit crazy so I just tell her, “Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell any of your friends from church to watch the show!” Hahaha!!! I bet that if they do, they won’t talk to me anymore and I’m fine with that. Why, is the show offensive?
Thede: I don’t think so, honestly. I think it’s a confusing show. I think that once people watch it, they will realize how these people are flawed but they are all believers. They may be greedy, they may have these normal human flaws, but they are doing their best. I kind of like them. I don’t think the viewers will be offended by it.
Davis: I think the tagline of the show seems kind of shocking at first and some people may be pissed off. But if they watch the show, I have a feeling that they will be pleasantly surprised by how funny it is. The good thing about the cast is that when they make fun of something, they don’t make fun of just one thing but about everything. The joke is not pointed, and not mean at all. It’s pure humor.
Thede: There is a lot of, you know, “You’re with me or against me, what you believe in or
what I believe in.” I think the thing is not what we don’t agree on but where we can relate to one another. You can have your beliefs and I have my beliefs. It might seem like a divisive thing but actually it’s not.
Davis: It will make people curious and that’s the tricky part of it. Yes, Robin is right… They will see that it’s actually connective and not divisive at all.
Do you stick to the script or do you improvise?
Thede: There’s a lot of room for improvisation. The script is absolutely fully realized. A lot of times we just do it the way it’s written but we do improvisations here and there. Ours is, I think, the best working environment on earth. It’s a very playful environment.
Davis: It’s an environment of fun and creativity. The cast has freedom to have their input and to try whatever they think is good for the show. But that doesn’t mean that they just let things go. They are very diligent about what they want, to the point of doing it again and again until they get what they really want. Some people in the cast want to stick to the script and some love to improvise. The cast is so freaky talented and wildly kind.
Thede: I assure you that people will be laughing and maybe in some parts they will
want to cry.
What’s your take on the impression that it’s harder to make people laugh than to make people cry, and yet comedians don’t usually get awards for that?
Thede: I always believe that if you are a truly funny actor, usually…I’m not saying always… that’s rooted in some kind of pain that goes back to your childhood. If you are a deeply funny actor, you are also a deeply, good dramatic actor. Crying is real and being an idiot is real. I think the scale is pretty even.
Davis: I agree in what you’re saying in terms of people who get so loud about actors who can bring out deeply intimate like scary emotions to the moment. There are people who can do it authentically and there are people who don’t. Sometimes, you see it and you think, “Oh, that’s manufactured!”
In my view, you can watch something and say, “Oh, that’s impressive!” but sometimes you watch something and it just sit in your body. I think it happens in both comedy and drama if the actor is tapped into that moment. Trying to be funny is never gonna funny. Playing the real moment is what makes it funny. (For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)