When Ross A. McIntyre was growing up in northern Virginia, his father worked at the Pentagon. His office got all of the ‘X Files’ calls. One guy called their office every day for years, pleading with them to stop sending messages to his brain. The civilians would always answer professionally, saying, “Sorry, sir, we are not sending messages to your brain,” but to no avail. Then one day, a new guy gets the call. He says, “Hold on a second,” and turns to the guy next to him saying, “Hey Al, stop sending messages to this guy’s brain!” He gets back on the phone and tells the caller, “O.K., it’s all taken care of, sir.” And the guy never called back.
It is stories like these that inspire McIntyre, who is a producer, writer and actor for the comedy group, spurn. He has been with the group since its inception in 2001, at a time when everyone badly needed comedy. McIntyre describes spurn as having a specific type of comedy, “Not terribly sophomoric and not especially potty-mouthed humor. And we are not at all above dick jokes.” Spurn gets its name from the brutality of rejection in the world. “One of our slogans is: If you’re happy, you’re not paying attention,” he said.
Spurn is returning to The Peoples Improv Theatre for three Saturday performances, beginning July 7th, at 8 pm. The PIT is an especially good venue for spurn. There are about 50 seats in the house, so the mood is intimate and the audience establishes a rapport with the actors right away. At their last run, back in February, the performances started at 11 pm. “There are different expectations when the show starts at 11,” McIntyre said. “People are coming drunk, which is awesome. And, they sell drinks at the theatre, which is fantastic. Our best crowd is drunk. I would love to hand out shots to people as they walk in.”
They don’t need to worry about the audience not laughing. Spurn is big. Just as iTunes began making video podcasts available, spurn was one of the first comedy groups create episodes in that format. They were a featured podcast on iTunes and, after just over a year, they are closing in on their one millionth download. They have also been the featured video on Veoh and Sony’s Grouper. Their fans are not just New Yorkers. “We’re huge in Singapore,” he said. “It’s remarkable how broad it is.”
Spurn will be taking a break from upcoming podcasts until the fall. They are hard at work on the production values and special effects for the upcoming Twentieth Century Fop episode, pictured above.
The technology provides the perfect audience for spurn. McIntyre said their comedy is very ‘geek friendly.’ The breadth of geek references that cast members possess is very deep. Every once in awhile, they come up with a joke they think might be too obscure for the audience, like a reference to Jem and Holograms—a short-lived cartoon about a woman and her holographic rock band. McIntyre says he’ll take that joke and aim it at the one person who will get it because they will appreciate it enough for the rest of the audience. The obscure joke can be even funnier when audience misses it, he said. “The best reaction is that person barking out laughter and then trying to contain it because they realize that no one else is on the same page as them. It’s a bizarre kind of reward.”
McIntyre says the ensemble labors over every word. Sometimes, what is funny is a mystery until they start performing. The work being performed this month has been audience-tested, except for one piece. “You will know it when you see it,” he said mysteriously. “It is a little like a kick in the gut. There's funny stuff happening, but what ultimately happens to the main character is not funny at all.” Spurn’s philosophy is that the best comedy comes from people’s response to tragedy. “The worse you feel, the greater the potential for comedy,” he says. He describes himself as fairly self-aware and self-deprecating—his pain is as funny as the next guy’s. He’s not shy about making fun of himself. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” he said. “Not everyone is comfortable with finding themselves absurd. I wish people were more open to that. I’m ridiculous in many ways and I can’t deny it if someone points it out. I have to accept that,” he said. “But, I may not be changing, either.”
McIntyre says he has an incredibly abrasive personality, especially when he is acting as the producer of the show. Describing himself as megalomaniacal, hyper-specific and micromanaging, he said, “I can give a shit if people like me. I am very strong willed, very opinionated and also very right. My job is to make the best show possible.”
-Sherry Mazzocchi
spurn
Appearing at The Peoples Improv Theatre
154 West 29th Street
between 6th and 7th Avenues
July 7, 14, and 21 at 8 pm
Visit brownpapertickets.com
Or call: 800.838.3006
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