The history of sketch comedy a journey through the art and craft of humor

"The History of Sketch Comedy will appeal to all kinds of comedy fans as well as fans of Keegan-Michael Key. With epic personal tangents and hilarious asides, their story takes you on an illuminating look at all facets of comedy from the stock characters of commedia del arte in the 16th century, to...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Key, Keegan-Michael, 1971- (Author), Key, Elle (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2023]
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Summary:"The History of Sketch Comedy will appeal to all kinds of comedy fans as well as fans of Keegan-Michael Key. With epic personal tangents and hilarious asides, their story takes you on an illuminating look at all facets of comedy from the stock characters of commedia del arte in the 16th century, to the rise of vaudeville and burlesque, the golden age of television comedy, the influence of the most well-known comedy schools, and ascension of comedy films and TV specials--all the way through to a look at the future of sketch on social media platforms. Part masterclass, part memoir, and hilariously embellished with priceless commentary, The History of Sketch Comedy illuminates the essential building blocks of sketch comedy while interweaving Key's experiences of personal discovery and influence of his comedy heroes. The text is complemented by original art by Elle Key and exclusive essays compiled from conversations with some of their famous comedy friends and performers who have influenced the development of comedy, such as Jordan Peele, Mel Brooks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, John Oliver, Tracy Morgan, Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, and more"--
Item Description:Includes index.
Physical Description:300 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
ISBN:9781797216836
179721683X
Author Notes:Keegan-Michael Key is an Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning actor, writer, and producer with an extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging talent in both comedy and drama. In the comedy world, Keegan-Michael is perhaps best known for starring alongside Jordan Peele in their multiple-award-winning show Key & Peele . His other credits include leading turns in Apple TV+'s Emmy-nominated Schmigadoon! , playing Meryl Streep's love interest in Netflix's The Prom , his Critic's Choice nominated role in Hulu's Reboot, and starring alongside Timothée Chalamet in the Warner Bros. Pictures' feature Wonka . His voicework in feature animations includes The Lion King, Toy Story 4, and The Super Mario Brothers Movie . He made his Off-Broadway debut in Hamlet with Oscar Isaac, and his Broadway debut in Steve Martin's Meteor Shower with Amy Schumer. Keegan-Michael redefineswhat it means to be a multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film,television, and theater, and his wildly varied and indelible performanceshave won him fans of all ages and backgrounds.



Elle Key is an award-winning film, television, and commercial director, writer, and producer. She was born in the Bronx and spent her early years working off-Broadway with theater companies such as Malaparte, Naked Angels, and the Atlantic. She went on to produce a number of independent feature films (including Nanette Burstein's Sundance award-winning documentary American Teen and August with Josh Hartnett, Adam Scott, Naomi Harris, and David Bowie, and was a second unit producer on Doug Liman's Fair Game with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts). She is the co-president and founder of Bigger Picture Media Group and has been writing and producing for almost a decade with her partner Keegan-Michael Key. She has helmed numerous national commercial campaigns as well as several projects for the NFL, the Pro Bowl, the Peabody Awards, and the Gotham Awards, and she was the first female head writer for The NFL Honors . She was an executive producer on Brain Games for Disney/Nat Geo, as well as an executive producer with James Corden for Game On! for CBS. She is a member of the Creative Coalition and Women in Film, and is on the Leadership Council of RFK Human Rights. In 2022, Elle won the People's Voice Webby Award for Best Writing for her original Audible series The History of Sketch Comedy.