Scenes from Mighty Real: A Sketch Variety Show (Left – Hilary Cruz Mejía performs spoken work, Right – A moment from the sketch Bi Sexual Ghost Support Group)
Live sketch variety show puts queer issues front and center with comedy skits and pop song parodies
Our sold out performance of Mighty Real: A Sketch Variety Show on November 5 in San Francisco proves exactly what I envisioned when this project started seven months ago: the market is hungry for our style of live, modern, scripted sketch comedy with a variety show twist.
The Black and Brown female-led ensemble of actors and writers performed in short vignettes of sketch comedy, spoken word, and pop song parodies with themes including the value of self identity, our complicated relationship with being Amazon Prime members, and spectrophilia (yes, it’s worth the Google search).
Scenes from Mighty Real: A Sketch Variety Show (Left – A reaction during the sketch Queer Pride, Right – Emcee Tony Taylor introduces the show.)
As executive producer, 2022’s Mighty Real gripped me more than the past ItsQwere events because the stakes were much higher. With previous Mighty Reals like A Live Musiq Event (2018) and Black Voices In Conversation (2021), talent showed up day-of the show and performed their act.
This year, actors had actual lines to learn, blocking to remember, quick changes to scurry off for. There were costumes to consider, lighting cues to block, sound clips to time, sketch writing workshops, virtual previews with distributed audiences, media interview preparation, last-minute shifts in casting and staffing… this production was a marathon, hunty, and I’d call it a victory.
How energizing on show night to receive real-time, in-person feedback through laughter and applause after months of remote and asynchronous preparation. From the beginning the goal was to deliver a uniquely hilarious, melanated variety show that made everyone in the space feel fully authentic, free to laugh out loud.
The sketch variety team’s got the tea and it’s hot. Photo by Kayla Murkison
Not only did y’all buy up all the available tickets and sold out the venue, but a group of y’all even watched from the entrance once there were too few seats left after the show started. Thank you for proving that there’s “standing room only” for this concept.
Leading up to the show, the only reactions we heard were through the brave few who unmuted during virtual previews (bless each of you). Thanks to everyone who attended and participated during our workshop phase, and provided feedback along the way.
None of the brilliant production would have been possible without the talented folks behind the scenes and on stage, including Dom Gélin, Dara M Wilson, Karlina Covington, Dana James, Krystina Wray Jackson, Ashley Jaye, Hilary Cruz Mejia, Tisa Peyton, Sampson McCormick, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Gardenia Zuniga, Aaron Gonzalez, Kayla Murkison, Josh Silverman, Matthew Paul Robinson, and DnK Customs LA. Your expertise is the essence of magic – thank you.
The sketch variety team takes a break from rehearsal to strike a pose. Photo by Kayla Murkison
The media outlets who expressed interest through coverage – San Francisco Examiner, Out in the Bay, KRON4 Live in the Bay, Local News Matters, KAWL Public Media, ABC7 Bay Area – thanks for seeing us.
Mighty Real by ItsQwere is an annual, one-night-only event with a new theme each year, but 2022’s sketch variety concept has given the moniker a breath of fresh air. Ideas are brewing and there’s more laughs to come from ItsQwere. We hope you’ll stay tuned…