With a quirky brand of comedy and a disregard for political correctness, the Dependable Felons have been in existence for less than six months. But things are moving fast for the sketch comedy troupe/online tricksters/production company, so much so that the Philadelphia-via-NEPA outfit has booked a pair of shows this weekend at a 300-seat venue, the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre.
The Felons — Matthew Meyer, James Chupka and Bern Podcasy — will stage “The Dependable Felons Present Betwixt Two Mountains” on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10. It will be the first time the trio, which will be joined by James Gallagher, will perform the show. There will be live sketches, pre-recorded videos and Suze as the house band.
“We’re doing a variety show, kind of a throwback to the older type of feel, like sort of the Rat Pack, like the older talk shows like Carson,” says Meyer.
Dan Gallagher will serve as the host of the show.
Meyer, Chupka and Podcasy, who met at the former Bishop O’Reilly High School in Kingston, formed the Dependable Felons in June and placed fourth in the 48 Hour Film Project in Philadelphia, in which contestants are given a storyline and 48 hours to complete a film. Since then, the Dependable Felons have been posting new video skits on their Web site every Wednesday and performing at small venues in Philly. Additionally, they’ve pitched a version of their Web series “Caucasian Asian” — in which a white guy inherits a Chinese restaurant — to the Cartoon Network. Meyer said the cable station liked what it saw and asked the Dependable Felons to retool it as a pilot.
Also in the works is a film, with a Wyoming Valley feel, which is being financed by investors who have also backed “Betwixt Two Mountains,” Meyer says.
Chupka says he “lived all over the place” before moving in with Podcasy’s brother.
“One night over a few drinks, Matthew and I, we started talking about it and we realized we were doing similar stuff,” Chupka says. “We were calling each other out because we had both been burnt in the past. The next thing you know, we’re in Tunkhannock in a trailer park shooting ‘Jerky,’ one of our first films. It just sort of kicked off from there.”
Meyer said there have been positive reactions to the videos from online viewers, especially those in the 18-35 demographic.
“Let’s take a chance, let’s do something different than what people see every day,” he says of the Dependable Felons’ modus operandi. “Some people will look at it and say, ‘That’s weird, that’s wild,’ but we’re not worried about one person here, one person there. We’re just trying to make content that we think is funny.”
w
“The Dependable Felons Present Betwixt Two Mountains,” Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10, doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., Little Theater of Wilkes-Barre (537 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre). Tickets: $8 at door or at dependablefelons.com/thegoods.html. Info: dependablefelons.com
| Tweet | Follow @wkdr |
|
|
