A new year...a new site... Join us over there!

Plans are underway for the 2013 Seattle International Comedy Competition.  Plenty of places you can keep up with those plans.

The official website is:  www.seattlecomedycompetition.com

For comedians considering applying to compete in this year's event, I'd encourage you to check out:  www.sicc34.blogspot.com for more information on the application process.

And check us out on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/seattlecomedycompetition

THIS site, sicc33.blogspot.com will no longer be updated after this post.

SICC-33: Preliminary Week One-Show One Top 5

SICC-33 Preliminary Week One
Show One:  Naked City Brewery & Taphouse, Seattle
Nightly Top 5 (or 8...)

1)--TIE:  Nate Abshire (Minneapolis, MN)
1)--TIE:  Michael Malone (Los Angeles, CA)
2)  Elliot Maxx (Ballard, WA)
3)--TIE:  Ricarlo Flanagan (Detroit, MI)
3)--TIE:  Justin Leon (Kansas City, MO)
3)--TIE:  Jeremy Whitman (Tacoma, WA)
4)  Brian Boshes (Seattle, WA)
5)  Nigel Larson (Tacoma, WA/Rochester, NY)

L-R:  Rick Kunkler (host), Justin Leon (tie-3rd),  Nate Abshire (tie-1st), Ricarlo Flanagan (tie-3rd),  Michael Malone (tie-1st), Jeremy Whitman (tie-3rd),  Brian Boshes (4th)
NOT PICTURED:  Elliot Maxx (2nd), Nigel Larson (5th)

APPLICATION PERIOD OVER

The application period for the 33rd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition has now passed.  (If you were thinking about applying for this year's event, you should make plans now to apply for next year's event...which will start accepting applications in mid-May of 2013.)

The roster selection process continues with the review of the applications that have come in...and then a series of "Regional Talent Showcases" in Seattle, Tacoma and Portland, to review area talent in person.  (These showcases are by invitation only and are already booked.)  These shows will take place in September, so the official roster announcement will probably not be made until October 1st at the earliest.  

I'd like to thank everyone who has applied for this year's competition.  We definitely have so many talented and worthy performers to consider for so few spots in the actual competition.

Look for updates on the roster selection process on this blog to find out about the upcoming Regional Talent Showcases and eventually who the 32 that will compete in this year's Seattle International Comedy Competition will be...coming soon!

SICC-33 Application Process

1)  Are you eligible?

• Are you at least 21 years of age?
• Were you NOT in last year's competition?

NOTE:  Being eligible is one thing.  Being "ready" is quite another.  Yes, the first round of the competition has participants doing five minute long sets--but, don't see that and think "Oh, I could manage that..."  "Managing it" is not really not the point--we're looking for performers who will be competitive as the competition moves on to rounds of ten minute and then twenty minute long sets.  The competition is designed for those performers comfortable working as a professional feature-level comedian, especially those with the ability to be a headliner/show closer.  If you feel you'd be stretching yourself far beyond your capabilities to get to that point, there's nothing wrong with realizing that you'd be more "ready" for NEXT year's event.

Sorry.  Didn't mean to scare you, just wanted to prevent any unnecessary frustration.  Obligatory warning complete, are you still interested in applying for this year?  Wonderful!  Then, by all means, read on.

2)  Is it time to apply?

• The application process runs from June 1st through September 1st. 
• Applications received after September 1st risk not receiving full consideration, depending on how far along we are with the roster selection process when we do receive such a late application.

NOTE:  We want to get the best possible competition roster.  While we're not going to automatically reject an application that gets to us before June 1st, and unless we've picked our entire roster, we're unlikely to outright reject a top quality application just because we've received it after September 1st—you should know that we do the majority of our roster consideration starting in July and it really heats up in August.  That's when you really want your application in our hands.  By the end of August, we've already made some roster decisions.  No point in waiting until it's too late.  And, if it's getting close to the deadline...or if that deadline has already past…perhaps you should consider making a better impression, by being better prepared, for NEXT year.

3)  What do I need to include in my application?

• Basic information:  Your name, your age, your location, your phone number and your email address
• Brief biography describing your comedy experience
• Video of you performing comedy

NOTE:  Your brief biography shouldn't just be your promotional boilerplate.  All of that generic "This comedian always leaves 'em laughing" stuff--we're not interested in that.  What we're interested in are some basic facts about you.  Things like: how long you've been performing comedy, what are your major comedy career milestones...things like that.  If you have recommendations or references, they are optional but you can certainly include them for our benefit--as long as they know that you've included them in your application…because, we may contact them to discuss your candidacy.

As far as your video goes, we’ll take whatever you send us…whatever you think represents you best...and we will use that to compare you to other applicants.  


That said, we do have some recommendations as to what we're looking to see in your application video.  Obviously, it helps if we can see and hear you clearly.  We recommend clips that are approximately ten minutes long of you performing stand-up comedy for an audience.  Videos shorter than five minutes don't show us what you could actually do in the competition.  Videos showing us your entire two hour long theater headline set...well, the chances of us actually watching ALL of your lengthy video would be slim...so, hopefully you opened strong.  We also recommend that your video, from whenever you start to whenever you finish, is unedited.  This isn't a competition for video editors, after all--and it is harder for us to see what you're really like on stage if you send us a montage of short segments from various performances.    

4)  How do I get my application to you?

• We recommend that you apply by email, linking us to your online-hosted video.  Send your application to pgreyy@gmail.com
• Alternately, you can choose to apply by mail, sending us your video on DVD or VHS.  Mail to Peter Greyy  2816 NW64th St.  Seattle, WA 98107

NOTE:  Please make it clear that this is your application to the Seattle International Comedy Competition.  It should say "Application for the Seattle International Comedy Competition" in the title/subject line of your email or on your envelope if you're applying via mail.  (This is especially important this year, as I am also working on the talent selection process for the San Francisco Comedy Competition.)

5)  Can I audition in person, instead of applying with a video?

• A series of showcase events will be scheduled to allow local and regional performers the chance to be considered for the competition without having to go through the application process.  Space on these showcase events is limited and participation is by invitation only.
• These showcases are meant to supplement our awareness of what these local and regional performers have been doing over the course of their careers.
• Out-of-the-area performers, even if you’d be in the area and would be interested in auditioning in person, are requested to apply via email or mail with a video instead.
• For local and regional performers, you have the option of either applying with video or, if space allows, performing on one of these showcase events.  If you want to be considered for one of the showcase events, make your interest known by emailing pgreyy@gmail.com with "Interested in Seattle Competition Showcase" in the subject line.

6)  Other Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an application fee? 
Not at this time.  (Application fees are becoming the industry standard, however, so there may be application fees in future years.)
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Why do you need to be 21 years of age?
Some shows are held in casinos that deny entry to those under 21, even performers.
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What are my chances of being selected?
In most years, thirty-two comedians will compete in the competition.  Last year, we had over 600 entrants.
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When will I know if I've been selected or rejected?
Some applicants may find out that they've been selected before the application process is over, but most of our applicants will still be under consideration even after the September 1st deadline--and roster selection decisions can last into October.  For that reason, soon after September 1st, I will try to send each applicant a "chance assessment" which candidly informs each candidate of their status in the roster discussion process.  (As a working comedian myself, I know how difficult it is to try to keep your schedule open for an event that you don't know if you're actually going to get an invitation to...so, I'll do my best to keep you as informed as possible.)  The final roster decisions will obviously have to be made before the start of the competition--by then, most applicants will already have known for some time if they're in or out or were still being considered.
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What if I have other questions that aren't answered here?
Feel free to email Director of Talent, Peter Greyy (pgreyy@gmail.com) with any questions you may have and I'll do his best to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Best of luck to everyone considering applying for this year's event!

(The 33rd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition will take place in November 2012.  The competition takes place in venues across Western Washington--and more details about the specifics of this year's event will be posted at a later date.)

SICC-32: FINAL STANDINGS (and new champion!)

32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
FINAL STANDINGS
 
1)  Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
2)  Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
3)  Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
4)  Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)
5)  Mrs Hughes (Pismo Beach)

2011 Seattle International Comedy Competition Champion:  MIKE BALDWIN

 

SICC-32: Finals Week-Night Five Top 5

SICC-32 Finals Week
Night Five: Comedy Underground, Seattle
Nightly Top 5:
1)  Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
2)  Mrs Hughes (Pismo Beach)
3)  Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
4)  Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
5)  Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)

L-R:  Patrick Keane (5th), Mike Baldwin (1st), Rodney Sherwood (4th), Mrs Hughes (2nd), Rick Kunkler (3rd)

 

SICC-32: Finals Week-Night Four Top 5

SICC-32 Finals Week
Night Four: Admiral Theatre, Bremerton
Nightly Top 5:
1)  Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
2)  Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
3)  Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
4)  Mrs Hughes (Pismo Beach)
5)  Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)

L-R:  Patrick Keane (5th), Rodney Sherwood (2nd), Don Frost (kneeling--Host), Mrs Hughes (4th), Rick Kunkler (3rd), Mike Baldwin (1st)

Next Show:  THE FINAL NIGHT OF THE FINALS!!!  A NEW CHAMPION WILL BE CROWNED TONIGHT AT THE COMEDY UNDERGROUND, SEATTLE--SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27th at 8pm!