Mostly Water Theatre
Encyclopedia
Mostly Water Theatre is a Canadian Comedy Award nominated, Edmonton
-based Canadian sketch comedy
group formed in 2005, consisting of comedians Craig Buchert, Jason Ludwig, Matt Stanton, Sam Varteniuk, and Trent Wilkie.
, performing in a company called Soiled Sheets Productions. Meanwhile, Sam Varteniuk and Trent Wilkie were performing around Edmonton (along with Elizabeth Ludwig, Corey Taylor and Amy Neufeld) as Mostly Water Theatre (MWT). In 2005, the two pairs met in Edmonton, as suggested by Elizabeth Ludwig, and began performing regularly as MWT along with Jason Ludwig, who shoots and edits all the digital shorts.
Since then, they have produced several original sketch shows and three plays: “I’m Sticking with Kiefer”, "15 Minutes", and "Gargamel" . "Kiefer" and sketch show “1UP” were honored by SEE Magazine
as two of the Best Plays of 2008.
“Grand Theft Auto for Intellivision”, a digital short from “1UP”, received recognition from the creators of Intellivision
.
In January 2011, their spoof of TLC
's programming was featured prominently on The Huffington Post
, AOL
and Funny or Die
.
MWT hosts a variety show – Live at the Roxy! – as well as a bi-monthly showcase of digital shorts for local filmmakers – Metro Digital Shorts.
All members of MWT write for CBC’s The Irrelevant Show
.
. Their skit, the “Jane Austen Drinking Game” was a major hit on the show and was described as “a great combination of smart and precise and well-observed, as well as just being loud and foolish.”
MWT also performed their love song about a couple living on opposite sides of a city straddling the Alberta
-Saskatchewan
border called Lloydminster
.
In 2009, MWT was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for their Irrelevant Show skit called “Witch Smoke.”
in Edmonton, the show mixes musical performances, interviews, games, and digital shorts. Past guests include NDP MP Linda Duncan
, Mayor of Edmonton Stephen Mandel
, and the CBC Radio’s Peter Brown.
Regular features of the variety show included “Name the 80s Sitcom”, “Plunko”, and a closing musical number performed by MWT.
For the 2010-2011 season of Live @ the Roxy, the show was changed to a more Saturday Night Live
format with a guest host, musical guest, and news segment mixed in with live and video sketches.
in Edmonton, adjudicated by three celebrity judges, and voted on by the audience. The winner of the evening receives a cash prize and the winner of the season receives a grand prize (in 2009, two tickets anywhere WestJet
flies.)
Past judges include Dana Andersen
, Peter Brown, Dave Clarke
, and Davina Stewart.
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2009.
"Witch Smoke" written by Matt Stanton,
performed by Mark Meer and Marianne Copithorne.
April 24, 2010
December 19, 2009
October 24, 2009
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
-based Canadian sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
group formed in 2005, consisting of comedians Craig Buchert, Jason Ludwig, Matt Stanton, Sam Varteniuk, and Trent Wilkie.
History
Before the troupe formed, Craig Buchert and Matt Stanton were working together doing shows at the Edmonton International Fringe FestivalEdmonton International Fringe Festival
The Edmonton International Fringe Festival produced by the Fringe Theatre Adventures is an annual event held every August in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada....
, performing in a company called Soiled Sheets Productions. Meanwhile, Sam Varteniuk and Trent Wilkie were performing around Edmonton (along with Elizabeth Ludwig, Corey Taylor and Amy Neufeld) as Mostly Water Theatre (MWT). In 2005, the two pairs met in Edmonton, as suggested by Elizabeth Ludwig, and began performing regularly as MWT along with Jason Ludwig, who shoots and edits all the digital shorts.
Since then, they have produced several original sketch shows and three plays: “I’m Sticking with Kiefer”, "15 Minutes", and "Gargamel" . "Kiefer" and sketch show “1UP” were honored by SEE Magazine
SEE Magazine
See Magazine was a free alternative weekly published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was published every Thursday, distributing an average of 20,849 copies each week at more than 1,250 locations including street boxes, libraries, and local retail stores....
as two of the Best Plays of 2008.
“Grand Theft Auto for Intellivision”, a digital short from “1UP”, received recognition from the creators of Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
.
In January 2011, their spoof of TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
's programming was featured prominently on The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
and Funny or Die
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates...
.
MWT hosts a variety show – Live at the Roxy! – as well as a bi-monthly showcase of digital shorts for local filmmakers – Metro Digital Shorts.
All members of MWT write for CBC’s The Irrelevant Show
The Irrelevant Show
The Irrelevant Show is a half-hour radio sketch comedy show airing on CBC Radio One.-Broadcast history:The show initially broadcast Saturday afternoons during the third hour of Definitely Not the Opera starting in 2003...
.
The Irrelevant Show
Mostly Water writes for nationally broadcast The Irrelevant Show on CBC Radio OneCBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
. Their skit, the “Jane Austen Drinking Game” was a major hit on the show and was described as “a great combination of smart and precise and well-observed, as well as just being loud and foolish.”
MWT also performed their love song about a couple living on opposite sides of a city straddling the Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
-Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
border called Lloydminster
Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan...
.
In 2009, MWT was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for their Irrelevant Show skit called “Witch Smoke.”
Mostly Water Live at the Roxy
MWT started producing a set of live variety shows in 2009 called Mostly Water Live at the Roxy. Performed at The Roxy TheatreThe Roxy Theatre
The Roxy Theatre is a famous nightclub, on the Sunset Strip, in West Hollywood, California. The Roxy is owned by Lou Adler and Adler's son, Nic, who operates the club.- History :...
in Edmonton, the show mixes musical performances, interviews, games, and digital shorts. Past guests include NDP MP Linda Duncan
Linda Duncan
Linda Francis Duncan is a Canadian lawyer and politician, currently serving as a Member of Parliament for the riding of Edmonton—Strathcona in Alberta. She is a member of the New Democratic Party and, since 2008, she has been the only MP from an Alberta riding not a member of the Conservative Party...
, Mayor of Edmonton Stephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel is a Canadian politician and the current mayor of Edmonton, Alberta.-Biography:Mandel received an Associate of Arts Degree from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Miami University, and his Masters in Political Science from...
, and the CBC Radio’s Peter Brown.
Regular features of the variety show included “Name the 80s Sitcom”, “Plunko”, and a closing musical number performed by MWT.
For the 2010-2011 season of Live @ the Roxy, the show was changed to a more Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
format with a guest host, musical guest, and news segment mixed in with live and video sketches.
Metro Digital Shorts
MWT produces a bi-monthly showcase for local filmmakers called Metro Digital Shorts. Filmmakers are asked to submit five-minute digital shorts which are then shown at Metro CinemaMetro Cinema
thumb|Metro Cinema c.2005Metro BIG Cinema is an Art Deco Heritage grade IIA multiplex Movie theater in Mumbai, India built in 1938. It was built and originally run by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , the Hollywood studio. The main architect of the cinema was Thomas W. Lamb of New York, and D. W...
in Edmonton, adjudicated by three celebrity judges, and voted on by the audience. The winner of the evening receives a cash prize and the winner of the season receives a grand prize (in 2009, two tickets anywhere WestJet
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
flies.)
Past judges include Dana Andersen
Dana Andersen
Dana Andersen is an Edmonton-based actor, improvisor, filmmaker, writer and director. He is an alumnus of The Second City, and has worked closely with Mike Myers, Ryan Stiles, and Joe Flaherty, among others. He currently serves as director of the live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and has been a...
, Peter Brown, Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke is an English techno producer and DJ, often given the title, 'The Baron of Techno'.-Life and career:...
, and Davina Stewart.
Awards
Best Radio Clip (nominated)Canadian Comedy Awards, 2009.
"Witch Smoke" written by Matt Stanton,
performed by Mark Meer and Marianne Copithorne.
Variety Shows
May 22, 2010- Guests: MLA Laurie BlakemanLaurie BlakemanLaurie Blakeman is a Canadian politician, who currently represents the electoral district of Edmonton Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...
, Jane Heather, Jill Pollock
April 24, 2010
- Guests: Former Edmonton Councillor Michael PhairMichael PhairMichael Phair is a Canadian politician, who served on Edmonton City Council from 1992 until 2007. He was the first openly gay elected politician in the province of Alberta.-External links:**...
, Chris Craddock, James Murdoch (Canadian singer-songwriter)James Murdoch (Canadian singer-songwriter)James Murdoch is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter. He has released 5 full-length albums. Murdoch is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo and singing on his records, which he often helps produce himself. His 2007 release, In Transit, was co-produced by compatriot Hawksley...
December 19, 2009
- Guests: Edmonton Mayor Stephen MandelStephen MandelStephen Mandel is a Canadian politician and the current mayor of Edmonton, Alberta.-Biography:Mandel received an Associate of Arts Degree from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Miami University, and his Masters in Political Science from...
, CBC’s Peter Brown, The Be Arthurs
October 24, 2009
- Guests: NDP MP Linda DuncanLinda DuncanLinda Francis Duncan is a Canadian lawyer and politician, currently serving as a Member of Parliament for the riding of Edmonton—Strathcona in Alberta. She is a member of the New Democratic Party and, since 2008, she has been the only MP from an Alberta riding not a member of the Conservative Party...
, Derek Clayton, The Wheat PoolThe Wheat PoolThe Wheat Pool is a Canadian dark country rock band formed in 2004 in Edmonton. The band is on Shameless Records Canada.-Albums:*Township *Hauntario *Behind The Stars EP -External links:**...
2011
- Gargamel (written by Trent Wilkie)
- Mostly Water Hockey: Live @ the Roxy! (Host: Mark MeerMark MeerMark Meer is a Canadian actor, writer and improvisor, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a core company member of the Canadian Comedy Award-winning live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and was the first performer to complete the annual 53-hour long Die-Nasty Soap-A-Thon without sleep.He is also a...
, Music: F&M) - Mostly Water Girl Party: Live @ the Roxy! (Host: Stephanie Wolfe, Music: Ariane Mahryke Lemire)
2010
- 15 Minutes (written by Sam Varteniuk)
- A Mostly Water Christmas: Live @ the Roxy! (Host: Chris Craddock, Music: The Wheat Pool)
2007
- Dreamscape Redemption Classes
- Woah Woah Woah, Hold on a Minute, Wait Just a Second, There’s Way Too Much Butter on That
- XXXmas 3: Good King WTF