Matt Kemple

Matt Kemple is a man who wears many hats. He’s the artistic producer of Pink Banana Theatre Company, founder of Milwaukee Comedy and one of the most public faces of the Underground Collaborative, a creative arts center based right here in the basement of Grand Avenue. Opened in summer 2012, the Collaborative has grown to become a hub for comedians and emerging theater companies, this week alone hosting three major shows: the return of the variety-style Comedy Arcade Show on Thursday, the debut of a new improv troupe on Friday, and the monthly Retro Comedy Night show on Saturday – featuring our podcast host Mark Metcalf as a special guest.

Despite that busy schedule, Matt took a bit of time out of his day to pop upstairs for a visit at the Third Coast Daily offices, where he sat down with Mark. While he was here, he talked to us about the growth of Milwaukee’s comedy scene, the different styles of comedy on the rise in the city and what’s coming up during this hectic weekend at the Collaborative.

Listen now:

[audio:https://urbanmilwaukeedial.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/matt-kemple.mp3|titles=Backstage with Mark Metcalf – Matt Kemple]

The three Milwaukee Comedy shows this weekend, all at the Underground Collaborative: Thursday, The Comedy Arcade Show, a collection of stand-up and improv comedians, beginning at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, the debut of the Tall Boys improv troupe, starting at 8 p.m.; Saturday, the monthly Retro Comedy Night, a giveaway-packed stand-up and improv show featuring special guest Mark Metcalf in the surprise nostalgic reperformance of a classic TV sitcom episode. All shows are $15, $10 if purchased in advance online.

“Backstage with Mark Metcalf,” a 2011 Milwaukee Press Club award-winner, is engineered and produced by Sahan Jayasuriya. The weekly series, focusing on many of Milwaukee’s behind-the-scenes personalities, alternates between short (10-15 min.) and long (25-30 min.) segments. For the full archive of these podcasts, check out TCD’s Podcasts page.