On the evening of April 24, caricatures will come to life, figuratively speaking. The Art of Political Satire successfully weaves together the media of sketch comedy and political cartooning.
Sponsored by Duke University Union's Live Entertainment committee, the show is a partnership between The Economist and Chicago-based comedy troupe The Second City. Their collaboration represents a unique fusion of improvisational skits and stand-up cartooning centered on the craft of satire.
"There's a great synergy here between Second City and The Economist magazine," said the show's director Marc Warzecha. "Satire is an element of what we do, but for us to team up with another organization like this is a new and exciting thing. We sort of enhance each other in this format and setting."
The two companies joined in 2007 for their first performance in Chicago. Because it was so successful, they decided to take the show on the road, where they will visit several cities across the United States and eventually globe-trot to Australia.
The political cartoonist featured in the show, Kevin 'Kal' Kallaugher, is not a stranger to Duke's campus. His exhibit, Mightier Than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of KAL is currently hanging in Rubenstein Hall. This year marks Kallaugher's 30th anniversary with The Economist, and Kallaugher thought that it would be "great to showcase [what the magazine has to offer] in this crazy electoral madness" with the show.
Students may also be familiar with Second City, which boasts notable alumni such as Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey, from their previous September show in Reynolds Theater. However, the upcoming show differs from the usual set-up because in addition to set sketches and improv acts, there will also be live cartooning and 3-D animation.
As part of the event, Kallaugher involves the audience by teaching them how to draw political cartoons of their own. Warzecha and Kallaugher will also answer questions during intermission and discuss how the two institutions approach the topic of satire.
"We don't do political cartoons, and they don't do sketch comedy," Warzecha said. "They're different art forms. There's a curiosity on both sides of what we want to comment on in the world of politics and, in general, how we choose to comment on that."
Despite the differences between sketch comedy and cartooning, there lies a parallel set of improvisational skills that applies to both.
"Doing political cartooning is a lot like improv," Kallaugher said. "You work under a deadline everyday. You have to assemble a whole range of crazy things, distill it to its uttermost simplicity, tinker with it a little bit and send it out for everyone to see."
The Art of Political Satire begins at 7 p.m. on April 24 in Reynolds Industries Theater. Tickets are $10 for Duke students and employees, $15 for the general public.
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