For Immediate Release: January 8, 2007
Media Contact: Patrick Doran, Theatre Horizon, 610.805.9556

Nine fresh-faced actors in argyle sweaters and converse sneakers are coming to King of Prussia with a mission – to make you laugh until you cry. The New York based sketch comedy group The Harvard Sailing Team has charmed audiences all over NYC for the past several years with their clean cut hilarity, and local theatre company Theatre Horizon is giving comedy-lovers here a chance to join in the fun.

Matthew Decker, founder and Artistic Director of Theatre Horizon and former member of this acclaimed sketch team, is bringing the beloved group to Kildare’s Pub for two nights of highly theatrical sketch comedy featuring song, dance and plenty of good jokes. The show will be performed February 2 at 7pm, and will have two shows on February 3 at 7pm and 9pm. All shows are at Kildare’s Irish Pub at 826 DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia in their second floor restaurant. Tickets are $15 for the show, and audience members who wish to order dinner or beverages can do so before and during the performance.

The Harvard Sailing Team was founded by New York University grad Chris Smith in 2004, when he and his writing partner Billy Scafuri perfomed a show for friends in family in their Long Island hometown. The show was so successful that Smith and Scarfuri held a workshop to develop comic sketches and recruit team members who would become the core of this comedy group.

Plenty of comedy acts across the nation play up raunchy and dark humor, but Smith’s goal has been to get laughs while keeping it clean. “I have a big family, and I wanted a show that the entire family could enjoy. I want my mother to be able to laugh and enjoy herself without wincing at profanity or sex jokes. We wanted to avoided the cheap laugh and be accessible for as wide an audience as possible.” Their formula has worked. Audiences and critics have embraced their unique style of sketch comedy. They were a “Don’t Miss” Pick of the Week and Red Star selection by Time Out New York.

Why the name? As their website wryly points out, this is not the rowing squad from Cambridge, Mass. The name is part of a package, says Smith, which tells people who they are. “Between the name, which conveys a very concrete image, our uniform of argyle and Chuck Taylors, and the theatrical way we present our sketches, we help people know what to expect from us. Our show is opened and closed with song and dance. It has a feeling of completeness. We don’t use a lot of props or costumes that distract from our job of getting people to laugh at our jokes.” This simple goal belies the intense rehearsal that goes into their sketches. The team is made up entirely of trained professional actors, all graduates from the prestigious Tisch School for the Performing Arts at NYU. Unlike improvisational comedy, which is built on spontaneity and audience suggestions, sketch comedy requires a lot of preparation and choreography. The Harvard Sailing Team is a well-oiled machine. “The sketches are written by the team for the team,” says Smith. “We come up with the ideas in rehearsal, tease out what works and leave behind what doesn’t until we have solid sketches that are ready for prime time.”

Speaking of prime time, the team has had a longstanding weekly gig at the People’s Improv Theatre (PIT) and has performed at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade and the nationally-known Caroline’s Comedy Club, where numerous comedic giants got their start. They recently were invited to perform at the Chicago Sketch Festival. The windy city is considered the epicenter of sketch comedy, where SCTV and the early players of Saturday Night Live made their first splash.

To get a small taste of their repertoire, visit www.harvardsailingteam.com to view their video clips. As funny as the clips are, you need to buy your tickets soon to get the full flavor of this rising star of comedy.

Seating is limited. Advanced reservations are highly recommended.

Prices for Comedy at Kildare’s, featuring the Harvard Sailing Team are $15, and you can buy online at www.theatrehorizon.org with NO SERVICE FEES. Appropriate for younger audiences.

In May, Theatre Horizon presents a wordless puppet adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit at the Upper Merion High School May 5th at 3pm. Theatre Horizon presents the Broadway musical “Once On This Island” at Upper Merion Middle School July 2 - 15. Go to www.theatrehorizon.org for more details.

THEATRE HORIZON’S MISSION
Theatre Horizon was created to employ the energies of artists to develop, produce, and perform approaches to theatre in Montgomery County. We aim to encourage a love for the stage by creating a community of artists, students and audiences in which each member is given the opportunity to grow.

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