ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Sketchfest producers Shelley McLendon and Ted Douglass
The Portland Sketch Comedy Festival first began in 2017 as the brainchild of Ted Douglass and Shelley McLendon.
Both have a deep love of live sketch comedy (short, scripted vignettes or "sketches" typically featuring anywhere from 1-12 people whose intention is to amuse), and have been a big part of Portland's sketch comedy scene for years.
Both had travelled to other cities with their respective sketch troupes to take part in festivals such as The San Francisco Sketchfest, The Chicago Sketchfest, Seattle Sketchfest, and NYC Sketchfest. Both found these festivals to be a total blast, and both wanted to create a destination sketch comedy festival in Portland. So Ted sent Shelley a text in 2016 and said, "Let's put on a sketch comedy festival!" And it was made so. And it was a hit.
The annual festival took place in July at The Siren Theater each summer from 2017-2019, and brought in huge crowds and out of town troupes like The Groundlings (LA), Kasper Hauser (San Francisco), and The Defiant Thomas Brothers (Chicago) as well as troupes from Austin, New York, Toronto, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC. It also showcased Portland's own spectacular sketch comedy scene with troupes like The Aces, Nacho Gold, D&D and Lone Wolves. It showed no signs of slowing down and then in 2020... we all know what happened.
The Portland Sketchfest made its triumphant return in 2022 and it was glorious. And now we are back for our 6th year and we couldn't be more excited!
Both have a deep love of live sketch comedy (short, scripted vignettes or "sketches" typically featuring anywhere from 1-12 people whose intention is to amuse), and have been a big part of Portland's sketch comedy scene for years.
Both had travelled to other cities with their respective sketch troupes to take part in festivals such as The San Francisco Sketchfest, The Chicago Sketchfest, Seattle Sketchfest, and NYC Sketchfest. Both found these festivals to be a total blast, and both wanted to create a destination sketch comedy festival in Portland. So Ted sent Shelley a text in 2016 and said, "Let's put on a sketch comedy festival!" And it was made so. And it was a hit.
The annual festival took place in July at The Siren Theater each summer from 2017-2019, and brought in huge crowds and out of town troupes like The Groundlings (LA), Kasper Hauser (San Francisco), and The Defiant Thomas Brothers (Chicago) as well as troupes from Austin, New York, Toronto, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC. It also showcased Portland's own spectacular sketch comedy scene with troupes like The Aces, Nacho Gold, D&D and Lone Wolves. It showed no signs of slowing down and then in 2020... we all know what happened.
The Portland Sketchfest made its triumphant return in 2022 and it was glorious. And now we are back for our 6th year and we couldn't be more excited!
THE 2024 FESTIVAL IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THESE FANTASTIC SPONSORS:
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PAST FESTIVALS
2023
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MARK KENDALL (ATLANTA)
PURE AND WEARY (LOS ANGELES) LONE WOLVES (PORTLAND) DAY JOB (SEATTLE) SAGE HUSTON (CHICAGO) JORDAN MOELLER (LOS ANGELES) CAM WYLLIE (TORONTO) MAPLE DADDIES (SEATTLE) BUTTER (PORTLAND) FIELD TRIP (BOSTON) DEATH CULT (PORTLAND) BIG OL' MESS (DENVER) |
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2022
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2019
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DAY JOB (Seattle) The ACES (Portland) PURE & WEARY (Los Angeles) D&D (Portland) MILWAUKEE! (NYC) SODA FOUNTAIN (Vancouver, BC) KIDS THESE DAYS (NYC) SPECTRAVAGASM (Portland) MAPLE DADDIES (Seattle) JUICEBOX (Portland) Here are some of our favorite moments from the festival! (Photography by Amy Conway) |
2018
KASPER HAUSER (San Francisco)
DEFIANT THOMAS BROTHERS (Chicago)
THE ACES (Portland)
TANTRUM (Los Angeles)
BRUNCH (Vancouver, BC)
HERBEAVER (Toronto)
NACHO GOLD (Portland)
HOT POT COMEDY (Austin)
PATSY (Los Angeles)
SLEEPOVER (Seattle)
BATH NIGHT (NYC & Portland)
D&D (Portland)
KASPER HAUSER (San Francisco)
DEFIANT THOMAS BROTHERS (Chicago)
THE ACES (Portland)
TANTRUM (Los Angeles)
BRUNCH (Vancouver, BC)
HERBEAVER (Toronto)
NACHO GOLD (Portland)
HOT POT COMEDY (Austin)
PATSY (Los Angeles)
SLEEPOVER (Seattle)
BATH NIGHT (NYC & Portland)
D&D (Portland)
2017
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THE GROUNDLINGS (LOS ANGELES)
THE ACES (PORTLAND) BRUNCH (VANCOUVER, BC) MEAT (NYC & LOS ANGELES) DAY JOB (SEATTLE) NACHO GOLD (PORTLAND) BRYCHAEL (LOS ANGELES & PORTLAND) D&D (PORTLAND) LONE WOLVES (PORTLAND) THE WHEEL SHOW (LOS ANGELES) SMAT (LOS ANGELES) |
Past sponsors:
These businesses are committed to keeping the arts alive in Portland, Oregon! Visit them and buy their products!
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