The Mash

The Mash Guidelines

We’re seeking some fresh faces for our stage and now’s your chance to show us what you’ve got.

Welcome to The Mash.

On Sunday, 9/3, we’re setting up shop at The Green Mill from 3 - 6PM to revive our open mic. We want to hear YOUR piping-hot Machete-style pieces for a chance to jump in the Saturday rotation.

We’re looking for character monologues, sketches, formal essays and stand up based on something in the week’s headlines. (We are *especially* looking for comedic essays.) You have up to 5 minutes. Max.

No storytelling, no improv and no poetry. We’re firm on that. Several open mics for those art forms already exist, so we encourage visiting those spaces.

Interested? Read on for key details:

GUIDELINES:

No 1st person stories/anecdotes or I/me/my at this event. We are not a storytelling show.
Sketch teams are welcome, but please limit it to three people.
No identity politics or social justice commentary unless absolutely necessary. There’s already an abundance of this type of comedy, and we find it often distracts content creators from the tools and tricks of entertainment. Please avoid jokes/ punchlines/ observations that might make liberals clap instead of laugh, and anything that might feel more like a lecture than comedy.
Similarly, no great punchlines have ever contained the word "capitalism"; please don't try to break this code (or explain capitalism in any way) with your segment. While we understand how/ why/ where capitalism is bad, we'd frankly prefer to hear from you on just about any other subject (except maybe edibles).
Note - Performing in The Mash does not guarantee a spot on the Saturday show.

FORMAT:

The Mill opens at 1:00pm and we’ll be camping out with a sign up sheet. Slots are first-come, first-served. We’ll begin at 3:00pm sharp.
There will be one microphone and a music stand. We don’t have the capability to play sound cues or tracks for this, so please plan accordingly.
5 minute time limit, regardless of genre. You WILL get the light and be expected to respect it.

BEST PRACTICES:

Don’t worry if you’re doing the same topic as someone else, the more perspectives the better!
We want Machete segments to push the envelope, but we also want it to be broadly appealing enough that a regular person could enjoy it if they wandered in off the street (as sometimes happens). We're looking for talent that can help us find that sweet spot.
We *highly encourage* you to see one of our shows before you try out. It’s a good rule of thumb for any show, but this helps you get a feel for our unique style.
Whenever someone writes for our show for the first time, we tell them the same thing: Try at least one thing that scares you. It means something different to everyone, but it's a good rule of thumb.
If you’ve read the guidelines and still have a question, you may email Lauren at lauren@thepapermachete.org.
Good luck and we’ll see you at The Green Mill!

The Mash

The Mash Guidelines

No 1st person stories/anecdotes or I/me/my at this event. We are not a storytelling show.

Sketch teams are welcome, but please limit it to three people.

Note - Performing in The Mash does not guarantee a spot on the Saturday show.

The Mill opens at 1:00pm and we’ll be camping out with a sign up sheet. Slots are first-come, first-served. We’ll begin at 3:00pm sharp.

There will be one microphone and a music stand. We don’t have the capability to play sound cues or tracks for this, so please plan accordingly.

5 minute time limit, regardless of genre. You WILL get the light and be expected to respect it.

Don’t worry if you’re doing the same topic as someone else, the more perspectives the better!

We want Machete segments to push the envelope, but we also want it to be broadly appealing enough that a regular person could enjoy it if they wandered in off the street (as sometimes happens). We're looking for talent that can help us find that sweet spot.

We highly encourage you to see one of our shows before you try out. It’s a good rule of thumb for any show, but this helps you get a feel for our unique style.

Whenever someone writes for our show for the first time, we tell them the same thing: Try at least one thing that scares you. It means something different to everyone, but it's a good rule of thumb.

If you’ve read the guidelines and still have a question, you may email Lauren at lauren@thepapermachete.org.

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The Mash

The Mash Guidelines

No 1st person stories/anecdotes or I/me/my at this event. We are not a storytelling show.

Sketch teams are welcome, but please limit it to three people.

Note - Performing in The Mash does not guarantee a spot on the Saturday show.

The Mill opens at 1:00pm and we’ll be camping out with a sign up sheet. Slots are first-come, first-served. We’ll begin at 3:00pm sharp.

There will be one microphone and a music stand. We don’t have the capability to play sound cues or tracks for this, so please plan accordingly.

5 minute time limit, regardless of genre. You WILL get the light and be expected to respect it.

Don’t worry if you’re doing the same topic as someone else, the more perspectives the better!

We want Machete segments to push the envelope, but we also want it to be broadly appealing enough that a regular person could enjoy it if they wandered in off the street (as sometimes happens). We're looking for talent that can help us find that sweet spot.

We *highly encourage* you to see one of our shows before you try out. It’s a good rule of thumb for any show, but this helps you get a feel for our unique style.

Whenever someone writes for our show for the first time, we tell them the same thing: Try at least one thing that scares you. It means something different to everyone, but it's a good rule of thumb.

If you’ve read the guidelines and still have a question, you may email Lauren at lauren@thepapermachete.org.

We highly encourage you to see one of our shows before you try out. It’s a good rule of thumb for any show, but this helps you get a feel for our unique style.