'I have an absurd sense of humour and I like to go big': Interviewing Kevin Gregory Krieger
Kevin Gregory Krieger is an American comedian, improviser, and clown.
Kevin Gregory Krieger is an American comedian, improviser, and clown. He co-owns the performance venue Public Displays of Altadena, where he regularly conducts his entirely improvised comedy shows. He also teaches his methods to students, at workshops on the art of “Clown”, or clowning. Kevin performs in (fairly) regular clothes with only an impressive moustache to hide behind. A moustache much fuller than the one he took onto the stage of America’s Got Talent in 2018. In this interview, you will get to know Kevin and learn the basic principles of clowning around.
Me: Hey, just some opening questions – I’m British by the way, don’t be thrown by the accent. How did you get started in comedy, how long have you been doing it, and if it’s okay to fire 3 questions at once, what was your first gig like?
Kevin: Hey Dan! What’s up, man? Good to hear your voice. I found that British accent quite disarming actually, I feel much more comfortable with my story in your hands because of it.
First, I’ll say I’ve been doing comedy for 15 years, and I first got started doing improv at UCB. My first show was probably my graduation show for Level 1 of UCB. I don’t have any spicy stories to tell. I’m sure it was terrible, but I enjoyed the feeling of being out there. By UCB I mean the Upright Citizens Brigade. They were a massive improv school. First in New York and then in Los Angeles in the 2010s I’d say.
After UCB I went to Miles Stroth’s workshop, which became The Pack. I don’t know if it’s still holding on or anything after the pandemic, but yeah, I started working with Miles Stroth, I started doing a weekly show under the banner of his school with a group called The Family Man.
…And my friend Laura Ferrari had gone to the Clown Conservatory in San Fransisco with John Gilkey. John Gilkey came to town. She told me I had to take a class with John. I did it, I pulled the trigger. I took a class, had the time of my life, and never looked back. I was working with John, [and I] still do to this day. It’s probably been 10 or 12 years now.
I started in classes, then did a show called The Merge. That was absolutely incredible. So many incredible performers in that cast. I started teaching and I taught the Idiot Workshops, still do from time to time, over the past ten years.
“Got to that teaching position quick” Kevin quips.
Me: I just seem to be fascinated by what’s going on comedy-wise where you are in the world. There seem to be a lot of surreal, quite whacky, “out there” comedians and if that’s to do with the Idiots’ Hour, I’d love to know more about that and what the gigs are like, and what’s happening… What the purpose of it is apart from to be idiots I suppose.
But also, you use the word “improv” a lot and you’ve done a lot of improvisational workshops and things, but my feeling about improv is that it’s kind of like, y’know, is it going to be good? If I hear the word improv, because it can be quite forced y’know? And sometimes it doesn’t quite work for me. But I really don’t feel that way about your comedy, because you’ve dialled up the surrealness, and I think that’s what intrigues me. I’d like to know if that was there from the beginning, or how that’s developed over time. Has it got weirder, and when did it get weirder?
Kevin: Hey what’s up, yeah, the surrealness you’re talking about that’s going on. I think it’s a combination of a lot of people doing really great work, but I think a lot of the foundation of that was built on “Clown” coming to Los Angeles. So, a lot of what people are doing is relying on the principles of Clown. The main one being that the thing is happening now, and the audience has just as much power as the performer.
I think I personally have always been sort of weird/absurd. I have an absurd sense of humour and I like to go big, and what I realized learning about Clown in the Idiot Workshop was that I was a clown, and my comedic strength was sort of humiliating my self. And it taught me how to really listen to an audience and try to give them what they need. To focus on their pleasure and not my story, my desires as a performer. To try things, listen, get feedback to try and get a little closer to them.
So, I think what you’re saying about improv is true for long-form improvisation. I just mean like, not having any real plans, or having a loose plan that allows for things to happen in the moment. Because I think Clown in its purest form is improvised. It’s offering things to the audience, listening, listening to whether they like it or don’t like it. So, if they don’t like it, you play the flop and if they do like it, you give them more. If they don’t love it or hate it, you try something else. Improvisation is about being in the moment and trying to create something in the now.
Me: It occurs to me that what you do must take a level of bravery that most people don’t have. Did you start out nervous? And how did you get to the point where, like you say, your speciality is humiliating yourself? How do you get to the point where you’re comfortable with that? To the point where you lean into it and you don’t feel like you’re degrading yourself, you feel like you’re doing something awesome. I feel like it will be hard for people to comprehend how on earth you do it.
Kevin: To answer your question, was I afraid when I started? Yes, I was incredibly scared. I’m still scared. I feel like if I’m not scared then I’m not doing my job. So in regards to how it develops over time, how you develop the bravery, I don’t think it ever gets easier I guess is my answer… Because you’re always asking more of yourself, so there’s no end game. It’s just continuing to be as unmasked as you can on stage. Trying to get into the flow state, y’know?
Me: You briefly mentioned the cinema venue. It’s my understanding that you own the cinema, and that its entire purpose is to put on these shows. How did the idea come about? Did you already have the audience/the following that made it feel like it could work? Tell me about the cinema, how you run it and what its purpose is, because it’s very interesting and I think people will want to read about that.
In regards to opening our own space, I mean a lot of it came out of the pandemic. We were sort of performing at this place. It was sort of like a clown hub in LA, and that place closed, so we just decided to open our own place, y’know? Just get after it, start doing shows, and y’know, having total artistic freedom in a low risk package, which is a 35 seat theatre in a strip mall in Northeast Los Angeles, it’s not a high-risk business. But it gives us the space to create art on our own terms, and [to] be able to foster a place where other people can do the same. You don’t have to ask permission or pitch a show to a theatre. It’s just like you can book our space and come do something wild, and y’know, make a dream tangible. You don’t have to make a dream perfect. You can start here at this place. So, yeah it’s about having more control in terms of what we do and how often we do it. There’s nothing stopping us from doing it as much as we want when we have our own space.
Me: Do you have any advice you might give to someone who wants to start improvised comedy? If they’re interested in getting up on stage and doing it?
I mean, I would say just do it all, y’know? I did a lot of stuff before I got into clown, like taking an improv class, getting started there is the first step. Then maybe try taking a clown class, which is a little bit scarier, because there’s no more fourth wall. You’re barreling straight down at the audience. Then once you get used to that, get out there and try some things. Do some stand-up, go to an open mic, there’s no clear path for any of this. I think you’ve just got to “do” (Kevin laughs), and hope people catch on. They still haven’t caught onto what I’m doing really.
What I’m trying to do is make “one of a kind” comedy, instead of following a path to success that’s already there. To try to carve out a new one instead is really difficult and painful, but you don’t have to make any compromises… But no matter what kind of comedy somebody does, or what kind of performance they do, ultimately I could tell ya’ a million things to try, to help you get better, and even if it makes sense to you, the only real thing that works is to keep performing… And keep listening to the audience. You’ll know when you’re ready.
I can’t tell you what an enormous pleasure it has been to conduct this interview with Kevin. I’m incredibly thankful for all of the time he gave to this, and I hope everybody enjoyed reading it. Below are some of my favourite videos of him performing. I appreciate the patience of any American readers having to endure my British way of spelling things.
