During these cold Westwood nights, it’s no stretch to say
you might find yourself by the fireplace (that is, if there were
fireplaces in Westwood, but go with it here). If you’re
lucky, you might have some company next to that flickering warmth,
in the form of Martin Castleberry and Randall J. Shmeckle.
These are the hosts of “Fireside Chats,” a sketch
comedy/variety show that has its official UCLA TV premiere tonight
at 10 in De Neve Plaza; they are also the alter egos of the
show’s creators, Benji Kleiman and Stephen Cedars.
Kleiman, a third-year world arts and cultures student, and
Cedars, a second-year pre-philosophy student, have shared a comedic
connection since growing up together in Berkeley.
“We’ve known each other since the fourth
grade,” Cedars said. “(And) we’ve been pretty
good at making people laugh over the years.”
Kleiman and Cedars previously collaborated on “The Mike
and Ben Show,” until Cedars decided to take a break from
school to try his hand at stand-up comedy in New York City.
“It was hard,” said Cedars. “I was supporting
myself. I was making my own money, working in women’s
clothing stores selling clothing to 80-year-old Jewish women. I was
doing stand-up, but I could not deal with the women asking if they
look good in dresses anymore.”
When Cedars returned to UCLA, he knew whatever direction he took
next would involve Kleiman.
“When I decided I was going to come back, I knew I had to
do something with comedy, and definitely with Benji, who’s
““ well, we’re almost brothers,” Cedars said.
“We’re necessary for each other.”
The two chose to leave “Mike and Ben,” where they
were only producing one sketch a week, in order to ““ in the
words of Cedars ““ do “something more
personal.”
And so “Fireside Chats” was born.
Tonight’s show opens and closes with the aforementioned
Castleberry and Shmeckle pretentiously reminiscing (next to a
fireplace, of course) about their days as Ivy Leaguers. In between
their conversations are a multitude of comedic vignettes, ranging
from fake commercials (for example, a mattress salesman displaying
his wares on the streets of Westwood) to original songs (such as
“Early Bird Special,” a paean to the sexual charms of
the elderly). According to Kleiman, the duo’s approach to
sketch production is informed by a certain cinematic
sensibility.
“We’ve been making movies since about the seventh
grade,” he said. “We like the idea of nuances ““
each sketch is a short film. We just thought it’s valuable to
have something that looks good, has good sound ““ not so much
to dazzle the viewer, but because bad production values can take
someone out of the comedy.”
Additionally, the two place a large emphasis on accessibility:
They want the show to be enjoyed by more than just a narrow segment
of viewers.
“The types of sketches (on “Fireside Chats”)
have very broad appeal,” Cedars said. “(The humor) is
not so obscure or so off-the-wall that people can’t find
something to laugh at. We want the show to be a common denominator
for UCLA students.”
In fact, although this week marks the official premiere of
“Fireside Chats,” the two have been, for the past
couple of months, screening produced sketches for friends.
Even without exposing their show to a wider audience, Kleiman
and Cedars have learned more about where they want to take
“Fireside Chats,” in terms of content and style.
“We have a better idea of where (the show) is
going,” Cedars said. “We’re still doing some
experimenting with some new stuff. It’s not traditional
sketch comedy. I think a lot of traditional stuff is a lot of
dialogue, clever lines. A lot of our stuff is visual puns.
It’s more like a variety show than a comedy show. It’s
not just people talking.”