The following is an interview with producer Royce Shockley regarding the upcoming launch of the production, The Color Collective, at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Shockley about the inspiration behind the production, what he hopes that audiences will take away from the show, how you can purchase tickets, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Your production, The Color Collective, will soon be debuting as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the show’s premise and format?
Royce Shockley: The Color Collective is a variety show featuring diversity in dance, sketch comedy, music, and stand-up. The best way to describe us is a combination of Saturday Night Live and In Living Color. It’s a non-stop hour of comedy and performance unlike what you can find on television or live theater right now.
BD: As the producer of the show, what inspired you to bring this production to life?
RS: When I first started in the comedy scene, I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of representation on local sketch teams and shows. So many of the shows I saw looked the same, talked about the same things, and a lot of times, featured the same people. I wanted to create a show where no matter who you were, you could see a reflection of yourself on stage. I wanted to bring back that vibe of In Living Color, where you got to hear different voices express themselves, and add to that to make an even more dynamic production.
BD: You have a fantastic team involved with the project, including dancers, musicians, sketch comedy artists, and more. What can you share with us about the creative process of working with the team and bringing the show to life?
RS: It definitely is a lot of work to put this show together, and I couldn’t do it without the help of my co-producers. We try and instill an environment that is as professional as possible in order to prepare our actors and writers for real world experiences. We have multiple writer’s room styled meetings in addition to our rehearsals. We all work together as one to ensure that we put on a great show, and that we have a lot of fun while doing so.
BD: What do you hope that audiences will take away from the show, and should theatregoers anticipate audience interaction?
RS: My hope is that audiences are first and foremost entertained and delighted with our show. We want to show everyone that comedy can come in all colors. We also aim with a couple of our sketches to provoke thought and show people something they haven’t seen before. There will definitely be a bit of audience interaction, because we try to hit all five senses at each show we do and have audiences feel like they are a part of the show, as well.
BD: What makes the Hollywood Fringe Festival an ideal venue for The Color Collective?
RS: We felt that by performing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, we are able to show a wider audience what we are about and what we are capable of. The Fringe Festival is such a large diverse community of artists, and we want to be part of that and share in that experience.
BD: The show will be appearing at the OMR Theater from June 9-23, 2018. Are there any future plans to perform the show at other venues?
RS: We have our regularly scheduled monthly show at the Pack Theatre every first Saturday at 10:30, and, hopefully, we can get an extended Fringe run and take the show on tour so that more people can experience our show.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects that you would care to share with our readers?
RS: Not just yet, but we plan on expanding and putting up more performances after our Fringe run is over.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about and purchase tickets for The Color Collective?
RS: You can find out more about us by following us on our social media pages which are: Instagram – @colorcollectivecomedy, Twitter – @clr_collectiv, Facebook – facebook.com/colorcollectivecomedy. Tickets can be purchased directly from our Hollywood Fringe site which is http://hff18.org/5183.
