Everett teacher to perform comedy show at SketchFest Seattle

Published 1:30 am Thursday, September 7, 2017

Everett Community College instructor Beth Peterson teaches improvisational theater and sketch comedy, but not just to students who want to be actors.

“Even if you don’t go on to perform, these are such great skills to have,” Peterson said. “You have to process and create at the same time while using both sides of the brain. Being able to be present and think on your feet really helps us expand the possibilities in our lives. A lot of businesses bring in sketch folks to work with their employees.”

Peterson, who lives in Everett, also is the managing director of SketchFest Seattle — Sept. 10-23 — and will perform with the sketch group Twist My Arm at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Pocket Theater, 8312 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle.

Sketch comedy involves short scenes or vignettes — some written, some improvised — about a concept, character or situation.

As a teacher and a director, Peterson doesn’t often get the chance to step on stage. The Pocket Theater staff asked Peterson to perform during its annual Sketch Month production in May.

“OK,” she told the Pocket folks, “twist my arm.”

And so her group was born. The wry and witty Twist My Arm — Peterson and Nathan Hare — makes use of puppets on occasion. As the program says, Twist My Arm is “the lightly coercive sketch comedy you would want sitting next to you on a trans-Atlantic flight.”

SketchFest began in 1999 as the world’s first sketch comedy festival. This year, the first week offers a showcase of regional sketch groups. The festival is topped off with two nights — Sept. 22 and 23 at the Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., Seattle — of the some of the best sketch comedy acts from New York, Los Angeles, Edmonton and Toronto.

“We’re so excited to bring in these fantastic traveling performers and let them mix ideas with all our local talent,” Peterson said. “And it’s a good thing for me — managing and performing — and my career. I will be urging my students to get down to Seattle to see SketchFest.”

If you go

More about SketchFest Seattle, its performers and venues is available at www.sketchfest.org.