Combining theatre and improv, Fries on the Side is a weekly sketch comedy show performed at the Meisner Center in North Hollywood. Celebrating their 5th season, the production welcomed actor Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as their host and P!stol P!stol as the musical guest on June 16th. 
Setting Fries on the Side apart from other sketch comedy shows is the tiny detail that the actors only have two hours to learn their lines. That’s right, two hours! Like a normal theatre production there is a script, but since there’ s little time to learn it, the actors need to rely on their improvisational skills to mine the dropped lines and missed cues.
Each week, the actors come in two hours before the show, audition for the writers, sort of learn their lines and then perform the material for that evening’s Fries on the Side production. In that short amount of time, a quick rehearsal is run through, but without much room for memorization, prompters are graciously put on stage for a little back up. 
The hour and a half show clips along smoothly offering up funny and very twisted scenes. From a homeless man and a drug addict’s one night stand, to doggie day care co-workers who treat each other like the animals they take care of, to a criminal sketch artist incorporating his own ideas of what the perp should look like, Fries on the Side provides the audience with a skewed and humorous view on the everyday. And even though most of the actors had to look to the prompters for cues, the flow of the scenes went uninterrupted.
Sending up his most memorable character, Alan Ruck stepped back into Cameron’s shoes, and Red Wing hockey jersey, from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for a sketch showcasing what life is like for Ferris’ hapless buddy twenty years later. Complete with a visit from Ferris himself, the writer’s vision of how life turned out for the sad sack shows him as a boozing loser who can’t bring himself to take off the reminder of the greatest day of his life, even for a job interview.
But you won’t be seeing these skits when you come down to the Meisner Center. Each week new and edgy scenes are materialized for the audience’s amusement, providing a fresh, funny and quickly thrown together production that leaves lots of room for mistakes, which only adds to the comedy.
The weekly production utilizes a regular cast of actors consisting of Dorien Davies, Shane Elliott, Rachel Ford Pritchett, Jeff Huit, Joanna Kosmides, Sean Pritchett, Avi Rothman, AJ Schuermann and Kenny Stevenson, but also incorporates outside actors as well. Every Saturday at the specified call time, actors bold enough to take on this fast and furious production can audition for the writers and hopefully be picked for that evening’s show. 
Aspiring writers can also submit material to include in the weekly showcase. To join staff writers, Dorien Davies, Shane Elliott, Alex Enriquez, Marc Herson, Jeff Huit, Christian Kendra, Kenny Stevenson and Daniel Yates, scribes can submit sketches by midnight the Tuesday before a performance.
Of course it’s recommended that both writers and actors come out to see a show before putting themselves on the line. But whether you’re an aspiring actor/writer or just like live, entertaining theatre, Fries on the Side is a must see for those who enjoy quality comedy without a net.
The Meisner Center is located at 5124 Lankersheim Blvd in North Hollywood. For more information on upcoming shows, auditioning or submitting sketches visit www.FriesontheSide.com.
