Fest Spotlight On POW!

Nope, POW! isn't a reference to the mighty fist of the Batman on the faces of cartoonified villains! Nope, it isn't some ham-handed reference to the stellar acting of Chuck Norris! Just say a silent prayer to the memories of those who were Prisoner's of War, as this is not a veiled homage to them either. Nope, it's a chance to for you to familiarize yourselves with the comedy of POW: PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP.

Sit back and enjoy as you attend a workshop show at the dccomedyfest that will change how you see all other meetings/workshops/trainings/events that you have attend in your adult life. This workshop is not only fun it's funny. Take off your tie, remove your ID badge, and put the kids in night care (day care usually is just for the day time). It's time to check out POW: PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP.

Who is POW: PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP? Good question! We asked them some questions so you can find out for yourself. Matt Oberg of POW was kind enough to speak for himself and Bob Wiltfong. Let's see what Matt had to say:

dccf: How did the two of you originally get together and decide to do POW!?

Matt: Bob and I met at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Bob was there with Neutrino and "Anchors Away" and I was there with a show called "Fatboy". I was a guest improviser with Neutrino some nights and Bob and I realized we had a somewhat similar look and vibe. We were both goofy looking white guys who part their hair. Bob had already started to develop the POW show and needed someone to play the Brooks to his Dunne. The rest is history.

dccf: Do you get requests for bookings that sometimes indicate that people think you are strictly a business training company?

Matt: No one has yet been fooled into believing we are actually giving a legit workshop. Although we would be honored if someone was dumb enough to do that. If and when it happens we will let you know.

dccf: How does Matt working with "Chappelle's Show" and Bob working with "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" effect your dynamic?

Matt: Well, my work on Chapelle while exemplary and ground breaking was very brief. Bob's work on the Daily Show doesn't really effect our dynamic on stage, but off stage it creates a tremendous amount of tension. Bob went out and had a Daily Show varsity jacket made with his face embroidered on the back. And on the front he had them put a nickname that he gave to himself: "Da' Sizzler". It's awkward for all of us.

dccf: What's it like to work on a national show like "Chappelle's Show" or "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"? They must have very different production styles.

Matt: Again, I am not a recognized authority on either production, but both were very rewarding experiences for us. It's great to have shows like that based in New York. It gives people in the New York scene a chance to get some really great exposure. We are both grateful for the opportunities and look forward to someday maybe even producing our own show that will have it's own style. We are still honing that style but both Bob and I are drawn to "Business Casual".

dccf: What, for each of you, has been the most rewarding "Professional Opportunity" you've had? No Pun intended, Sorry!

Matt: I trust that Bob will agree, but beyond the fact that we both now have a tremendous team of representatives who somehow see the chance of us making some money some day, our most rewarding "Professional Opportunity" was the recent birth of Bob's son Sawyer. That kid is cute, and with his old world charm and Bob and my knack for writing hooks in the studio we are optimistic that his album will go platinum. Look for "Baby Baby Baby" to drop sometime in July.

dccf: What is the strangest review you have gotten from an audience member directly after a show?

Matt: "I feel like I'm going to vomit, but I'm going to vomit diarrhea."

dccf: What should dccomedyfest audiences know in order to prepare for attending a POW: Professional Opportunities Show?

Matt: That the only true god is Allah and Mohammed is his messenger. And that you don't need to have worked in a bad office to get our jokes. If you enjoy grown men wearing sweaters and talki ng loudly, then you will love "POW".

dccf: Anything else you want to make sure our audiences know about?

Matt: Yes. They should know that I hate Avery Johnson and that Bob has two cats named Mariska and Hargitay.

Want to know more, why not come see them perform at one (or both) of their two shows at the dccomedyfest? You'll also get to see Elephant Larry both times. So it's a two for one special on comedy when you come see the guys of POW do their thing. Get your weekend pass now, and don't miss a second of the fest or POW!