"The Get Brown" at Upright Citizens Brigade LA
The Get Brown is the first Sketch Comedy Team featuring an all South-Asian cast at the world famous Upright Citizens Brigade. It's a groundbreaking achievement and we wanted to get to know the members and the show a little better! We had a chance to talk to Shaan Baig, one of the founding members on all things "The Get Brown!"
1. How did "The Get Brown" team come together? Who are the members?
The Get Brown came together in the summer of 2017. I had been on my sketch team Dad Jeans at iO West for a year and was looking to branch out a bit and do more shows. I was inspired by the many sketch teams around LA that featured different minority groups and I thought it would be fun to start an all South Asian team. I reached out to my most talented South Asian friends in the sketch/improv community and thankfully they all said yes except for Johnny Lever. Despite him not joining, we still ended up with objectively the greatest star cast ever assembled: Saagar Shaikh, Skander Halim, Sai Lang, Kunal Dudheker, Kausar Mohammed, and myself.
2. What can the audience expect to see when they attend a "The Get Brown" show?
Audiences can expect to see a really fun, joyful, and downright sexy show that touches on Bollywood, weddings, islamophobia, and the most hot-button issue of all - uncles.
3. What does it feel like to be a part of such a ground-breaking show?
It feels pretty overwhelming to be the first all South Asian sketch team at UCB. It is such an honor to be given a run. Our rival group "Chicken Tikka Masalaugh" has been claiming they had a show at UCB back in the 90s, but they're a bunch of dirty liars. The truth is they illegally performed in the Gelson's parking lot next to UCB and they all ended up in Guantanamo Bay. Looks like we got the last Masalaugh. What was the original question again?
4. What advice do you have for younger South-Asian performers aspiring to work in comedy/entertainment?
I can't speak for the rest of the group, even though I've been doing that this whole time, but I will say to write and perform as much as you can. Classes are a great way to learn the basics and meet people, but nothing will make you grow more than being on stage as often as possible. If it doesn't work out, just become doctor.
PERFORMANCE DATES
UCB LOS ANGELES:
JUNE 21 -UCB FRANKLIN @8PM
JULY 10 -UCB SUNSET @8:30PM
AUG 14- UCB FRANKLIN @9:30pm
