By Erin Randolph erin@dmcityview.com

'Rubber Duck Army'

Brandan Jenkins' first audience was in fourth grade, when he stepped up in front of his class to do an impression of Pee-wee Herman. That was before he was a pervert, of course. (Herman, not Jenkins,)

And in high school in Earlham, he was the class clown. But he was also the class president. It was there that he got interested in improv, and it was at Iowa State University that he became interested in sketch comedy. Now a Des Moines resident, Jenkins, 28, who has been a member of both The Brink and Comedy XPeriment, is starting his own sketch comedy troupe, Rubber Duck Army.

The Army's meant to appeal to the twentysomethings who perch on the concrete out front of Java Joes or herd outside of the Vaudeville Mews smoking cigarettes on Friday and Saturday nights. The Army's Friday night performance at 7 p.m. will be its introduction to Des Moines, and one Jenkins hopes will add to a burgeoning youthful vibe in Des Moines thanks to events like iPod Monday.

Rubber Duck Army's performances will integrate live sketch with video, and will include a lot of pop culture parodies, from commercials to local celebrities to the Bush twins. Six members strong, the Army includes members of The Brink and Comedy XPeriment. Jenkins says the troupe will be a lot like the president: "We're both firmly against evildoers and we both elicit a great deal of laughter when people hear us talk."

And, hopefully, it will give area residents yet another option on a thin, yet growing, entertainment calendar. The residents of Iowa rent more movies than residents in any other state, per capita, Jenkins says. Which basically means we're all a bunch of lame asses who stay home at night instead of seeking out other forms of entertainment.

"People can go spend $9 to see 'Wedding Crashers' for the third time at Wynnsong 39 or Century 40," Jenkins says. "Or they can come to the Mews and see something different.

"I see all the kids on the loop and outside on Fourth Street. They seem underserved. Or maybe they're just fine hanging out, but it seems like there can be other options for them. I'm not saying the loop scoopers are our intended audience, but it seems like there should be something else for them to do than to drive around Des Moines again and again and again. Hopefully this will be something that the kids that are always out here will embrace."

Stage notes

The Des Moines Playhouse will hold auditions for "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" on Sunday at 5 p.m. for youth under 18. For more information, call 255-3741... "The Full Monty" will come to Stephens Auditorium in Ames on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. The play, which contains adult material, is $34-$38 for adults, and $17-$19 for ISU students and those under 18... StageWest's popular monthly play-reading series, Scriptease, will be on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Noodle Zoo in the East Village. CV

Comment on this story | Return to top