Mature Content Advisory: The following post contains numerous references to the Fordham Underground Comedy Troupe, aka FUCT. If reading the acronym FUCT over and over offends you, please DO NOT read any further. If on the other hand, you think it's funny, and you won't be offended by a photo of a partially bare -- but very harmless -- bottom, please proceed.

That said, good day, esteemed QueerSighted readers! I'd like to start off today's column with a harmless little question:

Who here is interested in getting FUCT?

- You ma'am? Nice.

- And you too, dude? Cool!

- And you, sir? Really? I didn't know you were into that. Good for you!

Oh wait. No people, not that.

FUCT is actually an up-and-coming comedy troupe that's just starting to get noticed by the New York underground comedy scene, even though they've been at it for years. They've also amassed an avid fan base for regularly featuring naked guys in original comedy sketches, all for the sake for a hearty belly laugh. These sketches are hysterical and sometimes torturous -- but in this case, that's a very good, very funny thing.

I recently sat down at a Times Square diner for lunch with two of the troupe's members: Graham Skipper, 24, and Jon Crane, 26.

We talked about how they started getting FUCT, the oft-naked men in their shows, what the hell FUCT means, and what to expect in their newest show, aptly titled, 'FUCT: The Tip Doesn't Count' ... and a lot of other things.

Read how YOU can get FUCT after the jump ... C'mon, you know you want to get FUCT. No. You NEED to.



FUCT began when Graham and Jon were both students at Fordham University in New York City. According to Graham, "I was a freshman and Jon was a junior and we were trying to start an improv group. So we started meeting once a week with a few other people, and we practiced some improv. After a while we decided to start a comedy troupe – and the only thing anyone could agree on was the name."

Ah yes, the name. FUCT originally stood for "Fordham Underground Comedy Troupe." And now, well, it just stands for FUCT, whatever that means.

In May 2002, the group put on their first "official" show and, true to form, they did it illegally in an empty basement at the University where they snuck in a keg for the audience. About 60 people showed up, and a show was born. From that point, they solidified their reputation for "doing anything that's not traditionally done on stage," says Jon.

Their show -- a mix of socially relevant and oddball sketches as well as many physical stunts for which the group is primarily known -- is an equal mix of the hilarious and horrific ... but in a very funny and bold way. The stunts are the things that often get people in the theatre, and they run the gamut: Graham says, "I've walked barefoot on mousetraps. We always have a stun gun ready to go. We always paddle each other. And we use hot wax."

The performance begins way before the lights go down: The group stick to their Fordham roots and continue to liquor-up the audience with beer. Jon (see photo, above) says, "We wanted to create a party atmosphere and take away the convention of a stiffness of walking into the theatre; you're walking into an experience. It's not just come in, curtain up, curtain down, go home. It's more than that." Adds Graham: "We want the audience to be part of the fun that we're having."

Stunts aside, the sketches prove the troupe's comedic tone is one to watch -- and with each new show comes brand-new sketches; the group never recycles old material. I've seen the show twice, and the mix of wildly eclectic scenes have constantly struck me as smart, shocking and, ultimately, uproarious.

There was the scene from 'Three Sisters,' for instance, where all of the female roles were played by men ... in the nude. Graham explains, "We performed a scene very seriously from Chekhov's masterpiece, but we were completely nude and our penises touched and everything. I even laid my head in my 'sister's' lap to comfort her -- and his penis went into my ear. It was funny!" Actually, it wasn't funny; it was HILARIOUS.

And then there was the Maya Angelou phone sex hotline. Do I even need to go into detail? I think not.

But the thing that FUCT-ettes love -- and keep coming back for -- is the pre-show "Wheel of Torture." It's here where any audience member can spin a wheel and, for five bucks, pick whichever cast member they want to perform the torture on which the wheel lands. Sick? Perhaps. Sickeningly funny? Most definitely. (It's kind of like 'The Price is Right' gone awry.)

Tortures for their brand-new show opening in June, 'FUCT: The Tip Doesn't Count,' include stun gunning a cast member anywhere on their body; the "heart stopper," a 23-foot rubber band that is snapped into a bare chest; dropping a medicine ball on to someone's stomach; and, attaching a rat glue trap on to someone and then ripping it off like a Band-Aid. Ouch.

So this begs the question: Why the torture? Graham (see photo, right) says it's because "people love to watch other people get hurt. Our audiences are quite masochistic like most are, and we want to do what makes them happy." Jon chimes in: "It's playful ... and it's painful. It's silly to watch someone get spanked with a wooden paddle. But if you watch the audience, it's also very funny." (Oh, I didn't mention the paddle, did I? Before every show, five bucks gets you the chance to spank any cast member.)

And I wouldn't be doing a service to you, my loyal QueerSighted readers, if I didn't point out that FUCT is extremely homoerotic. And there's a butt-load – pun intended – of male skin.

Jon explains, "Just because we like to spank each other and see each other naked, it doesn't mean a thing. In truth, it's pushing boundaries of what people expect. We're breaking boundaries by not allowing judgment in our theatre; we're saying, 'Be who you want to be, do weird things if you want,' and you're appreciated and embraced for it. We get up there and embarrass ourselves for the audience and they love it because we're putting ourselves out there in a ridiculous way."

FUCT is also keen on challenging their very own conventions. According to Graham, "We want an audience coming into the theatre from their busy lives thinking and feeling one thing and leaving the theatre feeling so comfortable with everything that they're dancing with us on the stage at the end of the show. We want it to be a release for the audience."

The show's biggest difference between then (Fordham) and now (off-Broadway) lies mostly with the troupe's experiences. Graham says "it's a world of difference. At Fordham, it was student-centered. But now we've opened it up and we're all members of the same community. And nothing is sacred." Jon adds, "Both are a certain forms of chaos. We've learned over the years how to chisel and sculpt that chaos into something that's more accessible to a wider audience."

With that, it was time to get the check and get going. Our final FUCT moments went like this:

Sanford: OK boys, so what's in store for the new show? Graham, you first.

Graham: Well, a party. And some pain. Oh, and a penis. Yeah, a painful penis party.

Sanford: Um, wow, OK. Jon, you wanna add to that?

Jon: Sure. Magic. Singing. Dancing. And a whole lot of silly pain.

Sanford: Sold! I'm there! Check, please!

If you want to laugh your ass off, get your tickets. And I can tell that you're just hankering for a "Wheel of Torture" montage. Well, I'm here for you, people, so check this out:



'FUCT: The Tip Doesn't Count' will run June 1-2, 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23 at off-Broadway's The Studio at The Cherry Lane Theatre. (All shows begin at 10 PM, with the pre-show starting at around 9:30 PM.) Theatre capacity is limited, so get your tickets soon at Telecharge. And for all things FUCT, check out their official website or their MySpace page.