The Scramble is now Everything Must Go

Hi everyone! Not a long post tonight, but an important bit of news that I thought I'd share. The Scramble, which was never meant to be its actual name - just a description of what House Team #3 did that we used as a name because folks were being indecisive - has become Everything Must Go.

We settled on the name at rehearsal tonight, after Artistic Director Alexis Simpson made good on a threat from September to call us The Sketchy Players if we couldn't settle on a name...

I personally think it's great, and although folks in the group were exasperated when we finally decided (the name was one of the very first things tossed out about 2 months ago, and we came full circle), I'm totally convinced no one will remember alternatives we discussed in a year's time.

Which sort of highlights the problem that always exists with naming a group. As long as you stay away from anything too punny or grossly inappropriate names will become catchy with an audience for one reason or another - mostly the reason is because the group is funny. People tend to stress a lot about the choice of a name when they don't have to. Knowing their are other options is often a disaster that leads to far too much discussion of a choice that immediately fades into the background once it's made. The best groups I've been in have had names from the start - when they auditioned - and thankfully avoided a conversation about what to call themselves.

The next time you're trying to come up with a name ask yourself if, independent of the people they are associated with, any of these names make much sense:

Stella
Monty Python's Flying Circus
The Upright Citizens Brigade
Meg & Rob
Activity Book
Industrial
The Kids in the Hall

The answer is no. And hence, the name you choose isn't the thing... it's the funny you make.