It might seem like a preposterous idea now, but 30 years ago, MTV actually played music videos on television. In fact, most of its programming in the early ’90s was still dedicated to the channel’s original mission of showcasing actual music.
So, it’s hard to define just how shocking it was to see “The State’’ — a sketch-comedy program featuring a cast of recent college graduates with no television experience and zero name recognition — performing on a channel that defined the pop-culture zeitgeist of the time.
“The State” lasted only two years on MTV, but the impact of its absurdist off-brand comedy is still being felt today, in everything from zany television commercials to the recent success of Saturday Night Live’s Please Don’t Destroy feature.
Last year, the troupe’s memebers reunited for a series of live sketches — their first extended set of performances together in 30 years — and on Sunday, they’ll hit the stage again as part of this year’s SF Sketchfest, an annual comedy extravaganza taking place at dozens of local venues Jan. 18-Feb. 4.
The multiday festival will showcase legends such as Eric Idle and Kids in the Hall; acting stars Paul Giamatti, Kyle Maclachlan and David Cross; and podcast impresarios Amber Ruffin and Marc Maron, in addition to scores of comics.
One of the centerpieces will be the cast of The State doing a live table read of popular sketches, never-before-seen skits and other rare bits dating back to the halcyon days on MTV — an experience that still draws awe from David Wain, one of 11 members of the comedy group.
“We had all just graduated NYU and had an in at MTV, but they had very few shows at the time that weren’t music and nothing at all like what we were doing,” Wain said. “It was this sort of crazy, incredible time, where we basically had the keys to the kingdom and could do whatever we wanted. We were all in our 20s and the people running the network were in [their] 20s, and so we were all basically just learning together.”
After the initial foray on MTV, the members of The State split off in various partnerships, leading to cult comedy classics such as “Reno 911,” “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Stella,” “Childrens Hospital,” and countless films and television shows.
Formed in the mold of groundbreaking acts such as Kids in the Hall and Monty Python, The State’s core group (10 men, one women) all played a variety of roles on the MTV show, with skits ranging from crude, bathroom humor settings to dry-as-a-bone comedy to seemingly random, “just for the hell of it,” ventures with no real discernible plot or point.
That kind of boundless, fearless comedy can be seen influencing the likes of latter-day acts such as The Lonely Island, Tim and Eric, Zach Galifianakis and Please Don’t Destroy, the SNL trio whose quick cutaways and random developments have roots firmly in The State.
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“I obviously live in the bubble of my own life, but it does seem to me when I look at certain comedy programs, that there is a very straight line from what we did,” Wain said. “It’s obviously incredibly flattering, and so many of these acts have taken what we did and gone on in their own amazing direction with it.”
After wrapping up “The State” show on MTV, Wain went on to act and direct in numerous films and television shows, perhaps none more beloved than “Wet Hot American Summer,” a farcical movie that skewered classic ’80s teen-sex films.
Featuring many members of The State (and also marking the cinematic debut of Bradley Cooper) the movie bombed on its initial run in 2001, but word of mouth and the passing of precious DVDs between fans eventually turned the film into a cult classic — so much so that Netflix ran two follow-up sequels in 2015 and 2017.
“We thought it could be special, because we were so damn tickled making that movie,” Wain said. “But we had no illusions that anyone would actually watch it. It was a huge bomb, and it barely came out, but it just started to grow and grow into this juggernaut. Of course, there was no way in hell I could have ever predicted that.”
As a director, Wain frequently casts members from The State, including Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black. He also was a regular guest performer in the “Reno 911” franchise, the cop parody helmed by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, both also of The State. In fact, more than 30 years after first meeting at NYU, the members of the group still frequently work together in various projects.
“We all know Hollywood can be an awful, lonely place,” said Wain. “So, it is almost unimaginable to have spent this lifetime working with my buddies that are, at this point, family for me. It’s a dream.”
In addition to performing with The State on Jan. 20, Wain will host a magic show (for real, he’s an amateur magician) on Jan. 19 alongside actors such as Tony Hale and Kevin Pollack. Additionally, he’ll be performing with members of The State and Al Yankovic as part of his Middle Age Dad Jam Band, also on Jan. 20.
A regular presence at SF Sketchfest, Wain said he’s once again looking to perform at the multi-week comedy bash.
“Sketchfest is always just so much fun,” said Wain. “Even when I’ve been in different phases of my career, where I’m either busy making movies or making tv shows, I always like to come back to San Francisco and be among all my peers in the comedy community. There’s really just nothing like it.”
