'The State' Comedy Troupe Reuniting Virtually To Read Classic And Unseen Sketches For Charity
Next month will mark 25 years since the MTV sketch comedy series The State went off the air. Named after the comedy troupe at the center of the series, The State featured Kevin Allison (Flight of the Conchords), Michael Ian Black (Another Period), Robert Ben Garant (Reno 911!), Todd Holoubek (The Ten), Michael Patrick Jann (Little Britain USA), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Ken Marino (Childrens Hospital), Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) and David Wain (Role Models) starring in a variety of comedy sketches. Now they're all getting back together for a virtual reunion on Zoom where they will read classic and never-before-seen sketches to benefit a couple organizations.
Simply titled Zoom with The State, Rolling Stone says the online streaming event will take place Wednesday, June 10 at 9:00 P.M. ET. In addition to reading old and new sketches, The State will also be auctioning off some items of memorabilia, as well as participating in a Q&A session with viewers. You can buy an advance ticket right now for $20, or you can pay $25 tomorrow on the day of the show. All proceeds will be going to the California Immigrant Resilience Fund and the NAACP.
The State was on the air for four seasons comprised of 28 episodes from 1993 to 1995. It's a cult favorite sketch comedy series, and it would pave the way for the cast to go on to bigger and better projects like Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911!, They Came Together, and more. More specifically, David Wain, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black have been longtime collaborators, even creating their own comedy troupe called Stella, which also received a short-lived sketch show, and the comedy series Michael & Michael Have Issues, and their films have often featured supporting roles for members of The State.
This isn't the first time The State have virtually reunited this year. Back in April, David Wain released a new version of their beloved sketch "Porcupine Racetrack," which you can watch right here:
It would be even more incredible if The State were able to reunite in person for some kind of event later this year. It would be even better if The State was revived for a new season with the original cast, especially since Kids in the Hall is making a comeback. But since a reunion with all the The State cast members like this is so rare, we'll take what we can get for the time being.
If you've never seen any of The State, you can buy the entire series on DVD right now. Pick it up, and you won't be disappointed in this flashback to the early 2000s when these comedians were doing all sorts of weird and hilarious sketches. If you'd like to seek out some of their best sketches, check out this countdown of 10 must-see bits: