Today we’d like to introduce you to Oliver Tull.
Oliver, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Four Day Weekend started out 21 years ago in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. 6,500 improvised shows later, Four Day has become the pre-eminent comedy venue in the Southwest. Their unique blend of songs and scenes has made them a destination for comedy lovers in the area, creating a base of repeat visitors that spread the word far and wide.
The group formed out of the Dallas – Fort Worth comedy scene in the mid-nineties, as four comics (David Wilk, David Ahearn, Frank Ford and Troy Grant) joined forces for what was supposed to be a six week run. As that run succeeded and stretched into six months, I joined the group, moving the show into its current home in the Four Day Weekend Theater, located in Sundance Square in beautiful downtown Fort Worth.
Audiences immediately latched on to the quick sketches and improvised songs Four Day Weekend produced, allowing the show to grow to four sold-out shows a weekend as well as a burgeoning training center, offering classes in improvisational comedy, sketch writing and stage techniques.
These successes led to Four Day entering the corporate training arena, where they applied their expertise to helping businesses incorporate improvisational techniques into their corporate environments, as illustrated in their bestselling book Happy Accidents: the Transformative Power of Yes And at Work and in Life. The group has performed thousands of times for companies around the globe, creating positive outcomes in the sales and management sectors each and every time.
And in 2018, Four Day Weekend extended their reach to Dallas with the opening of Four Day Weekend East, their new nightclub/performance space in the Lower Greenville neighborhood. Introducing a whole new audience to their unique brand of comedy, Four Day Weekend celebrates 21 years of excellence with a brand new show for a brand new space.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When Four Day began improvisation was not as well-known as it is now, the first few shows were spent getting the audience up to speed, because most of them had no idea what to expect. Improv is different from stand-up, and people needed time to get used to the different dynamics which were at play.
A large part of our job has always been education, but once the attendees began coming back for the third, fourth or twenty-fifth time we were able to move forward in the evolution of the show. Now we perform to sold out houses that really understand the nuance of improvisation.
Personally, people always want us to do scenes focused on bananas. What is so funny about bananas? They are a great source of potassium! Plus, they come in their own carrying case! Give bananas their due. Unless they are bruised. Screw those bruised up, mushy ones. They’re awful.
Please tell us about Four Day Weekend.
Four Day Weekend is known nationally for its keynote speeches, where audiences ranging in size from 50 to 5000 are treated to a fast-paced, humor filled educational experience. Corporations sing the praises of Four Day Weekend’s business focused message, which allows employees, clients and vendors to learn the positive advantages of the “yes and” mindset.
My idea has always been, it’s work but it doesn’t feel like work. When you get everyone on the same page, an improv frame of mind can accelerate the acceptance of business information company-wide. We are the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I had a friend who always loved listening to comedy albums, and I got into a lot of comedians because of him. My mother, on the other hand, didn’t want me listening to that stuff because she thought it would “rot my brain”. I took to buying LP’s on the sly and hiding them under my bed, listening to them when she would go to work. One Thanksgiving, I spontaneously recited one of the routines I’d been listening to. After getting my family to laugh I guess you could say I was hooked.
Looking back on it, my mother was right. My brain is rotten.
Pricing:
- Tickets are $25 for shows on Fridays and Saturdays
Contact Info:
- Address: 312 Houston Street, Fort Worth TX
5601 Sears Street, Dallas TX - Website: www.fourdayweekend.com
- Phone: 817-226-4329
- Email: corporate@fourdayweekend.com
- Instagram: fourdayweekendcomedy
- Facebook: fourdayweekend
- Twitter: 4daywknd
Image Credit:
Amy Peterson (Solo shot 0159) , Four Day Weekend (Group shots)
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