Oscar-Nominated Director on Working with UCB Comedy Performers and Filmmakers

UCB performers Adam Pally and Sarah Burns appear in the upcoming film, Monogamy, directed by Oscar-nominated director Dana Adam Shapiro (Murderball). The film also received additional editing by Todd Bieber, UCBComedy.com's Director of Content and Production. In an interview with UCB Comedy, Dana said, "Our casting director, Billy Hopkins, brought in Adam Pally to read for the role of Quinny. He looked too young, but his audition was so off-the-cuff and strange in a good way that we wanted to find a way to get him into the movie. So we turned a bit part written for a 'goombah groom' into a much bigger part that allowed Adam to do a lot of improv. After seeing him perform at UCB with Death by Roo Roo, I asked him to recommend a few women that could play his bride-to-be, and he mentioned Sarah Burns. I thought she was hilarious in I Love You, Man and Flight of the Conchords so we met for drinks at the Brooklyn Social and that was that."

Dana notes that he asked Todd to help edit the Adam and Sarah scenes because they gave such a wealth of comedic material. "There were so many takes to choose from, like when Sarah gets mad at Adam for doing the robot like a Nazi. Todd nailed it."

Monogamy, part-mystery thriller and part-relationship drama, stars Chris Messina and Rashida Jones. It will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival; tickets are available on-line.