Let’s do a deep dive into the political comedy group known as DC’s Capitol Fools! Capitol Fools actually started as The Capitol Steps in 1981 by a handful of US Senate staffers in Illinois Senator Charles Percy’s office. The original goal of the group was to provide entertainment for their office holiday party and to poke some fun at all the people who employed them.
The group stuck gold in the comedy world and began successfully touring the nation chronicling the humor found in current events and politics through clever song parodies in their performances. Unfortunately, in 2021, the Capitol Steps shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. But an intrepid group of cast members (Jack Rowles, Steps co-writer Mark Eaton and Michael Pauken) worked together to set the stage for the next iteration of the comedy troupe, the Capitol Fools. The group is back on tour and bringing jokes that are fresher and crispier than ever!
Although the history of this group is interesting, we wanted to know a bit more about the behind-the-humor writing process and how this group executes its jokes, so we picked Jack Rowles’s brain to answer these questions! Rowles shared some insights on why he is part of this comedy group, how the jokes are chosen and created and if jokes are ever changed based on current events.
Rowles’ love of comedy stems from the idea that laughter is the best medicine, and in a world where current events create barriers between people, laughter soothes the soul and brings people back together.
“There is truly nothing better than sitting in a room with people who have a variety of political views but they are all able to share laughter and make fun of themselves as well as people on the other side of the aisle,” Rowles said
When asked about how topics are chosen for jokes, Rowles touched on the fact that simply making fun of politicians on both sides of the political sphere creates the funniest, most relatable content.
“As the news changes, the show content changes to match the current political events,” Rowles said. “We update every single performance to reflect the current state of politics. Our political system is the gift that keeps on giving, if you are the Capitol Fool!”
The Capitol Fools are never short on jokes and every performance you go to will be a different experience. Don’t miss seeing them when they stop for one night only, Thusday, Oct. 26, at Walton Arts Center!