A quick Q&A with Bumbershoot performer/comic Kevin Hyder

Kevin Hyder is a member of the People's Republic of Komedy, a 4-year-old sketch/variety group performing regularly in Seattle (www.prokomedy.org). The group is managing the regional-comedy stage at Bumbershoot as well as being funny at the festival on all three days.

Q: We're told interest in comedy has been growing at Bumbershoot. That must be encouraging.

A: Anytime business is good, we're encouraged. We have a strong following normally, but at Bumbershoot, lines to see our shows go around the corner. It's nice to see 250 people at every performance.

Q: For the uninitiated, what does the People's Republic of Komedy do?

A: We do live sketches and video sketches and music. We've made inroads into the sketch and improv community here. It's a full-on production. You never know what you're going to get, exactly.

Q: What don't fans of comedy know about our homegrown scene?

A: There's an awakening going on. Comedy's been asleep a long time. When we started, we all did open-mic nights, thinking that's what we had to do. But our friends were more interested in going to places like the Crocodile. So we developed a different kind of show, more like [television's] "Michael and Michael." We produce a show that speaks in that voice.

Tom Keogh, special to

The Seattle Times