Name: Austen Dupree on Letterman, April 16, 1985
Uploaded: 2016-04-29T23:33:13.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Austen Dupree on Letterman, April 16, 1985' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2016-04-29. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Austen Dupree on Letterman, April 16, 1985' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2016-04-29. Transcript available.

My next guest is a second grader in Ms. Chiarella's class at the Elkridge
Elementary School in Maryland.
She and nine classmates wrote a play called The Mud Monster, and it's been
winning some very impressive awards.
Please welcome playwright Austin Dupree.
Hi, Austin. Nice to see you. How are you?
Fine.
Have a seat.
So, you and nine of your classmates wrote a play.
Yes.
Is this your first play?
Yes.
And do you plan on being a playwright when you grow up?
Maybe.
What other things have you considered being when you grow up?
Either a dolphin trainer or an author.
And where does your interest in dolphins come from?
Have you seen dolphins at like a zoo or something?
Mm-hmm.
And you're pretty impressed with them?
Mm-hmm.
Now, if you were a dolphin trainer, what would you train a dolphin to do that
has not been taught to a
dolphin so far?
What would be something you'd really like to work with for a dolphin?
I don't know.
Okay.
Now, you and nine other people wrote the play.
How long did it take you to write it?
Around six weeks.
Yeah.
And was it difficult working with that many people?
Yes.
Yeah.
What was the big problem?
What were problems?
Um, getting the play together.
Yeah.
Was it tough to get everybody in agreement on something?
Yes.
Yeah.
And do you remember whose idea it was, the story?
Who had the first idea about how the story ought to go?
The title was by Stephen Cox.
Uh-huh.
And then you just worked from the title.
Mm-hmm.
And the title of the play is what?
The Mud Monster.
The Mud Monster.
And we mentioned that it's winning some awards.
What was the award that it won?
We got to go to Washington and stay at the Watergate for three days.
Uh-huh.
And, uh, did you go crazy and run up a big room service bill?
No.
No.
Uh, but it won a very nice award.
Do you remember the name of the award, Austin?
The, uh, the Henny Penny Playwriting Contest.
The Henny Penny Playwriting Contest.
Well, that's very nice.
And, uh, they produced it for National Public Radio, is that right?
Did I get that?
Yeah.
Was that nice to hear your work on the radio?
Yes.
Yeah.
You look very nice tonight.
Thanks.
How would you describe your little outfit there?
I don't know.
And you're nine years old?
No, seven.
Seven years old.
You know, Milton Berle has socks seven years old.
Um, you have a beautiful name, Austin Dupree.
That sounds a little like a playwright's name.
And you have great eyes.
Those are beautiful eyes.
Now, Austin, we have a copy of your play here.
Do you want to tell the folks roughly what it's about,
and then why don't you and I read a page of it?
Well, it's about this boy named Georgie,
and he likes to play in the, um,
um, mud.
And one day he makes a mud monster,
and it comes to life.
Okay.
Uh, so this is from, uh,
Act One, Scene One.
Here, I believe that's your script.
And I'll, you're gonna,
I'll be Georgie,
and you'll be the mother, right?
Okay.
Okay.
And, oh, Paul, we have a part for you.
Do you have a script?
Yes, I do.
Okay.
Austin, this is,
this is Paul Schaefer,
our musical director.
Hi.
Hi.
Austin, it...
Nice working with you, Austin.
Austin, how do you like Paul's hair?
I love it.
Okay.
The kids,
the kids of today have spoken.
The kids know.
Uh,
now, now, Austin,
have you ever seen this television program?
No.
Mm-hmm.
I can't stay up too late.
You can't stay up that late.
No, that's right.
Now, do you think maybe tonight
you'll stay up to see it?
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
All right, now, do we have time to,
okay, we're just,
this is Act One, Scene One.
I'm Georgie,
Austin is mother,
and, uh,
we have,
Paul will be the surprise.
Oh, I love,
I'm Georgie.
Oh, I love to be all muddy,
and I love to play in the mud.
I'm tired of making plain old mud pies.
I think I'll make a monster out of mud.
Slurping sounds here.
Uh,
Hal, can you make the slurping sounds for us?
Yeah.
Okay.
Uh,
getting to be quite a production,
isn't it, Austin?
Mm-hmm.
Uh, okay, there,
I'm finished with the mud monster.
He looks just right.
Georgie,
time to come in now.
It's bedtime.
I thought I told you
not to play in the mud anymore.
You're not coming in this,
you're not coming in this house
till you're clean.
Oh, do I have to come in?
If you don't stop playing in the mud,
you'll be grounded for a week.
All right,
I'll,
I'll wash my hands.
Sound of running water here,
Hal.
Can you do that one?
I'm sorry, Dave.
That's one I can't do.
Okay.
Okay.
Uh,
okay.
Scene two,
act one.
This is in Georgie's bedroom.
Mom comes in and says,
Georgie,
are you asleep yet?
No,
I have a strange feeling
that someone or something
is outside looking at me.
I see something in the window.
Who are you?
Hello.
Hello.
I won't hurt you.
I'm your mud monster.
Okay.
All right.
So that's, uh,
the first page of your play.
I mean,
Austin,
I'm going to,
I'm going to read the names
of the other people
who wrote this with you
and they'll be able
to hear their name on TV.
Erin Chalmers.
Erin,
a nice person?
Yes.
Okay.
Dennis Chesgren.
Do you know Dennis?
Dennis Chesgren.
You get along with him all right?
Mm-hmm.
All right.
Stephen Cox,
Austin Dupree,
Misty Hall,
Chrissy Lee,
Sheila Liv.
Sella.
I'm sorry?
Sella.
Sella Liv,
I'm sorry.
Carolyn Margarum,
Sean Simmons,
Johnny Weeks.
Very nice.
And the faculty advisor
was Judy Bussey?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
What are you going to do
in New York tonight?
I don't know.
All right.
Well, it was nice of you
to spend some of your time here.
Congratulations on the award.
Nice meeting you, Austin.
Thank you very much.
Stay right there.
We'll be right back
with Michael Winslow.