Jay Chandrasekhar builds ensemble comedy through preparation and careful adjustments to performance. We rate that discipline most confidently in his television work; the familiar routines of Broken Lizard give us more reason for caution.
Fi1m perspective
In Arrested Development (2003), the Bluths reward close attention even when keeping up with the story starts to feel like work. We laughed because the performances stayed sharply funny when the storytelling was tiring us. Jay Chandrasekhar directed four early episodes, making it a useful place to begin with his work. He cannot take the credit for a whole series, but maintaining its comic tone is precisely the sort of skill we value in him.
His working method starts with tightly scripted material, with room for actors' contributions in later takes. He tries lines at different intensities to find the right comic beat, rather than relying on extensive improvisation. That gives an ensemble some freedom without making the whole scene depend on what somebody happens to invent on the day. We like the practicality of that approach, and its respect for the work done before filming starts.
The feature career grew from Broken Lizard: Puddle Cruiser (1996) came before the breakthrough of Super Troopers (2001), which he directed, helped write and appeared in. Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske are recurring actor-writer collaborators. Beerfest (2006) continued the group's ensemble approach. That continuity suits his habit of trying lines at different strengths, though it also makes the freshness of the writing especially important.
The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) took him outside the troupe into studio directing. It drew criticism for being formulaic and uneven in tone, while some reviewers found Super Troopers 2 (2018) too dependent on familiar gags. For us, that is the weakness to watch for when a troupe keeps returning to familiar material. Another well-timed delivery can still leave a joke feeling worn out.
His television work also includes Community, where he directed 'Mixology Certification', as well as Psych and New Girl. Preserving a programme's tone is the skill we would look for here, rather than expecting every episode to advertise its director. Start with Arrested Development, provided a comedy that demands close attention sounds like a pleasure rather than homework.
Biography
Jay Chandrasekhar (born April 9, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, writer and director. He is a member of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard, which he co-founded while at Colgate University.
Chandrasekhar directed and appeared in the Broken Lizard films Super Troopers (2001), Club Dread (2004), Beerfest (2006) and Super Troopers 2 (2018). He has directed episodes of numerous television comedy series, including Arrested Development (2003–2004), Community, New Girl, Psych and The Goldbergs. His feature film directing credits also include The Dukes of Hazzard (2005).
