Multiple personalities

by Jessica Del Curto

Daily Lobo

There are many characters inside the heads of Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez.

A 14-year-old girl named Jennifer and a space alien are just two.

The comedy duo has toured the world as the Pajama Men since 2000.

The shows are hard to define. Chavez said this is part of their image.

"We're not sketch, and we're not standup," he said. "People don't know where to put us in their brains."

They are two guys in their late 20s who have been doing comedy together since high school. Before they were the Pajama Men, they were called Sabotage.

They would perform various skits using different character voices. The first two characters were Nigel and Nigel, British brothers. Shortly after, Jennifer, played by Allen, and her father, played by Chavez, came to be.

The hour-long show is at first a bit confusing until audience members sort out who is who. Allen and Chavez work well together, transitioning smoothly from one character skit to another.

Even before they had the name, they performed in pajamas. Chavez said they wanted some kind of base uniform, so as not to lend to the confusion of the many characters they portray.

"Shanoah suggested spandex, and I didn't go for it at all," Chavez said.

Now the pair has been through many pajamas, but Chavez always wears green and Allen blue.

Chavez said people usually draw other conclusions about why they wear pajamas.

Some think it's because they are supposed to be dreaming. Others say they are supposed to be in a mental hospital.

Chavez said he agrees with all of them.

Allen calls the dynamic onstage collaboration onstage a psychic bond. It is a main reason for the team's success.

"I feel like I can throw anything at Mark and vice versa," he said.

This means that when they are onstage, they trust each other when one starts to improvise.

Chavez said this happens almost every night.

"We could certainly go onstage and not have an ounce of improv," he said.

But, he said, improv is how they keep the show alive.

It's also a safety thing, because comedy is about survival of the audience, Allen said. They cling to each other on stage, both emotionally and physically.

"If we were gay, we would probably be married to each other right now," he said.

Allen said their characters usually come out at the weirdest times, like when they are traveling across the country to shows.

"Both of us tend to be kind of ridiculous," he said.

The Pajama Men received critical acclaim. They've taken first place in comedy shows in Seattle and Canada. At the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, they were nominated for the newcomer award.

They were also picked up by Second City, a comedy company out of Chicago that is known for producing many of the "Saturday Night Live" stars.

Chavez said he grew up wanting to be a part of Second City, so when they were approached by the company, it was gratifying.

"We've come full circle," he said.

Allen credits his humor to growing up as the youngest in his family.

"It goes back to the survival instinct," he said.

He said if you're not cool, you have to come up with an alternative.

"I was cooler than Mark, but that's why he is funnier," he said.