Cutting the Ribbon is a short vaudeville skit, aka. quick blackout. I first saw it on The Red Skelton Show episode, Climb Upon my Knee, Dummy Boy. It goes like this:
Props:
- A pair of “buildings” on either side of the clowns. Cardboard cut outs, painted, etc. It could also be a stack of boxes, making their eventual collapse more
- A ribbon to connect the two buildings together.
- Oversized scissors for cutting the ribbon.
Participants
At least 2 clowns are needed, probably 4. Only two are on stage. The other two are in the wings, to pull on a rope (or whatever) to pull down the buildings at the right moment.
Cutting the Ribbon skit
Businessman Red has invited long-winded mayor Vincent Price to the ribbon cutting ceremony for his new building. The props are two columns, connected by a yellow ribbon with a bow. When Vincent cuts the ribbon …. The building collapses!