thePULSE
January 2006 –
Improvisational comedy is growing in popularity thanks to touring groups like The Groundlings and television shows like Whose Line is it Anyway? The Worcester college scene is getting in on the fun, too, with performing groups cropping up all over the Consortium. In fact, WPI has not just one student comedy group on campus, but three. Kilroy Sketch Comedy, Guerilla Improv and Empty Set are all “children” of the Student Comedy Productions mother organization at WPI. All three groups gain funding and rights for their productions through the SCP, and the umbrella organization gives them the means to actively recruit and publicize meetings and performances.
Kilroy has been performing its comical live and filmed sketches for the WPI community since its formation in 2001, staging a show in Alden Hall once every quarter. “Kilroy is a sketch comedy group, we solely perform scripted sketches that are written, directed, and acted in by us,” says Kilroy producer/director Ryan Keough. It is the only SCP group at the school that does not require an audition (“Kilroy loves you just the way you are.”) ~ but don’t let that fact fool you, there is no shortage of talent here.
Kilroy recently had a show to cap off the 2nd quarter of the 2005-2006 school year and I was lucky enough to have a front row seat.
The evening began with stand-up comedy performed by several of the Kilroy members. With his racy humor, Brandon Bogel showed the crowd why he is considered WPI’s very own Andrew Dice Clay. Next up was Ryan Keough himself, performing some of his Dane Cook-inspired humor, followed by more stand-up acts courtesy of Dan Caron and Todd Rosburough.
After almost an hour of very entertaining stand-up, Kilroy moved into it forte, sketches. The dynamics of the group’s humor allow their sketches to flow directly into each other, and well-known film characters often make appearances during the on-stage show. The time and effort that have gone into the pre and post production of the filmed sketches are impressive, too; the shorts are well-filmed and well-edited ~ and of course, funny!
The members’ shared sense of humor and gift for sketch writing is perfectly illustrated in their “Behind the Music” style parody of a rock star turned pottery addict. This hilarious piece transitions oh-so-smoothly into the next, a children’s show hosted by none other than one of the drunken partygoers from the rock star skit. Kilroy is clever about smooth segues like that one and like incorporating original characters The Mime Gang from one of their short films into their live stage act; they kept the crowd ~ myself included ~ interested and laughing out loud the entire time.
Although Guerrilla Improv is a strictly improvisational group and Empty Set dabbles in improv as well as scripted performance, the three comedy groups have performed shows together before and often get together as an SCP family. “We definitely have a healthy encouragement amongst all the groups, though we all do our own thing.” Keough says. “We have a mutual respect for all who perform comedy.” Trust me, catch the very next WPI comedy show that you can and you too will have a newfound appreciation for comedic writing and performance!
Visit users.wpi.edu/~improv/
