Every now and then I’ll take the time to indulge in the talents of my peers. After all, now that many of us are in our early twenties, we have some pretty damn remarkable talents. Last Saturday I took the opportunity to watch several of these abilities on display in the Fall 2012 production of EngPlay—and let me tell you, from opening act to the final bow, the cast and crew did not disappoint. Their weeks of rehearsal were put to the test in the final rendition and they successfully left the audience roaring with laughter.
Directed by Megan Pollock and Mina Labib, the two-act epic was composed of several shorter (unrelated) skits that kept intrigue up, and the jokes rolling. Interludes between set changes were filled by the comical stylings of Scott Walton and, much to his character’s despise, the well-timed musings of Ryan Collins. In an interview after the show, Walton stated that while there was a general plot direction being followed, most of their material was in fact improvised. Scripted or not, as the play progressed the audience couldn’t help but laugh at the hilarity that unfolded as a result of Walton’s ever emptying bottle of Jack, and ever increasing degree of nakedness on stage.
Admittedly, a review of the performance would probably have best been facilitated during a staging earlier in the week, as the most I was able to (read inclined to) write down were the punch lines associated with each of the play’s skits. Nonetheless, the raucous atmosphere in the AL lecture hall on Saturday evening made the ensuing skits all the more entertaining to watch. A skit involving a (literally) blind date fed off the endless innuendos one might expect in such a situation, while the following scene in which a pre-pubescent Sean Walsh explores the possibility of “liking girls” with his pals (much to their dismay, of course). These two skits made for a strong opening act and left the audience eagerly awaiting more laughs at intermission.
Act two saw the continuation of the Walton and Collins subplot, along with a rather intriguing take on Romeo and Juliet. It is at this point that “crowdiness” hit an all time high during the performance, and my note taking peaked in terms of in-comprehensiveness.
Ask anyone in attendance over the three-day span of performances though, and they will all tell you the exact same thing: the cast and crew of this term’s EngPlay hit the funny bone spot-on with their performance. For what was potentially the final send-off for veteran directors Megan Pollock and Mina Labib (although who am I kidding, they’ll probably direct next winter too), it was truly a job well done. I send my sincerest congratulations to the entire cast and crew for their hard work this term; thank-you for giving us all a good laugh before exams.
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