College Avenue Players' 'Get Off My Lawn' is grand old time
For anyone looking to escape the gloomy weather or the rowdy crowds of Rutgers football fans this past weekend, Scott Hall on the College Avenue campus provided a perfect refuge, especially for theatergoers. Here, the College Avenue Players (CAP) kicked off their fall season with a bang, presenting three performances of "Comic Relief XXXVI: Get Off My Lawn" across Friday and Saturday.
After a spring semester filled with experimentation, including the troupe's first full-length, student-written play, the group returned to its roots with its annual charity show, celebrating an impressive 36-year milestone.
The program featured 20 sketches from comedic favorites like "Saturday Night Live," "Key & Peele," "I Think You Should Leave" and more, but as always, the cast and crew brought their own eccentric flair to each bit.
Whether it was the incorporation of Nerf guns or baby dolls to simulate their real-life counterparts, there was an endearing DIY quality flowing throughout that could only be found in a community theater or on a college campus.
Adding to the fast-paced, infectious rhythm was the diverse selection of sketches that kept audiences guessing what would come next. While CAP drew from major TV shows, they also included material from more niche internet comedy troupes like "Studio C" and "Chris & Jack," which explored everything from the ethics of superpowers to the philosophy of a bank robber.
Directors and actors also weren't afraid to shake things up. One prime example was the troupe's execution of "Hotel Ad," which, in its original airing on "SNL," relied on edited images and video transitions as punchlines.
Instead, under the direction of Gabriella Avagyan and Aniya Naughton, School of Arts and Sciences seniors, the skit relied on a stronger emphasis on music, creative use of spotlights and stellar performances from Catalina Chapman, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, and Carrie Ward, a School of Engineering junior. The result was a bizarre yet hilarious experience that arguably did a better service to the script than the source material.
CAP veterans Mason Springer-Lipton and Fey Somoye, a School of Arts and Sciences junior and senior, respectively, were expected standouts. In sketches like "When You Don't Know How to Count Money" and "Your Healthy Friend Who Still Does Drugs," they had the opportunity to let loose and play some truly deranged characters, a key skill in each actor's repertoire.
The production was notably highlighted by some new faces, most of them being first-years who stepped into the large shoes of last year's graduating cast members and rose to the occasion.
Grace Mombo, Vinesh Uniyal, Ben Yavin and Michael Yuan, all School of Arts and Sciences first-years, felt right at home on the stage in Room 135. Whether they were playing the "straight man" or a "foil" in a particular scene, they all had their chance to shine and leave an impression.
If their performances were anything to go by, the collective will be in good hands when it hosts its 37th rendition of "Comic Relief."
Even if you have reservations about theater, "Get Off My Lawn" served as a bridge between mainstream comedy and the ensemble's offbeat sensibilities.
Not to mention, the event was in support of a great cause. All proceeds went to Elijah's Promise, a non-profit organization devoted to feeding less fortunate members of New Brunswick and surrounding areas.
For those who missed the spectacle of "Get Off My Lawn," the show was just an appetizer of what's to come for CAP this year. In November, the troupe will debut their annual Halloween show, "Hot Ghoul Halloween," before closing out the year with "She Kills Monsters" in December.
In the meantime, for anyone looking to dip their toes into the arts, CAP holds improv, comedy sketch-writing and stand-up workshops every week.
