The HuMarists: Cooking up comedy
SANDRA BUJALSKI, MATT SPILLANE, AND OBOZUA EHIKIOYA
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 2 next >
It was time for the meeting to start, but there was nowhere for them to go. Still, the HuMarists, waiting in the Student Center alcoves, were not worried that their usual practice rooms on the third floor were not available.
Joe Burns led the group downstairs, snooping around for any vacant space and finally found a lonely room in the music department. This form of thinking is nothing new for the improv comedy group, which is used to being creative and flexible.
The HuMarists have been putting on shows at Marist and performing at national comedy festivals since 1991. Once a semester, the HuMarists put all of their talents on display when they host the Big Show, which will be held on May 1 in the Nelly Goletti Theater.
Junior Keara Driscoll said the show is very important to the group.
"Everything we worked on all semester goes into that show," she said.
In order to join the HuMarists, students must go through tryouts that are held at the beginning of each semester. Burns described the tryouts as selective, and said they can draw as many as 20 people. There are usually six to eleven people in the group.
"We take whoever we feel is talented enough," Burns said. "If you can't get up in front of people and do it, you're not going to be very good, obviously."
He said the most important factors are comfort, characters, and basic rules. "We like to see people get into a scene - create a real character instead of looking like a college kid playing an improv game. Finally, there are rules for good improv: listening to your scene partner, accepting and building off their ideas, and avoiding questions."
Improvisation is more difficult than it may appear. Junior Diego Cuenca said that people do not realize how much listening and teamwork it involves.
Burns said that group members need to have confidence in each other. Many factors, including the venue and audience, can present difficulties.
One skit, called "Anne Frank," is known for pushing the envelope, Driscoll said. The skit is a three-part series that parodies the Diary of Anne Frank, portraying her "as a clueless teenage girl," Burns said.
Joe Burns led the group downstairs, snooping around for any vacant space and finally found a lonely room in the music department. This form of thinking is nothing new for the improv comedy group, which is used to being creative and flexible.
The HuMarists have been putting on shows at Marist and performing at national comedy festivals since 1991. Once a semester, the HuMarists put all of their talents on display when they host the Big Show, which will be held on May 1 in the Nelly Goletti Theater.
Junior Keara Driscoll said the show is very important to the group.
"Everything we worked on all semester goes into that show," she said.
In order to join the HuMarists, students must go through tryouts that are held at the beginning of each semester. Burns described the tryouts as selective, and said they can draw as many as 20 people. There are usually six to eleven people in the group.
"We take whoever we feel is talented enough," Burns said. "If you can't get up in front of people and do it, you're not going to be very good, obviously."
He said the most important factors are comfort, characters, and basic rules. "We like to see people get into a scene - create a real character instead of looking like a college kid playing an improv game. Finally, there are rules for good improv: listening to your scene partner, accepting and building off their ideas, and avoiding questions."
Improvisation is more difficult than it may appear. Junior Diego Cuenca said that people do not realize how much listening and teamwork it involves.
Burns said that group members need to have confidence in each other. Many factors, including the venue and audience, can present difficulties.
One skit, called "Anne Frank," is known for pushing the envelope, Driscoll said. The skit is a three-part series that parodies the Diary of Anne Frank, portraying her "as a clueless teenage girl," Burns said.
Be the first to comment on this story