With only 24 hours to prepare and no scripts on hand, the Boston University Stage Troupe held its annual Combat Theatre at the BU Student Theater at Agganis Arena, for which writers and actors labored on two short performances.
The writers began work at 8 p.m. Friday and tried to finish by 8 a.m. Saturday, when the actors took over and began rehearsal. Stage Troupe’s Special Projects Vice President David Siewers said the group “barely” pulled it off.
“When the actors take their scripts at 8 a.m. Saturday morning there is usually laughter everywhere among the students about their parts in the shows,” Siewers, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said.
Siewers said nearly 70 audience members laughed during the interactive performances and at “That’s what she said” jokes, a comic motif throughout the night.
The first show, Tears of Joy, directed by CAS sophomore Ian Cohen, was about a therapist and her patient who recall painful memories as his past came to life onstage.
“The remarkable thing is that the writers and actors don’t see each other until it’s all done,” Tears of Joy actor and College of Communication freshman Kelly Gallagher said. “The actors don’t know the topics of the plays beforehand and the writers don’t watch the actors rehearse.”
“The best part is watching the audience’s reaction,” Gallagher said. “Although I’ve rehearsed the play so many times before, and know what happens, its given new life by the audience.”
Although she already saw the scripts, Stage Troupe Treasurer Kathleen Walsh, a COM senior, said she was surprised by the performances.
“The performances were lovely,” Walsh, who watched from the audience, said. “It was more than what I expected because of what they added to the show.”
The second show, I’m Too Tired To Name This, You Name It directed by CAS sophomore Emily Shumsky, was a parody of a debate between presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
“I think the audience can appreciate what we do here,” Siewers said. “It is not only something entertaining, but it shows the actors’ and writers’ talents since the plays are put together in such a short amount of time. It is also a great opportunity for anyone to participate in, if they can’t give a great time commitment, and are only looking for something to do for a few hours on a Saturday.”
