Steak, volcanoes, and Lysol. What do they have in common? This past Friday, they were all topics for Under the Bed’s Drama Lab, during which UTB, Andover’s improv theatre troupe, invited the audience to contribute to their act. The outcome was “Cube,” a zany game that allowed the cast to act out the spectator’s unusual subjects. The cast rotated around in a square, which confused many of the actors. Nonetheless, the audience remained entertained by the UTB’s creative ideas. Next was the most popular act, “musical day.” Q Yankes ’07 volunteered to share her day, which the audience constructed. Nate Flagg ’07, who played Yankes, collaborated with Rosie Dupont ’06, who played both an eccentric teacher and Yankes’ alarm clock, for an amusing routine. Another act, the “Type-writer,” featured several of the cast acting out scenes from a concocted Existentialist novel. Heavy on French accents, the skit resolved bizarrely, somehow ending with earwax. While this act was not the crowd’s favorite, the cast enjoyed themselves as they showcased their on-the-spot acting talent. The night’s performance had its normal ups and downs. While the audience enjoyed “Materialism Invades,” in which a simple audience suggestion was suddenly turned into a commercial, they were less enthusiastic about other acts. “Gregorian Chant,” a skit revolving around Starbucks, strained to find a coherent subject. The actors resorted to listing their favorite drinks, while the audience struggled to find the humor in the act. In spite of this setback, the actors quickly recovered and finished the night with a couple of dynamic audience-targeted games. Overall, the event was an opportunity for Under the Bed to show off their undeniable theatrical talent in an intimate relaxed atmosphere. The actors’ enthusiasm and imagination kept the audience laughing throughout the performance. While the performance had its flaws, the cast’s control over challenging improvisational skits was impressive. Sara Wallace ’08 agreed, “It was a lot of fun and the actors were very talented individuals. They worked well together as a group. I just had a really good time. And I’ll definitely see their next performance.”
