David Bonsai, a character created and played by Harry Kahane ’20, leapt onstage, lamenting about his romantic history with bonsai trees and his desire for human love. As though by magic, the shy Eduardo, played by Ben Carbeau ’21, emerged, and the pair begin to fall for one another. David’s transformation from a Bonsai to a “Bon-guy” left the audience hollering with laughter.
“I thought it was a funny approach to an abstract topic,” said audience member Zeena Kao ’22. “The use of accents and different role-playing created an imaginative scene with lots of different components. The incorporation of the satire added a relatable element which I found really enjoyable.”
This game, titled “Town” and set in the town of Tightpants, was part of the Under the Bed show held last Saturday night in Kemper Auditorium. The comedy group performed skits and played a variety of games to keep the audience entertained.
Kahane said, “I love performing with the group. Performing wouldn’t be the same with anyone else. We get a new energy with each new group every year, and it’s always special. I joined the group my [Junior] year, and since then my role in performances has changed drastically.”
The following game, “Pillars,” had the audience howling with laughter. Violet Enes ’21 and Lily Rademacher ’21 starred in this skit, improvising an argument over a shared room. As a twist, either one could point to their pillar, Ian Hurley ’19 or Alex Bernhard ’19, who would then say a line for them. The involvement of the “pillars” drove the argument towards questions about dinosaurs and slip-and-slides.
“Violet and I went in and the audience told us we were step-brothers, so we did this whole scene; we were in conflict. Alex and Ian were the pillars, so occasionally we would call on them to fill us in. The audience participated a little bit during the show,” said Rademacher.
The acts took a sharp turn away from the world of Tightpants as more intimate themes were incorporated into the improvised routine. During the game “Statue,” Nick Picchione ’20 and Rob de Jesus ’20 were “controlled and moved” by audience members Chris Davies ’19 and Anjunae Chandran ’18.
Despite the laughter, the Under the Bed members felt that the performance was lackluster due to low energy levels, which Kahane and Co-Head Nick Demetroulakos ’19 attributed to the recent Winter Break.
Demetroulakos said, “It was difficult going right after break. [We had a] limited amount of time to practice. Overall, I’d give [the performance] a 6.5 out of 10.”
Editor’s Note: Alex Bernhard is an Eighth Page Editor for The Phillipian. Ian Hurley is a Video Editor for The Phillipian. Robert de Jesus is a Business Associate for The Phillipian.
