Sketchy members perform the opening skit “Sketchy Baby,” a parody of the classic Christmas song “Santa Baby.”
Students flooded into Lower Right in Paresky Commons to get a front-row seat for the first Sketchy show of the year. Audience members who arrived late perched on windowsills and peered through doorways, trying to get a glimpse of the short, amusing vignettes that comprised Sketchy’s show.
Organized by Co-Heads Willa Koziol ’24 and Jack Swales ’24, Sketchy focuses on creating provocative and comical skits. Sketchy is composed of members from every class, and each contributes by not just acting but also by writing each skit as well. Sketchy member Claire Wang ’26 explained the thought process behind the skits.
“For inspiration, we try to think of a very obnoxious person on campus or an event that happened on campus and we try to bounce off of that… What makes us unique is that we are not afraid to just say stuff. There were a lot of things that were deemed controversial, but we just said them anyway. We do have limits, though. We are not crazy. We will get in trouble if we say certain things,” said Wang.
Performers poked fun at Andover’s culture, faculty, students, and rules, and had the audience erupting with laughter and shock. Ainsley Muldoon ’26 attended the show and especially loved jokes about the faculty. She elaborated on what she enjoyed most about the performance.
“I loved how many people came to watch the performance and how engaged the crowd was. It seemed to have helped the performers and made them feel more comfortable [to] not hold back. I loved the range of references catered to all of the grades and that they were current and past. I think it went very well, and people were entertained, laughed, and had a good time… I thought the roleplay of the faculty was very funny and totally accurate,” said Muldoon.
Sketchy member Andrew Pizzi ’27 reflected on the preparation process of writing and memorizing the script leading up to the show. Despite hectic schedules, he was able to form valuable connections with fellow members of the group.
“Memorizing was challenging because we were all so busy with the start of the new term, but we met every day this week, so I was able to get a lot of it memorized… My favorite part was getting to know most of the people in the group because I’m new,” said Pizzi.
Wang also enjoyed the preparation process, highlighting the humor and support from the other members of the group leading up to the performance, even in the face of conflict. Overall, Sketchy’s show provided a great opportunity for students to de-stress, have fun, and get more than a few good laughs.
“We are all funny people, so there wasn’t much fighting. When we did fight, it was really funny to watch because we would all call each other funny names… [Otherwise,] we were all supportive of each other, cheering for each other and giving high fives. So, it was really fun,” said Wang.
