Life > April 21, 2005

By Jae Haley

Assistant Life Editor

For the first time in its eight-year history, the Chicago Improv Festival has invited college sketch comedy groups to perform in the newly formed Implosion College Improv Showcase. The university’s own Lilting Banshee Comedy Troupe is just one of nine comedy troupes that were selected.

President of the Lilting Banshees senior Geoff Barton first heard about the festival last fall. He submitted copies of the Troupe’s August and October performances at the university and the scripts from both of those shows. One month after submitting the application, the Banshees were notified that they had been selected.

As this is the first time that college groups were invited to perform in the festival, Barton said that it’s a huge honor to be a part of it.

The Lilting Banshees are allowed 30 minutes in which to perform their set. They will be performing a total of five sketches. Four of the sketches have already been performed for the university, including ‘FC Deez Nuts’ and ‘Anti-Drug.’ The last sketch entitled ‘Got any burgers, Grams?’ is brand new.

Senior Jim Hamblin called it an “epic sketch” in that it’s very driven by character development. “It’s very dry humor about the impending death of a grandmother and the awkward situations that ensue when she doesn’t die at the appropriate time.”

Freshman Katherine Scott said, “Grandma just won’t die because she wants to die an ideal death. She wants to be surrounded by her friends and family, but because she keeps hanging on it turns out that her death isn’t ideal at all because she ends up dying alone.  

“This skit has a lot of dark humor. It looks at the things that we’re afraid to think are funny.”

She said that the “Burgers” sketch reflects the power of comedy. “It’s easier to look at things through funny light, rather than a serious light.”

Though the Banshees will be performing with other college troupes for the Festival, the college showcase is not a contest. However, the Troupe feels that the benefits gained from such a showcase outweigh any sort of tangible reward.

Freshman Mike Baireuther said that the showcase will help the Banshees to earn national recognition. “We also want to see how we compare to other Troupes. It’s a chance to get new ideas. We can observe different writing approaches and different staging techniques.”

After the showcase, the Troupe hopes to return with fresh ideas for their upcoming performances, allowing them to break out of the traditional “Banshee format.” “We’re always looking for ways to expand the Troupe and to write new material,” senior Alex Kejner said.

In several ways, this year has been a landmark for the Lilting Banshees. In addition to opening for Louis Black earlier in April, the Banshees have produced more scripts in one year than ever before. Including the script for the showcase in Chicago, four scripts have been written and performed.

“Whenever you think it can’t get better, it does,” Scott said. “You open for Louis Black in front of 2,000 people and you think that nothing can top this, but then you’re about to perform in Chicago. Every opportunity is constantly superseding our expectations.”

In a word, the Troupe is “psyched” for the opportunity to perform in the Chicago Improv Festival. It will allow the Banshees to surround themselves in what they love