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As seen on TV: Fresno State Home comming 2003
The Rattlebrain Theater Company did their best to split the sides of students gathered at the Satellite Student Union Thursday night. The troupe took the stage and introduced the show as “Ride” with Blur’s “Song 2” blaring over the speakers. The actors kept up the levels of energy and enthusiasm throughout the performance. The show was part of Fresno State’s Homecoming week celebration. Rattlebrain’s show was strictly improvised comedy and rehashed many of the skits featured on the ABC television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” keeping with the Homecoming theme of “As Seen on TV.” The show tried to involve the audience as much possible, taking themes, names, places and other ideas from them before the actors broke into each act. They asked one student his name and a mundane event in his day. With that information they held a special news report about the audience member, Thomas, brushing his teeth earlier in the day. The actors also conducted interviews for the news report, playing the roles of Thomas’ slack-jawed-yokel parents in Iowa and his gay lover. Next came the brain surgeons who ran an emotional gauntlet as they had to change their mood as each new suggestion came from the audience. They ran from irate to ecstatic, and everything in between, before they exhausted the idea. Later, two members of Rattlebrain, touted as spelling-bee champions, spelled and used words the audience had made up. The words were spelled out with the duo taking turns spelling the word, alternating letters until they spelled the word. The word was then used in a sentence to establish a meaning. One made-up word resulted in the sentence, “Eating too much burrito can cause assplosion.” Farce had quickly emerged as the dominant theme of the show. Other “Whose Line Is It Anyway” staple favorites came out as the show progressed. Actors were put in position and acted out a skit relating to the pose they were in. A bell would ring when they had sufficiently explained the position they found themselves in and other actors would substitute them. The audience decided Rattlebrain’s next performance should be a play about a unicorn, and that a pornographic movie star, a National Rifle Association member and a cheerleader would be the characters auditioning for the play. The comedy troupe then improvised the scenes. When the NRA member was asked if he had any acting experience he said, “I was in JFK, I shot him.” Rattlebrain wrapped up the show with a rousing game of “forward-reverse.” The actors needed their wits about them as the orders “forwards” and “reverse” were barked from the wings and the actors had to improvise a scene alternating between forward and rewind. The skit had the audience in stitches, and the crowd never tired of being told to “shield your eyes.” |
