My Mother's Fleabag held its first show of the year Friday night in the Chocolate Bar. Only standing room remained for those fans who arrived too close to show time. With the seats packed and the crowd anxious, My Mother's Fleabag rushed the stage.
My Mother's Fleabag offers a unique brand of comedy compared to the other comedic groups on campus. All of the group's skits are completely made up on the spot: 100 percent improv. This style of comedy can produce jokes that are either extremely hilarious or somewhat awkward. With good-humored and enthusiastic audience participation, the skits thrive. Yet, if the skits get off on the wrong foot, then they can sometimes drag on a little too long for comfort.
The show began with co-directors Nijah Cunningham, A&S '07, and Clara de Soto, WCAS '07, introducing the group and explaining to the audience what the evening's event had in store. With his unchecked enthusiasm and playful humor, Cunningham did a great job setting the stage and getting fans ready to participate. In addition, Cunningham and de Soto maintained loud and clear voices througout the show but unfortunately, not all the Fleabaggers projected their voices in a similar fashion.
Though the Chocolate Bar provides a relaxed and comfortable environment, it is often very loud. With people consistently coming and going and cappuccino machines roaring, the Chocolate Bar may not be the best place to hold a show without microphones. But despite this setback, the comedy was still there.
One skit, titled "World's Worst," brought out the best in My Mother's Fleabag. Audience members were asked to shout out different professions, and the group would act them out. They demonstrated the world's worst chiropractor, butcher, and things of that sort. The best came when a fan recommended, "Do world's worst priest!" Upon this request, the crowd began to stir and became slightly uneasy. That was until, freshman newcomer Dan Esposito, A&S '10, stood before the crowd confidently and with a big smile on his face said, "Shalom."
At another point during the show, however, a few skits lasted too long. For "Styles," two members needed to act out a scene between "cell mates" in various styles (anime, Tarantino, romance, etc.) Instead of pretending they were trapped in a jail cell, they set up a scene where they were trapped in a biological cell. This was an extremely creative and original idea, but it did not have enough comedic appeal to last as long as it did.
Toward the end of the show, My Mother's Fleabag asked one audience member to come up and explain his day for the skit "Day in the Life." A young gentleman came forward and, once on stage, it became evident that his day was far from thrilling.
The group tried to get something exciting out of the audience member, but he simply relayed a typical day. Once he was finished, the group proceeded to act out his day.
Without a lot to work with, they did a great job recreating a Newton bus ride, taking a shower, and other mundane activities.
In the end, My Mother's Fleabag's humor is sometimes hit or miss. By the nature of improv, there are many variables that need to line up for a skit to work out, and the members of My Mother's Fleabag should be commended for doing what so many others can't.
Without a doubt, this group will make you laugh, just maybe not as much as you'd like.
Pat Irish is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He welcomes comments at irishp@bcheights.com.
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