For Arts Fest weekend, Robsham Theater housed a heartwarming musical that shares a lot in common with Sesame Street.  Everything, from the interactions of puppets with human characters, to the teaching of life lessons through song, calls back to the PBS children’s classic.  Well, except for the song about porn.  And the casual profanity.  Not to mention the world-weary cynicism, the introduction of puppets named Mrs. Thistletwat and Lucy the Slut, a “closeted homosexual” character, heavy drinking, death by a flying penny, and a puppet re-enactment of Kama Sutra positions that gives Team America a run for its money.  Welcome to Avenue Q.

Any event that starts with an impromptu dance party is guaranteed to be a good time, and that was exactly how the BC Theatre Department’s After Hours was hailed in, thanks to spillover from the BC Underground event that preceded it. Though starting about a half hour late due to said dance party, the plays to follow after were worth the delay. Though for the most part After Hours was a collection of inside jokes, the student-written and directed shorts were still full of heart, wit, and humor for those not privy to the department.

The first event of its kind, BC Underground was a collaborative effort highlighting the talents of various underrepresented student artists. A feature of this year’s Arts Festival, Underground brought spoken word poets, break dancers, rappers, and DJs together in O’Neill Plaza for an evening of unique artistic expression.