Humorous Maximus plays to packed house

They had more hairstyles than Madonna, more polyester than John Travolta and more personalities than Sybil. Bloomers packed it all in and strutted their stuff to a full house in their new show Humorous Maximus. Humorous Maximus is a collection of short, Saturday Night Live-esque skits that dig for the humor in politics, tabloids, the University and the rest of the laugh-inspiring world. When compared to the more recent days of Saturday Night Live, they can probably be considered equally successful. Most of the clips got a great response from the audience, although a few left some members politely snickering. Part of the problem came from the technical distraction of the seldom-heard announcer that seemed to detract from the overall comedy of the scene from the start. The other part of the problem was that great scenes were made less so by an unsuccessful punch line. But all was not lost. The women are tremendously talented in all aspects of their performing ability. The individual characters they developed were finely tuned and hysterical. "What Have You Been Smoking?" was particularly amusing, as was "Decisions, Decisions . . . " The best aspect of the performance was the addressing of women's issues through the control of women's comedy. It was entertaining to see Clarence Thomas ridiculed on stage and the Locust Walk diversity issue in a funny yet effective light. They also offered an interesting remedy for any woman who has suffered during Valentine's Day in "You Break 'Em, You Buy 'Em." As inappropriate as it may have been, the depiction of the man who sits on Locust Walk and asks passersby for quarters was by far one of the funniest moments of the show. Bloomers' performance is not exactly polished, so if you're looking for a finished, sophisticated night of theater, Humorous Maximus is not for you. But for a relaxing night of fun, laughs and great musical interludes, Bloomers' newest addition to the University theater agenda is worth checking out. These women have a wonderful sense of humor as well as an impressive quantity of talent that should not be missed. Humorous Maximus runs tonight and twice on Saturday in the Houston Hall auditorium. Tickets are on sale on Locust Walk and at the door.

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