Wiggers promise a show filled with laughs

It's opening night for Mask & Wig's annual fall production, just in time for homecoming weekend festivities. The all-male comedy troupe's show, Ah Brutus, You Kill Me, holds promise of laughter and fun for the audience as well as the actors. With two acts of skits, one-liner blackouts and musical interludes, the show is intended for a wide audience of varied sense of humor. The show features all new material in which humor stems from political, religious and "Penn"-oriented issues, such as the much talked about Locust Walk bike ban. Highlights of the show include men in diapers, men in spandex, men in a kick-line... well, there is little they don't do. "Everybody will find something to laugh about," said College and Wharton junior Rich Carvajal. From acting to producing, directing to choreography, the show is entirely created by the members of Mask & Wig. And with this hands-on, student run system, change and growth are inevitable. Director Dan Bisbee, a College senior, explained: "The club is going through the process of reinventing itself by the reinfusion of traditional American burlesque along with innovative presentation techniques, without giving up our basic 'whoa, what's that on your shirt' standard." After three months of rigorous rehearsal, Bisbee feels the group is strong. The group draws its skill, he believes, from effective leadership coupled with an abundance of new talent. "There's absolutely nothing like it on this campus," Wharton senior Norm Golightly said. Golightly explained that the enthusiasm of the actors and the whole tone of the show depends greatly on audience reaction. The music selection runs the full gamut, from rock to funk to jazz to pop with a little bit of everything else thrown in. Mask & Wig guitarist and Wharton and College senior Ted Werth believes the music is a fun challenge where "everybody gets a chance to spotlight their instrument." As for the title, "your guess is as good as mine," Golightly joked. The meaning is, in fact, revealed in the last scene. Ah Brutus, You Kill Me will run tonight through Saturday at the Houston Hall Auditorium. The Wednesday show will be presented at 8 p.m. for a ticket price of $5. On the following three nights, shows will run at both 7 and 9:30 p.m., and tickets will be on sale on Locust Walk for $6.