'A Sworded Affair' will cut up audiences

The Mask and Wig Club's 106th Annual Production "A Sworded Affair or To Each His Thrown" opens it's curtains tonight at 8:30 p.m. The show, in keeping with Mask and Wig tradition, promises lots of laughs and plenty of schtick for a wide range of audiences. Set in the mid-18th century in Flanders, Belgium, the plot is filled with queens, kings and evil princes. Cast members say it is a parody of many popular fairy tales and will include popular characters such as Robin Hood and the Three Muskateers. "Many shows take a new look at old things," said College senior Dan Bisbee. "This is our look at a new look on old things, everyone grew up with fairy tales." Although the show was written by three club members, College seniors Michael Shames and Gabriel Ledger, and Wharton junior Tyler Dickovick, everyone was involved in creating the final product. "Each person has added their own twist on characters and plots," said College sophomore Joel Chasnoff. Bisbee added that in his three years in the club, he has never experienced the amount of effort this show has called for. "The total creative input is greater than ever before," he said. "This is really a work in progress." Although the time for preparing the show has been a little under a month, cast members said they are fully prepared for tonight's opening. Members attributed the excellence of the show to the intense preparation caused by the time constraints, forcing the cast to really "bond". "It's a short time to put a show together but we've been here 12 hours a day and we're ready," Chasnoff said. Wharton senior and four time Wigger Norm Golightly said that January is a really hard month to be both starting classes and putting the show together, but it's worth it. "There's no other group I'd rather be a part of," he said. Many compared this year's production to those of the past and said that they feel it will go above and beyond what has already been done. "The group has been progressing in many different directions," Bisbee said. "We have excellence in singing, humor, and acting. We're known for being funny but we're making progress in different areas also." Bisbee added that the fall show caters to a student community with a good collective sense of humor. "We will reach an audience who is looking for a good laugh or good music theater," he said. Tonight's show is a dinner show with cocktails starting at 6 p.m. Tomorrow night will be the opening night for students. Curtain is at 8 p.m and tickets can be purchased on Locust Walk.