From Bay Windows review of Sitcom Boston. December 10, 1998
Perhaps some performers choose to do improv theatre in order to
handcuff reviewers. We'll never know. One has to wonder how to
evaluate characters and plot when the characters and plot live only
for one night, or, in the case of "Sitcom," only for thirty minutes.
First, the premise. "Sitcom Boston" promises "two episodes of an
improvised sitcom, complete with commercials and theme song." On the
evening of December 3rd, based on an innocent suggestion from the back
row of the house, the task set before the Sitcom ensemble was to
create a show set in Graceland, Tennessee. It turned out to be
Graceland in the future. Poor Lisa Marie.
Next, the players. While the entire ensemble is key to making the
improv work, there are a couple of true standouts in the cast. Liz
Feldman was undeniably hysterical as she deliciously pushed the
envelope in many of ehr scenes as Joetta, a woman obsessed with
Elvis's pelvis and destined to bear baby Elvises in homage to the
King. One of Feldman's compatriots who shares the ability to
strategically go over the top is Will Burke, endearingly known to
those who attended the December 3rd performance as "Bobo the monkey
boy." Burke is the type of performer who incites incredulous laughter
- that is, the audiences simply cannot believe the things he thinks up
to do and say.
Don Schuerman served as the director of the sitcom and shepherd
of the group. With clipboard in hand, he was responsible for cutting
to commercials and fading out scenes. He did so with ever so
respectable timing. in fact, all ensemble members are blessed with
fine timing. In addition, they are bright, witty, quick to retort,
and most importantly, quick to share. it is an impressive collection
of young talent.
Now, a word about the commercials. If you are not sure that you are
experiencing genuine improv, then just wait for the commercial breaks
in "Sitcom." The ensemble literllay pulls words out of a hat and
makes commercials out of them. The words used come directly from
audience members who are asked to write down a word, any word, as
they file inot the theater. The result is highly scatalogical and
tangential fodder for scenes and it is in these commercials where the
ensemble's collaborative quick thinking really shines. The
opportunity to watch instantaneous and cumulative brainwaves whip
about the room in nearly palpable fashion is quite exciting.
There's really no need to describe in too much detail the denouement
of Graceland's future - such a treatment would really be an exercise
in cultivating private jokes. Suffice it to say that Joetta is well
on her way to bearing children, bobo the oversized monkey stays on in
the jungle room, Chachi cuts down on the amount of Spam he consumes,
and Babette's private little voices finally disappear. That should
whet your whistle.
A little tip: don't look for a playbill until the end of the first
episode. Technology being as pervasive as it is, you might be
surprised by just how "hot off the press" the program can be.
Copyright, Gina Perille