It’s turning into an annual spring tradition as the 1212 play brings another taste of Saturday Night Live comedy to campus. Wicked Sketchy is an original production made up of sketches, written and performed by students. For this third production, Wicked Sketchy veterans Mack Makishima (I), Alex Gistis (I) and Melody Tan (I) took on lead writing and directorial roles in this collaborative project. The 12-student cast pitched ideas to each other and wrote draft skits in small groups, eventually choosing the final ones, which each student had a hand in editing. Director and performing arts faculty member Peter Parisi says sketch topics range from pirates to family relationships, Greek mythology to dating, and the production includes two musical numbers.
The tradition of Milton’s 1212 Plays began over 30 years ago in room 1212 of Warren Hall. The performances evolved from play readings to fully staged productions under the direction of late faculty member Nina Seidenman. When Warren Hall was renovated, and room 1212 became an English classroom, the productions relocated to Wigg Hall. The space may have changed, but the philosophy is the same: intimate productions with small casts, minimal technical demands, and challenging material for both actors and audience.
Performances of Wicked Sketchy begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, May 5 and 6, and at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7.
