Everyone in college can identify with the struggle of being underage and trying to go out on the town with friends who are that privileged age of 21. That was the theme of AU Players’ “#Underaged&Underwhelmed,” the second show in their New Works series of student-written shows.
Juniors Alyssa Wilden and Erin Hannigan were responsible for this side-splitting sketch comedy show inspired by comedy greats such as Saturday Night Live and the YouTube sketch show Harvard Sailing Team. Other cast members in the show were sophomore Paul Lysek and freshmen Cater Lowe, Roxy Reynolds and Bryce Sulecki, who Hannigan called “the funniest people we know.” All cast members wore the notorious black X’s of shame on their hands, the brand of all who attempt to go out under 21.
The show featured sketches like a mock game show making fun of ancient trivia show hosts, what girls really do at sleepovers and “American’s Next Top Freshman” after Tyra Bank’s reality show “America’s Next Top Model.”
One of the funniest sketches was co-written by Wilden and Hannigan similar to SNL’s news sketch “Weekend Update.” Wilden and Hannigan came up with “Friday Update” and a segment called “Really” where the pair discussed how unrealistic a historically accurate recreation of the Titanic maiden voyage to celebrate the 100-year anniversary would be.
They came up with the idea to write a sketch comedy show when they were interning last summer at the Washington Improv Theatre and they took a sketch writing class together, according to Hannigan. Hannigan said they are “such nerds, watching countless Tina Fey and Amy Poehler sketches” for inspiration.
While the pair of them worked together on the sketches, the title “#Underaged&Underwhelmed” was Wilden’s idea.
“The title of the show was inspired by a photo; we use it as our poster taken at our roommates for her 21st birthday,” Wilden said. “We went to Kramers and everyone else was over 21 and had fancy drinks. Erin and I had to order diet coke and hot chocolate. Our roommate posted a photo of us frowning and sticking our thumbs down and I commented ‘#underaged&underwhelmed.’ Boom. Title.”
AU Players’ third new work is a one woman show called “A Penny For Your Thoughts” by senior Caroline Sabatier. The show will open on May 1 at 8 p.m. in the Katzen Studio Theatre.
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