Don’t you hate when you are trying to decide whether you’re going to go on a date with Krystal from The Bachelor, an intense Olympic figure skating coach, or a werewolf with very limited social skills?
No?
Yeah…me either…
***
Union University’s very own student-led improvisational comedians, known collectively as Blank Slate, are putting themselves in these silly situations for one purpose, and one purpose only.
To get a laugh.
“I love when we make people belly-laugh,” says Tatum Sheppard, a sophomore theater major, and active member in the group. “One of my favorite things about Blank Slate is coming together with this team and seeing all of our hard work pay off by making the audience laugh.”
Three members of the troupe take their seats as another actor who has been sitting outside, comes into the room to participate in what is called “The Dating Game.” The three actors sitting have been given an occupation, object or person that they are supposed to act out. The contestant on the dating game (another actor) has to try to guess who the three characters are supposed to be, based on the answers they give to the questions that the contestant asks. Of course, many interesting and humorous scenarios come from this prompt.
Sheppard bats her eyes, pops her tongue after every word, and speaks in a strong Valley Girl accent as she impersonates Krystal from ABC’s The Bachelor. “I will love you better than any of these other girls, you just have to have faith in me” she swoons to Kiley Wilson, a freshman art therapy and psychology double major who is acting as Julie – a ditsy, Miranda Sings-esque bachelorette just looking for someone who will love her and her 23 pet turtles. “I will love you with all my heart!”
Sadly, Wilson picks the werewolf boy (she is a dog person).
***
One of the things that makes Blank Slate such a unique group is that the students involved come from all different types of majors, backgrounds and interests. Everyone is different, but they come together because of their shared interest in providing humor and entertainment to their peers through acting.
This is what Eli Creasy, a sophomore graphic design major and co-captain of the Blank Slate team, wants his audience to realize after leaving their shows. “I really want people to take away a deeper appreciation of the talent that the Lord has blessed us with,” Creasy says. “We are all different, but everyone on this team has a gift that we want to use to glorify God, and we want people to see that.”
Creasy takes the stage with Wilson in a game called “Actor’s Nightmare.” In this activity, one actor has a script and reads lines from it, while the other actor has to make up his own lines in response to what was said from the written script. Immediately, Creasy begins frantically screaming about the impending doom that he and Wilson will face if they do not file their taxes soon, while Wilson goes on about speaking with nuns down at the local cathedral.
“Stop asking Sister Phoebe for help with our taxes! If we don’t file them soon, we will be living under a bridge!” Creasy exclaims while Wilson blankly stares at the ceiling, mumbling on about whether or not the sisters and brethren will also be in attendance at said bridge. Creasy storms off, frustrated.
Scene.
***
After a couple hours of laughter and fun, practice ends, and everyone on the team begins to pack up their bags and head back to the normal life of a college student. Back to papers, studying, and thoughts about the future. Reality of tests and grades seep back into the minds of these performers, who had forgotten, for at least the past couple hours, about the various stresses and responsibilities each one of them hold. For them, this creative outlet is an escape from the mundane, and the anticipation of the next time they take the stage to provide that same, brief escape for a live audience is fresh on the minds of all these thespians.
They cannot wait to perform, and neither their audience.
The Blank Slate Improv team will be performing this Friday, February 16, in Barefoot’s Joe at 8:30pm. Admission is free; however, seating will be limited due to visitors to campus for Scholars Weekend.
