Brandeis' all-original sketch comedy troupe, Boris' Kitchen, opened its 2010 season last Friday with the Old Sh*t Show, a display of 14 short comedic vignettes. These stories all followed a simple formula: Several actors appear in an often-ludicrous situation, quick and witty dialogue is exchanged, and hilarity ensues. Sometimes sexual humor was exchanged for the second step, but the audience didn't seem to mind. The scenes all melded well together without appearing choppy or unrelated-like a good potluck. I was particularly impressed with the Boris' Kitchen writers (not all of whom appear onstage). Being funny in the moment is hard, but writing humor, without the visual aspect, is even harder. Sketches that the audience seemed to enjoy the most included one involving pilots teaching a hijacker proper technique and another about seventh-grade drug addicts. If these topics seem off-color, that's the point. Part of the Old Sh*t Show's charm is its ability to pull farce out of unexpected situations, like postmodernism or the Civil War. While some more-traditional setups were used (a date, group therapy), the majority of the skits relied on more-original initial situations, which created unpredictable storylines and a legion of twisted characters.

All the actors worked well together, playing off each other and allowing scenes to build. Briana Bensenouci '12 and Rachel Benjamin '14 displayed the best performances of the night, pulling off outrageous characters with enough poise to keep them from appearing cartoonish. It was especially refreshing to see so many females taking on physical comedy, a genre that is more typical of men. Women are more often relegated to the comic foil or love interest. In fact, I'd say that the ladies overall out-joked the men. This is not to say that the male members of Boris' Kitchen didn't keep up their share of the funny. Peter Charland's '14 aroused Civil War soldier and Jordan Warsoff's '11 too-enthusiastic pilot were also highlights of the performance. Sadrach Pierre '13 and his use of unique facial expressions was also a crowd favorite.

The overall atmosphere of the Old Sh*t Show increased the audience's enjoyment of the night. The performance was held in Usdan's Alumni Lounge, and the viewers sat on the floor. An area was cleared at the front of the room to act as the stage, and props were moved on and off at the beginning and end of each vignette. This informal and cozy setting allowed everyone to feel an amiable sentiment toward both each other and the performers. Playing snippets of music in between each sketch added to the playful vibe of the show.

Though the Old Sh*t Show was Boris' Kitchen's first outing of the year, the cast already worked together like old friends. There are five new members of the troupe this semester, including Benjamin and Charland. Yoni Bronstein '13, the club's treasurer, said he was "really impressed by our newest members. They really showed everyone what they're capable of, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do in the future."

Lydia Flier '11 is the current troupe president. She feels that Friday's performance was the most important of the three Boris' Kitchen puts on each year. "This is the show where we incorporate our new members, show them what the troupe is like, and how we work. . This show is also where we revisit past hits, and as a senior, that was especially important to me." Boris' Kitchen has a 24-year history, and sketches are recycled from different years for each performance and mixed with new material. In fact, the last sketch of the night was one all the actors involved had previously performed 3 years ago. They all reprised their original roles. Said Flier, "It felt different because we've all grown so much not just as comedians and actors, but also in our comfort with each other. But it was definitely a positive change."

The Boris' Kitchen cast will next be appearing in The Festival, where it will perform alongside troupes from other colleges to raise money for charity. Don't miss out on this next serving of humor from the Kitchen.