Family Weekend at RPI is a time for celebrating the numerous accomplishments of the students who attend it, most importantly their diversity of character and talent. There was no better exhibition of these attributes this past weekend than through the showcasing of student talent outside of the classroom in the fields of theatre and music. I find it impressive that a school so famed for the importance it places on math and science can be so rich in artistic ability as well. For many, family weekend was a sort of tribute to the arts; attendance for both Shut and Bar the Door, written by Tom Gray and performed by our very own Players, and the Rocky Horror PITCHer Show, a performance by Rensselaer’s a capella groups, were very high, considering they were in competition with the number of other activities available. Even with the draw of a hockey game, the performances had the full house they deserved. Shut and Bar the Door provided a nice comic relief, the light and playful atmosphere projected by the actors and actresses allowed for relaxed, enjoyable entertainment. The show was cast well, the characters’ portrayal just witty and sarcastic enough to have the entire audience laughing, while retaining its cuteness and family-friendly atmosphere. The high energy show poked fun at traditional gender roles expected by a husband and wife, leading to a tremendously pointless but nonetheless very entertaining dispute that provided the show with the remainder of its plot, as well as frequent, silly bickering riddled with tongue twisters delivered so fast-paced that they had the entire audience chuckling in awe. The show was relatively perfect for the occasion, with audience interaction and simple amusement for everyone to enjoy. The Rocky Horror PITCHer Show, a pun that goes along with the shows Halloween theme, was an equally entertaining event. The four a capella groups arrived in costumes and made use of black lights in their performances, culminating to a very captivating performance by all. The groups provided a little something for everyone, due to their distinct and unique flavors, styles, and song choices. The light-hearted, fun show put on by Partial Credit was a perfect first act, setting the mood of high energy and artistic creativity, in both costumes and musical arrangements. They captured the Halloween feel in their take on Rusted Root’s well known song “Send Me On My Way,” a usually perky song, performed with a creepy yet comical twist. The Rensselyrics’ extremely diverse show followed the holiday spirit with a great rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” which created energy that had the whole crowd bobbing. The Rusty Pipes followed with a show that mixed current and classic music, contributing to the theme of the night with a somewhat haunting but extremely enjoyable arrangement of Muse’s “Madness,” and ending with a powerful version of “Titanium” by David Guetta. The show ended with RPI’s only all-male group, Duly Noted, who happened to be an excellent closing act, providing the audience not only with an amazing rendition of “Drive” by Incubus, among others, but their trademark goofy antics that kept the energy high, and the audience thoroughly amused until the very end. I would suggest the players’ next show, “Importance of Being Earnest,” opening in November, to anyone interested in some easy going and fun student run theatre. I would also highly suggest attending as many of the a capella groups’ fall shows as possible to anyone interested in a unique and exciting display of talent. For anyone planning to attend: prepare to be thoroughly entertained!