“524 chickens walk into a bar and one of the chickens walks up and sits next to an egg that is having a beer at the counter and says ‘Hey, want to get laid?’” This bad but unequivocally humorous pun was just the beginning of a long night; a night filled with tears coming down your cheeks due to laughter, actors and actresses with unbelievable talent, and an audience that was tremendously captivated by the show that was being put on.
Café d’Idiocy, which took place last Saturday in West Hall Auditorium, was performed by Sheer Idiocy, an improvisational comedy troupe that is located on RPI’s very own campus. I went into the show with an open mind and not knowing what to expect. I left, however, being extremely pleased and quite surprised with how spectacular the show was.
The show began when a member of the troupe came out and gave a brief introduction of Sheer Idiocy, as well as a statement explaining how the audience would dictate the remainder of the night.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the auditorium was a mob of individuals sitting in the first row of the audience. I thought it was quite peculiar, but later understood why they were there, and wished that I also was sitting in the front row.
This was not merely my first time viewing Sheer Idiocy, but also my first time watching any improvisational show. While entering the auditorium I received a paper that resembled that of a menu, and on that menu were items broken up into five categories similar to those used in cafés.
Random individuals in the audience, when called upon, screamed out an item on the menu and a troupe member would gather all the details that the dish would require (also known as the ingredients), and relay the information back to the other troupe members.
“Backwards and Forwards,” which was one the more popular choices, was performed by two idiots (as they call themselves) who ran a scene that could be reversed at any moment by the clapping of another group member’s hands. This scene was hilarious because the continuity and fluidity between the two actors was broken many times throughout.
The rest of the night followed a similar pattern with delicious menu items such as: “Royal Expert Rumble,” where a three-headed expert and a two-headed expert participate in comical debate; “Half-life,”where three idiots present a scene that is run over and over again with increasingly less time to perform it in; and an assortment of other items that were superbly presented.
Throughout the entire show, the audience was dying of laughter and yearning for their chance to scream out another item on the menu.
The show was performed exceptionally well, and there was never a dull moment in the entire two hours. In fact, near the conclusion of the show, the audience wanted the troupe to perform beyond their allotted time. The audience extolled Sheer Idiocy’s efforts for the night, and thanked them with a standing ovation.
The actors and actresses are very ardent and ebullient individuals who truly love what they do, and have mastered their assigned traits. Each troupe member adds a different flavor to the show and they collectively make an outstanding unit.
What started out as a long walk to West Hall on a warm evening on February 5, ended with a sense of fulfillment and a longing for more.
I would definitely recommend that anyone looking for an enjoyable night of laughter and excitement attend the next show that Sheer Idiocy performs!
