Divine Comedy: Unplugged

By Carolyn Lund

Hobbits, pirates and Jedi Knights done Divine-Comedy style have created quite a force on campus throughout the years.

This season the BYU comedy troupe adds Oompa Loompas to their repertoire with their ?sweet? rendition of ?Charly and the Creamery on Ninth.? The group, known for its clean humor and clever movie parodies, has been a staple at BYU since its creation 11 years ago.

But this year?s group has undergone several changes. Many of last year?s members recently graduated from BYU, resulting in one of the largest turnovers in the group?s history.

?We lost some very good people,? said Rex Phillips, a senior electrical engineering major who serves as stage manager for the group. ?We added six new members, and I think they?re wonderful. The cast is progressively getting better.?

Phillips said, over the years, the show itself has also improved. Special effects, candy and glow sticks have been added to help raise the energy of their shows.

?When I started, the cast was used to doing everything,? said Phillips, who has been working with Divine Comedy for the past two years. ?Now a typical best-of show has two major videos and around four Power Point sketches.?

The group, which normally rehearses about four hours a week, has been practicing for two to three hours every night this week in preparation for the ?Charly? show.

Joel Hilton, who plays the role of Willy Wonka, said the first couple weeks of each semester are spent brainstorming for new ideas. Because the group only uses original material, all members are required to write scripts for at least two or three skits each show. Hilton said seeing the audience?s reaction to their skits is the best thing about being in Divine Comedy.

?Having people laugh at something you wrote is an amazing experience,? said Hilton, who is also president of the troupe. ?It?s addictive.?

But it was another type of addiction that caused new member, Lisa Stoffer, to audition for one of the openings.

?I have an addiction to auditioning,? said Stoffer, a freshman from Delafield, Wis. ?I saw the fliers and thought, ?Why not???

The Divine Comedy audition consists of a two-minute performance of an original comedic routine. Stoffer said after walking into the audition and seeing over 100 people, she was intimidated.

?I had no idea how big a deal it was,? said Stoffer, whose background includes performing and writing for her high school theater. ?But then I thought, ?Whatever ? it?s an audience. I?m a performer.??

According to Divine Comedy?s Web site, creativity, stage presence, flexibility and the ?funny factor? are some of the requirements to join the group. The actors are not paid; most of the money earned from their shows goes to paying for production-related costs such as the event staff, sound equipment and props. Their posters, a popular commodity among students, also require a lot of money.

?We had a number of posters stolen ,? Hilton said. ?It?s frustrating because they are expensive.?

The BYU-related humor and such past favorites as ?Lord of the Engagement Ring,? ?CTR Wars? and ?Pirates of the Cougareat? have kept students coming back for more.

Todd Hamilton, a junior accountant major from Chicago, said he has been to see at least five Divine Comedy performances since being at BYU. He said he keeps coming back because he can relate to the humor.

?I really like that they?re clean, not derogatory in any sense,? Hamilton said. ?I also like how they poke fun at the BYU lifestyle. It appeals to a wide audience.?

Though tickets may be difficult to obtain for this weekend?s performances, Divine Comedy will offer two more shows this semester, in November and December.

For more information:

Visit www.divinecomedy.net