Those of you who always wanted to take a trip to New York to catch a live show of “Saturday Night Live” no longer need pay the airfare or wait in the long lines all day — you can catch the college version right here on campus.
Friday Night Live, a production put on by the Union Programming Council Arts and Special Events Board, is having its annual show tonight in the Union Ballroom at 7 p.m.
The comedy sketches parody “Saturday Night Live” with a little bit of a U twist. Vagina Monologues, Tom’s Myspace breakdown, Paris and Nicole’s blender and Westminster students checking out books at the Marriott Library are all parts of the comedy show.
“We created forms of comedy making fun of all stereotypes; we did not leave anyone out,” said one of the scriptwriters, Lindsey Sine, who is also a writer at The Chronicle.
The members of Friday Night Live wrote every sketch they perform — and most of the actors are not theater majors, which makes the “live” experience more realistic.
“Friday Night Live is a different program that’s funny for U students who don’t get to see many comic productions on campus,” said Associate Director Luiza Franca.
Auditions for the show were held last November, and practices and script writing have been going nonstop.
“People have been working on this production so hard,” said Brian Vanle, a cast member. “We wanted all of the skits to be catered to U students.”
This will be the third year that the Arts and Special Events Board has put on this production. Jon Hayes, the main director, said, “Everything in this comedy is original, and it came together with only 10 students.”
Everyone — even the directors and scriptwriters — is an actor is this show. Cast members urge attendees to come prepared, like that NASA astronaut who drove across the country, geared up in a women’s diaper. That’s what they said.
Lennie MahlerChase Clyde performs a sketch called “MySpace,” in which the creator of the popular Web site realizes he has no real friends.
Lennie MahlerStudents Ana Breton (also a Chronicle writer), Brian Van Le and Jordan Monk rehearse a sketch titled, “Eating Contest” Thursday in preparation for UPC’s “Friday Night Live,” a night of sketch comedy being held tonight in the Union Ballroom at 7 p.m.