Big Show '09: Preparations get under way for sketch comedy showcase

Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)Hannah Leskosky and Alan Liang perform the "Burger Burger Burger" skit in last year's Big Show while Andrea Park ('08) keeps a straight face in the background. Leskosky is directing this year's Big Show with Adam Tiouririne, while fellow senior Liang is back as a cast member.

By Chris Yoder
Published: Thursday, April 9, 2009 - 12:45am

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April 22 update: Big Show, originally scheduled for May 1-2, has been moved back to May 15-16 to give the cast more time to prepare.

URBANA — With the conclusion of the spring musical last week, Uni thespians — and others — can turn their full attention to Big Show '09.

Big Show is Uni's annual sketch comedy show written and directed entirely by students. It is the traditional conclusion to X-Week, when the school holds a number of events to raise money for charity.

This year's Big Show will be performed May 1 and 2 at 7 p.m. in the North Attic Playhouse. Directors Adam Tiouririne and Hannah Leskosky, both seniors and veteran Big Show performers, are enthusiastic about the '09 edition.

"I really enjoyed the last two I was in, starting as a sophomore," Tiouririne said. "Hopefully this year we’ll have even more fun."

"Every year I think that we will never be able to beat the year before," said Leskosky, "but it always turns out that the current one is my favorite. Hopefully that will happen this year, because I sure did love last year's a lot and think it will be hard to beat."

Rehearsals for the show began last week, but sketches are still in the writing stage. This week was the first that all the cast members were able to work together, since some members were performing in the spring musical, "West Side Story."

Tryouts were held in mid-March before spring break.

"We're very pleased with the cast," said Tiouririne. "We had a bunch of people come out and audition. We've had a lot of fun so far."

"We have a few returning cast members," said Leskosky, "which is always good because they know what to expect and so forth. And though smaller in cast than in past years, I think (so far) that everyone works fairly well together. No cat fights yet."

Big Show is a part of the fundraising effort for X-Week, a time of year when students come up with various ways of raising money for charity. According to a Student Council e-mail sent by executive secretary-treasurer Natsuki Nakamura, this year's charity will be the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club.

This year's cast will have less rehearsal time than usual, since the performances were moved up a week to accommodate the school's 5K run and prom on May 9. But the directors are determined not to let that affect the quality of their show.

"Seeing as this is my last one, I really want it to be good," Leskosky said, "because I don't want to be one of the directors of a mediocre Big Show."