The Fooligans performed their monthly comedy show while honoring the Relay for Life campaign on Sunday night. The Fooligans, Ramapo College's improv troupe, are part of Alpha Psi Omega or AYO, the theater honors society.
The group consisted of eight students on Sunday night's showing. Their performances were made up of a number of skits where each Fooligan used their improvisational skills to entertain the crowd. Each show relies largely on audience participation, and in nearly every skit, the audience has some part in the creation of the show. The Fooligans performed in a laid-back environment, yet the show was still controlled, and flowed from skit to skit.
"It is nice being a part of the Fooligans for four years now; this event is a big step for us," said senior co-troupe leader Dan Kropa. "To sponsor an organization so highly recognized like Relay for Life is huge."
What really set this performance apart from others is that it supported a great cause. Supporting something with a purpose makes all the difference. When entering Friends Hall for the event, donations were welcomed and different colored ribbons and T-shirts were on display as well. All the money collected from events supporting relay will be donated to Relay for Life.
"This show is a good way for people to come out, donate and get involved," said freshman Lydia Oquendo. "It gives people a great opportunity to get information on Relay for Life."
The Fooligans had a nine-skit lineup for the night, which was audience-centered and entertaining. The group got everyone involved, which made a lot of these skits "fan favorites." The talent on stage was truly remarkable. Some fan favorite skits were "Whose Line?," "Entrances and Exits" and "Character Wheel."
"Whose Line?" is always a crowd-pleaser because the audience has control over what lines the actors have to put into their skit. The lines are all written by students who put their dialogue into a bowl before the event starts, and then the lines get pulled at random by two Fooligans when they get on stage. The Fooligans do not know what line they are going to have to incorporate into their skit, which makes it interesting. Many of the students who contributed in this skit used funny one-liners.
The skit "Entrances and Exits" consists of each Fooligan in the scene being given one word and when that word is said, if they're not on stage they have to enter, and if they are on stage, they have to exit.
The Fooligan's last act of the night was "Character Wheel," and this is a skit in which all the Fooligans took part in. The skit starts off with one actor undertaking a character and performing a monologue. Once the character is somewhat established, other actors start scenes with that character. Each scene explored different aspects of the character and this skit had the biggest round of applause for the Fooligans.
The Fooligans did a fantastic job honoring Relay for Life with their show. The turnout was great, the audience was laughing and more importantly, it was for a great organization. The Fooligans once again did not disappoint.
"I have a large family history of cancer so it is great to support this organization," said junior co-troupe leader Sarah Durando. "It is a great thing to be a part of."
jrinzuel@ramapo.edu
