On Thursday, Nov. 4, Hamilton’s resident improv group Yodapez performed
Yodaplay
, a long-form interactive show that diverged from their typical short-form productions. Yodaplay is a two-act, improvised play full of quirky characters and soap opera-worthy plot points. The group hosted their performance in the List Center, utilizing the room’s windows for their iconically chaotic introduction.
The Pezzers made their grand entrance by taking pictures of their waiting audience through the windows of the performance room and then bursting into the actual room itself, cheering and screaming with their audience. After both Yodapez and the audience settled, Yodapez member Maggie Mcdow ’23 explained that the show’s concept was a family drama. She then revealed a whiteboard with a family tree of various roles to be filled, including a Theytriarch, a Pool Boy, a Butler, a set of Twins and various couples.
To create the play’s base storyline, Yodapez members asked their audience for suggestions about the family’s last name, a reason for a family reunion and a special secret object. Once the members collectively chose the last name Cullen, a funeral and a grandfather clock from various audience responses, they then moved on to choose the specific roles in the play’s family. For this section, Yodapez prepared ahead of time; long before the show started, they had written every role on a different white t-shirt.
Each Pezzer had to randomly select one of these shirts to choose their respective role. Once all the shirts were picked, the play was finally ready to begin.
The play opened with the Pool Boy, who established that she was working for the Cullens, a rich family whose matriarch had recently died. From then on, the storyline grew increasingly complex as the characters spontaneously developed the play with each other. Whenever a scene seemed to be coming to a close, a Pezzer on the sideline clapped their hands, signaling an abrupt transition to a different location. This kept the pace of the show rapid, a tactic that not only added to the chaotically hilarious atmosphere, but also kept their audience fully entertained and engaged.
As the plot progressed, the characters revealed that the recently deceased matriarch’s will was never verified. This plot point was where the Pezzers truly started to lean into melodrama and comedy. The death of the matriarch and the promise of a generous inheritance spawned various embezzlement schemes, forgery, theft and a particularly memorable incident with a venomous snake that killed the family’s Pool Boy.
Performing an undeniably random show filled with plot twists and good laughs, the Pezzers kept themselves and the audience on their toes throughout the dramedy. Each performer displayed the full extent of their acting range in various ways, including adopting accents, catchphrases and mannerisms to better communicate their character’s personality. As always, the Yodapez performance was a hilarious break from classes supplemented by their connection to each other and the audience.
Below is a series of photos posted via @yodapezcomedy on Instagram to promote
Yodaplay
.
