Spring Break
Horse Lincoln gets Free Lunch
Andrea Kahn
Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: Focus
Horse Lincoln Improv is always ready to bring the funny.
This past Friday was just another example as Horse Lincoln, one of UConn's current improv groups, faced off against Free Lunch, composed of several UConn alumni, in a no-holds-barred comedy cage match at the Hole in the Wall Theater in New Britain. Free Lunch had won its previous improv battle nearly two months ago in the very same theater, so Horse Lincoln had the added pressure of facing the (technically) undefeated champs.
Though there weren't many UConn students to be seen, the theater was filled with many people eager to laugh. After winning the coin toss, Horse Lincoln decided to perform second and let Free Lunch take the stage first.
Familiar faces formed most of Free Lunch; Edward Felekey, Rachel Fichman, Frank Mohr and Teagan Smith all were involved in UConn's Agents of Improv. With the addition of Sue Voss and Kevin MacDermott, Free Lunch kicked off the show with a timed 25 minutes of improv.
The group took their suggestion - "Frank" - and got to work. Their scenes revolved around an unfaithful Scarlett O'Hara and a furious Rhett Butler (who apparently missed the past fifteen years of O'Hara's infidelity), a butcher with a soft spot for a particular cow and a chipper ex-boy scout who lets company stress get the better of him.
In addition to working off of each of these scenes twice, there were two group games involving a stream of painful truths and a very large - but foul-tasting - sandwich that kept getting eaten (and eventually returned).
After Free Lunch's set, Horse Lincoln took the stage. The entire group performed Friday night - Dan Emmons, Brenna Harvey, James Chapman, Tim Jaekle and Drew Bligh, and their two newest members, Eliza Caldwell and Matt Visconage. With their suggestion - "lightbulb" - the group went straight to work.
A nuclear reaction that made two teens fall in love, two lost but thick-headed guys lost in the woods ignoring all help and a couple of kids who long for a modern-day society made up Horse Lincoln's set.
Their group games had a father bent on getting his son in trouble and a group of regular guys with nothing particularly interesting about them.
Once each group had performed, the audience was asked to fill out a ballot, choosing their favorite improv team for the night. While the votes were being counted, both groups joined forces in a giant game of Freeze, a fast-paced game where the performers jump in and out of a scene at random.
Not long after the game concluded the winner was announced; Horse Lincoln had done it.
Horse Lincoln will try to hold onto their precious 'funniest darn guys around' title and go head-to-head with another improv group on April 24 in the Hole in the Wall Theater.
This past Friday was just another example as Horse Lincoln, one of UConn's current improv groups, faced off against Free Lunch, composed of several UConn alumni, in a no-holds-barred comedy cage match at the Hole in the Wall Theater in New Britain. Free Lunch had won its previous improv battle nearly two months ago in the very same theater, so Horse Lincoln had the added pressure of facing the (technically) undefeated champs.
Though there weren't many UConn students to be seen, the theater was filled with many people eager to laugh. After winning the coin toss, Horse Lincoln decided to perform second and let Free Lunch take the stage first.
Familiar faces formed most of Free Lunch; Edward Felekey, Rachel Fichman, Frank Mohr and Teagan Smith all were involved in UConn's Agents of Improv. With the addition of Sue Voss and Kevin MacDermott, Free Lunch kicked off the show with a timed 25 minutes of improv.
The group took their suggestion - "Frank" - and got to work. Their scenes revolved around an unfaithful Scarlett O'Hara and a furious Rhett Butler (who apparently missed the past fifteen years of O'Hara's infidelity), a butcher with a soft spot for a particular cow and a chipper ex-boy scout who lets company stress get the better of him.
In addition to working off of each of these scenes twice, there were two group games involving a stream of painful truths and a very large - but foul-tasting - sandwich that kept getting eaten (and eventually returned).
After Free Lunch's set, Horse Lincoln took the stage. The entire group performed Friday night - Dan Emmons, Brenna Harvey, James Chapman, Tim Jaekle and Drew Bligh, and their two newest members, Eliza Caldwell and Matt Visconage. With their suggestion - "lightbulb" - the group went straight to work.
A nuclear reaction that made two teens fall in love, two lost but thick-headed guys lost in the woods ignoring all help and a couple of kids who long for a modern-day society made up Horse Lincoln's set.
Their group games had a father bent on getting his son in trouble and a group of regular guys with nothing particularly interesting about them.
Once each group had performed, the audience was asked to fill out a ballot, choosing their favorite improv team for the night. While the votes were being counted, both groups joined forces in a giant game of Freeze, a fast-paced game where the performers jump in and out of a scene at random.
Not long after the game concluded the winner was announced; Horse Lincoln had done it.
Horse Lincoln will try to hold onto their precious 'funniest darn guys around' title and go head-to-head with another improv group on April 24 in the Hole in the Wall Theater.
Be the first to comment on this story