Sometimes the remedy for the winter blues is a big dose of comedy.
The UCLA student theater group Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theatre Company has the cure with its new show, “Actors, Vampires & Other Cold-Blooded Creatures.” The show will run for two days and will feature different scenes connected by a common theme with rounds of improv in between. The theme of this quarter’s show centers around oddball characters living odd lives, which was inspired by the influx of new members this quarter.
Some of those oddball characters appear in the written scenes, like Parry Hardwood, a failing actor who must confront the fact that he may not be as great as he initially assumed.
“He suffers from delusions of grandeur,” said Yalda Mostajeran, a fourth-year political science student and co-producer of the company. “He thinks he’s really popular and everyone loves him, when in reality no one can stand him.”
The scene focuses on the actor coming to terms with the fact that other people don’t see him as he sees himself, Mostajaren said.
“The characters are a little outrageous, but no matter how outrageous they are, in the end they come together,” said Ivy Dang, a third-year physiological science student and co-producer of the LCC Theatre Company.
Some of the odd characters coming together include a group of hopeful cooks who want to revamp their image by participating in a Food Network-style cooking challenge. They are led by the head chef, a Vietnam War veteran who may be a little crazy and names his dishes after Vietnamese landmarks and military operations, like the “Saigon Souffle” or “The Tet Offensive Chicken Salad,” which also serves to highlight the wacky sense of humor of the piece.
Still humorous but slightly darker in tone is “The Vampire Hunter.” The scene focuses on slapstick and physical comedy, as well as a copious use of puns. It chronicles the adventures of a prolific vampire catcher and his less prestigious sidekick as they try to eradicate the last four vampires left on Earth.
Matt Marquez, a second-year business economics student and assistant director of “The Vampire Hunter,” said that it ties in pop culture references like “Inception” and “The Walking Dead” while also exploring philosophical ideas.
“It’s our take on this surge of popularity of vampires in popular culture,” Marquez said.
The LCC Theatre Company is looking forward to debuting its new group of initiates in this quarter’s show. The newbie actors, called “the new G’s” by the more seasoned members, range from English to engineering students brought together by a common love of theater.
“The new G’s” bring a different outlook to the scripts and characters. For instance, Marquez said that the main villain in one of the scenes was supposed to be played as a loud and evil character. However, the new member played the role in a much more quiet and subtle manner, which makes for a really creepy character, Marquez said.
“The new G’s” have brought varied skills and talents to LCC, enabling the group to explore new ideas, like musicals, said Marquez. “One of the new members has been playing piano for 10 years, and now he’s helping write some musicals for us,” Marquez said.
Some of the newcomers have even brought technical expertise to the theater group.
Marquez said one of the new members, whose father is a stuntman in Hollywood, contributed knowledge to the play’s action-heavy scenes, which required a lot of attention.
Grace Lau, a fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student and director of “Saigon Souffle,” said that part of what makes LCC different and engaging is the communal aspect of its productions.
Lau said that the improv between the scenes integrates audience participation, allowing suggestions and comments from the viewers, which really seems to resonate with the audience.
But as much as the audience enjoys the improv, it’s the set scenes that really have people enjoying themselves.
“We probably get more laughs during the scripted scenes. It’s very slapstick comedy,” Lau said.
LCC believes that a big dose of comedy is just what UCLA students need, especially with the chaos that the end of the quarter brings.
“Finals week is coming really soon; you’re going to be really stressed and depressed, so you need a good laugh now,” Dang said.