Improv troupe hosts film, mayhem

By Siobhan Oat-Judge

Every undergrad who can think of an adjective, a profession, and a non-geographical location knows that improv comedy is a big presence at Yale. On Fri., Feb. 12, it will get even bigger, as Broken Lizard, a comedy group founded in 1989 at Colgate University brings its first feature film Puddle Cruiser to Yale.

Improv comedy is no laughing matter for this group. Their film has won international recognition and will most likely (they hope) be picked up by a national distributor in the near future.

Puddle Cruiser, written by and starring the five members of Broken Lizard, has already been shown at several film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival, which named it an "official selection," and The Hamptons Film Festival, where it was the Grand Prize winner. After the festival circuit, Broken Lizard decided to bring the film to college campuses—the sites of the film's inspiration. Embarking on the first "Broken Lizard College Rodeo," the group has visited more than 20 campuses this year.

So far the response has been great, according to Kevin Hefferman, a member of the five-man group. "Kids say that they can really relate to the film," he said. "They tell us they can see their friends in the movie." This response comes as no surprise to Hefferman; the group members drew on their own college experiences in writing the film, which offers a comedic look at college dating and "relationship avoidance tactics."

Despite their success, the members of Broken Lizard have not forgotten their roots as a college group. Hefferman said that taking the film to campuses is really important to the group because they hope it will win them grassroots support in their target audience. Following the film screening, members of Broken Lizard will take the stage, where they will be joined by the Yale humor group The Exit Players for even more comic mayhem.

Pavlina Hatoupis, SY '00, a co-director of the Yale Film Society, promises the event is "going to be a lot of fun." In addition to the laughs it will provide, she believes the visit will benefit the Yale community because it brings people who are directly involved with the film industry to campus. Those not looking for dating tips can get a glimpse of the everyday trials and triumphs of film production.

Hatoupis said one of the primary goals of the Yale Film Society is to make up for a film studies department that is not as strong as those at other schools. At Yale, she said, "there is not as much networking as at other colleges." Sometimes, she pointed out, it is only through events such as this one that undergraduates have the opportunity to meet people who are actively involved in the entertainment
industry.

"The Yale Film Society is trying to do more to bring attention, have big events," Aaron Ko-gan, ES '99, co-director of the Yale Film Society, said. "We are trying to make Yale a destination for things like this," he said. He also points to future events, such as the upcoming visit of producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler on Fri., Feb. 5 with their film Happiness (directed by Todd Solodz, TC '81) as evidence of the society's continuing effort to bring industry insiders to Yale students.

Hatoupis assures, however, that the event will not be all business, or business as usual. "We've done a lot of serious things lately," she said. "This is going to be a blast."

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