What’s better than a bunch of self-described My Mother’s Fleabag rejects performing in a dimly lit lecture hall on a Friday night? I don’t know, probably a few things—a Walsh party, a game of stack cup, or a murder at the skatepark—Hello…Shovelhead! spoofed at the first of its four Spooktacular shows commemorating the sketch comedy group’s 30-year anniversary.
The group’s founder Bob Karwin, BC ’89, graciously filmed a series of interviews for Shovelhead to screen at the show’s opening.
Karwin, acutely aware of the impending start of internship season, went on to poke fun about the internship one former member held at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Fla. When the former intern mentioned his pay at the spa, Karwin reminded blank interns in fact do not get paid.
Kieran Harrington, MCAS ’20, and Erin Bucci, MCAS ’19, hiked across the makeshift stage to find the tent of Laura Huepenbecker, a director of Shovelhead and MCAS ’19, and Matt Wilson, MCAS ’21, during the first skit. The offbeat couple greeted the hikers by jumping out of their tent with white beard masks on. The campers soon revealed they had been living in the tent for 30 years, after discovering one night in that they had liked life in the woods.
The audience eagerly followed the quirky comedy further into the woods for a night of sketch comedy that boasted an impressive range of comedic styles. In one skit, Dana Connolly, MCAS ’22, landed jokes as a burnout skateboarder named Casey whose offstage best friend Dijon had just died. Unshaken by witnessing the murder just minutes before, Casey informed the police officers investigating the crime (Sean McShane, MCAS ’19, and Alex Gardilcic, MCAS ’21) that he performed the not oft landed “dead man’s ollie” over Dijon’s body before asking the cops if he could get a lift back home—Dijon was his ride.
Feminism and football clashed in a skit about a girl who was “not like the other girls.” Portrayed by Grace O’Hare, MCAS ’22, Jess complained of the estrogen in the air when she hangs out with other girls, likening it to “breathing in a Luna Bar” when meeting her boyfriend’s friends for the first time. Although taking to her vulgar humor at first, the trio of men were less impressed when Jess had a full on meltdown, screaming “Other girls, Pinterest. Me, PornHub.”
Frat boys also provided their take on feminism later in the night. Posing as flesh and blood Brad and Chads, Rob McCrory, a director of Shovelhead and MCAS ’19, and McShane started out the skit with the typical frat fare, talking about their dates (or lack thereof) to their fraternity formal. Things took a turn for the woke when McShane pulled a “big bag of tolerance” out of his pocket and McCrory pulled “empathy out of his shoe.” The boys’ feminism was tested, however, when Bucci arrived to talk about her impending test.
“I’ve got something in my ear—feminism,” McShane said, informing Bucci he had not listened to her complaining.
True to form, Shovelhead treated its audience to a feature film in the middle of its show. This year’s movie, titled Lady Brunch, featured the Shovelhead women chatting over breakfast at Moogies. Each woman imagined their life without Shovelhead: O’Hare imagined marrying Connolly in front of Gasson; Krista Roze, MCAS ’20, dreamed about joining Surf Club instead; and Huepenbecker pictured her life as an activist, one that unfortunately ends with her getting hit by a car while protesting in the streets.
Ultimately, Huepenbecker and Bucci, whose alternate life was one in which she (unsuccessfully) cured cancer, decide to drink an odd elixir presented by McCrory that would grant them an eternity in Shovelhead. For those in the audience, it was abundantly clear why the two seniors would want to extend their time in the group by the end of the night—watching a bunch of quirky college kids sound off about gender equality (but in a tastefully funny way) actually isn’t a bad way to spend a Friday night.
Featured Image by Maggie DiPatri / Heights Editor
