The Keenan Revue opens tonight, but it will be missing an element present in past performances.
Despite the seemingly requisite crotch thrusting and du Lac-mocking, this year's Revue will not feature jokes aimed at Saint Mary's students.
In accordance with the dorm's agreement with the College to perform at the O'Laughlin Auditorium, which Revue organizers consider an ideal size, representatives of the College's student government were present at the Revue dress rehearsal Wednesday night. On behalf of the Board of Governance, student body vice president Kelly Payne asked Revue organizers to eliminate two references to Saint Mary's students from skits.
Payne said she would object "if they're going to talk about Saint Mary's in a degrading way that's not funny."
"They're performing on Saint Mary's campus, and the student body in the past has had problems," Payne said.
The writers had alternate lines prepared for the few scenes they guessed might be found objectionable, Revue director John Siegel said earlier Wednesday.
This year's production, "Night of the Living Revue," has four musical numbers and 22 skits, which were selected from 90 contenders, Siegel said. The Revue is entirely student-run, acted and written.
Siegel said all acts underwent an "extensive screening process" before they made it into the Revue - which has in the past spurred complaints by audience members offended by its edgy material.
"It's never our wish to offend or make anyone uncomfortable," Siegel said. "We use humor to address issues around campus and greater issues for young people in a different way."
Keenan rector Father Mark Thesing views all components of the Revue throughout the rehearsal process. He has in the past cut skits, though the Revue is mostly the students' show, he said.
"I never know what's going to make people laugh and what's going to make people upset," he said. "Sometimes they seem trivial to me. Sometimes I can understand their concerns or objections."
This year's Revue differs from those of past years in the variety and quality of its skits, Siegel said.
"This year, they're all very distinctive," he said. "Across the board it's a very strong Revue."
All free tickets for the Revue were distributed last week within 20 minutes of being made available to the student body, and Keenan residents snapped up reserved tickets for their guests.
