Remi Brandli
Five million dollars in renaissance fair debt and an accidental murder at the dentist office were just average Friday evening occurrences for USF’s improv comedy team, Awkward Silence (AwkSci).
“Awkward Silence brings a sense of humor and playfulness when so many clubs are academic focused, and people are stressed about classes,” said second year computer science major and AwkSci team member, Kenji Hongo.
Dom Kowarick, the captain of AwkSci has brought their comedic talents to the stage of Cowell Hall for two and a half years. Kowarick, a junior psychology major said, “Awkward Silence has been the only and therefore, funniest improv team on campus for over 50 years. But more than that, it creates a sense of community like nothing else at USF. It brings together people from all over campus because honestly, who doesn’t love to laugh?”
To begin each show, the team led a round of introductions for each member before sending the team out to join the audience for their first game, “Town Hall.” After a grueling debate about the economic implications and culture of this fictional town, the cast decided that the town of Bananaville would be banning super tiny squashes effective immediately.
Just as the verdict was announced, AwkSci member Ava Frankel jumped up out of the audience in a fourth-wall breaking moment as they confronted the cast. The lights flickered, the cast wailed and suddenly, the show started over again. Except this time, everyone’s minds and bodies switched in a “Freaky Friday” catastrophe. Team captains Dom Kowarick and El Wright returned to the front of the room, and now Kowarick’s signature red lipstick was worn by Maggs Zuniga, and Wright’s festive floral button-up shirt was now on Frankel’s body. They brought each cast member back in with a new introduction, the shortest team member bringing in a ladder to portray the tallest team member, fashion styles and gender expressions all swapped. It became a self-referential tornado of the AwkSci identities.
Another game was “Freeze,” in which actors would have to switch scenes whenever they heard the word “freeze!” Enter a collection of worlds where a yardstick turns into a shotgun, a cowboy duel turns into a tango lesson, tango turns into Romeo and Juliet where Juliet has allergies, and a rare bird turns into plutonium at the sound of a clap.
Following “Freeze” was “Slo-Mo Olympics,” where Kowarick and Wright slowly raced through three rounds of dental hygiene competitions. The first round was teeth brushing with a twist: no toothbrushes. The announcers, Iman Moaddeli and Christine Cainglet, screamed in horror as Wright reached toward an audience member in the front row at the speed of molasses pouring, and motioned to pluck their hair for a makeshift toothbrush. Then there was the flossing round, where Kowarick took the win by nearly decapitating Wright with their imaginary floss string. And finally, the pair yanked (fake) teeth from front row audience members in a match of who could be the best tooth fairy.
Mai Li McGee, a regular AwkSci audience member and junior computer science major,, said “I love going to AwkSci because it’s a great way to have a good night in while still being able to socialize and laugh with people you probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.”
Jeff Hongo, the father of performer Kenji said,“I keep returning because it’s his second season and now I can appreciate Awkward Silence’s familiar quirky scenarios infused with fresh ideas from a rowdy yet well informed campus audience.”
Throughout the two hour show, the cast was not once phased by the rumblings of chatter in the crowd. “The audience isn’t just watching, they’re actively a part of, and shaping the show,” said Kowarick, “Their suggestions are what brings the shows to life, making them a real part of the experience. I always have people coming up to me after a show, just so excited to see their silly ideas play out on stage in the most unexpected ways.”
The cast put their hands together in a final bow, yelling “Awkward Silence!” in the finale of the show. As the show came to an end, the audience and the AwkSci members broke the boundaries of stage and seats, and the room mimicked an SNL outro as everyone hugged and celebrated another successful show. “[The shows] are very community building, by the end everyone is friends, sharing contact info and making plans for the rest of the night,” said McGee.
Kowarick finds the show’s ending to be the most rewarding part of the night. “They’re always bittersweet. It’s incredible to think that our silly little jokes can brighten someone’s night so much that they’ll stick around in that decaying classroom after the shows just to keep hanging out. Realizing that the audience enjoys our shenanigans and has just as much fun watching us as we do performing is the best feeling in the world.”
Details on Awkward Silence’s next show can be found on their Instagram @usfawksci.
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, Opinion Editor: Dakota Duran, Scene Editor: Elina Graham
