At this point, you’ve probably seen the posters around campus advertising the heavily made-up cast of In Black, or seen them tabling outside the caf at dinner selling tickets to the insanely long lines of students who are vying for the limited spots at the show. The sketch comedy group opened their first show of the annual In Black production on Wednesday night at 6 p.m., with ten 75 minute shows booked from Wednesday to Saturday.
In Black is made up of seven members, three guys and four girls, who all had to go through a selective auditioning process to make it into the group. Once they are in the group, they are in it until they graduate from St. Olaf. The show is student-written, produced and directed, and consists of 28 sketches from which the audience can select. Sketches this year ranged in topics from the stress of making one’s way through Stav to Ole Choir and hazing, and often held an underlying social message such as respecting women’s bodies and calling attention to the need for more mental health resources on campus.
Apart from the group sketches, each of the performers also has one sketch that they do on their own. Many of them tackled serious issues and things that the performer was struggling with in his or her own life. The raw emotion and creative ways in which they expressed their experiences was truly a privilege to watch. These moments required a certain level of vulnerability that most people would shy away from, but they embraced their stories and presented them in a beautiful and provocative way.
All tickets for In Black this year have sold out, but if you get the chance, go before one of the show times and try to get rush tickets. It is truly one of the greatest shows you’ll get the chance to see at St. Olaf and will have you clutching at your sides throughout the entire 75 minutes.