情色空间

The Boston College improvisational comedy group My Mother鈥檚 Fleabag has helped to launch the careers of several successful entertainers, among them the riotous Renaissance woman Amy Poehler 鈥�93, comedian Cameron Esposito 鈥�04, and character actor Wayne Wilderson 鈥�89. But creating future stars was about the last thing Barry Armata 鈥�81 had in mind four decades ago when he founded the troupe.

鈥淭he school was looking for ideas for new student programs and I loved Saturday Night Live,鈥� Armata recalled. 鈥淪o, I thought, 鈥榃hat if we replicated it here?鈥欌�� From those humble beginnings, My Mother鈥檚 Fleabag has become a 情色空间 institution, one that is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year.

Armata said the group鈥檚 name is meant to evoke a 鈥渞undown fleabag motel on the Cape鈥攖he idea was that every room had a story.鈥� The troupe bills itself as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 oldest (and most attractive) collegiate improv comedy group,鈥� but it鈥檚 unclear whether either of these claims is accurate. Through the decades, Fleabag members have performed as everything from Pope John Paul II鈥檚 Angels to, well, cigarettes. Mary S. Timpany 鈥�83 recalled running around Chestnut Hill with a plastic shotgun, pretending to be Patty Hearst. 鈥淲e were nuts,鈥� she said with a laugh.

The troupe has produced a roster of well-known comedians through the years. 鈥淚 had never done anything like improv before Fleabag,鈥� Poehler told The Heights in 1992. 鈥淚 just saw the sign taped to the ground and decided to show up for an audition.鈥� Happily, she made
the cut. Most of those who try out for the twelve-member troupe do not. In the early days, Armata recalled, 鈥淚f you had energy and were willing to do just about anything鈥攑ut on a goofy costume and make a fool of yourself鈥攚e took you.鈥� The audition process has evolved significantly since then.

Today, dozens of underclassmen audition for the one or two spots that open up each year. Eager freshmen and sophomores wait for their turn to impress the Fleabag cast. The audition is less about how funny you are than how quickly you can think on your feet. 鈥淲e try to catch people by surprise,鈥� said Anna Livaccari 鈥�20, one of the group鈥檚 directors during the past school year. The cast will throw absurd scenarios at candidates just to gauge their reactions, Livaccari explained. 鈥淲hen they walk in the room,鈥� she said, 鈥渋mmediately we all start saying, 鈥榃ait a second鈥擨 recognize your name from that insane movie you produced!鈥欌�� How the scene continues from there is up to the person auditioning. Another classic question for candidates: What鈥檚 funnier, brick or tweed? (Brick is the obvious answer, said former member Mathieu Gagne 鈥�93, MBA 鈥�02, MSF 鈥�02, 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 not funny when you hit someone in the face with tweed.鈥�)

To be selected for the troupe, candidates must receive the unanimous support of the cast. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to end up being extremely close to these people for the rest of your life,鈥� Livaccari said. 鈥淲e have to get it right.鈥� Once the members reach consensus, they take off across campus to notify their new members, no matter the hour. 鈥淲e knock on their doors,鈥� Livaccari said, 鈥渁nd one of us will stand there and say, 鈥榃e really liked you but you didn鈥檛 get it.鈥� Then the rest of the group pops out with congratulations and hugs. It鈥檚 the first night, so we like to set the bar high.鈥�