By Mia Proli Gable
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Our country is in a state of unrest, feverishly searching for the Oklahoma City bombers, those people who cold-heartedly blew up the federal building that contained, among others, innocent children. Was it racially motivated? Was it anti-government? Did it have anything to do with Waco, Texas? Local sketch comedy group, The People Who Do That, have a theory of their own; the government was responsible. It was all a plan by Clinton advisors to sway the public back to his favor. They say Bush had his Persian Gulf, now Clinton has his Oklahoma City.
That's right everyone, The People Who Do That, are doing it again. They're still doing what Guy-In-Charge, Derek Iversen calls, "offensive, mean-spirited diatribes," only this time they're doing it on their own, independent of a.k.a. Theatre. Now they're working the scene in Tucson and their latest stop is at the newly opened Downtown Performance Center Cafe.
The DPC Cafe is not unlike the theater at a.k.a. Both are small and afford the up-close and personal, in-your-face atmosphere that adds a new dimension to live theater and comedy. But the DPC Cafe has its own advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, DPC offers food, drink and reading material for the intermissions. Old magazines are scattered throughout the place. However, it can be a little noisy in there when half the people are there to see a show and the other half just want to hang out.
The People Who Do That are as funny and imaginative as they have been in the past. They show their wit with sketches featuring Jesus and Butt-head, a take-off on the Jenny Jones Show with 16-year-old Mormon fathers who masturbate in public as the paneled guests, and a friendly bank whose employees' pep comes from popping Prozac.
And, once again, the actors perform wonderfully, with notables Miles Hindman, Tim Koch, Derek Iversen and Kayleen Walsh giving up their zany best.
So, if the impending finals are just getting to be too much stress, take a jaunt down to the DPC Cafe this week to drink some coffee and blow off some steam by laughing (and maybe cringing a little) at the antics of The People Who Do That.
The People Who Do That perform In the Jungle of Enemy Heads May 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. at the DPC Cafe, 546 N. Stone. A $3 donation is requested at the door. Call 628-1650 for more information.