And they say lawyers don’t have a sense of humor.
Fifty-six GW Law School students plan to keep a Lisner Auditorium crowd laughing at their annual musical and comedy sketch show Feb. 23.
The GW Law Revue will perform eight sketches written by students who balance the demand of academia with a love for theatrics, producing dance numbers, songs and even videos.
In a seven-week process, the group selects, casts, rehearses and edits skits down to a final product, converting Lerner Hall classrooms into rehearsal spaces.
“It’s really rewarding, and even though it’s a big time commitment, it’s a big stress relief. It is something that you are doing purely for your own sake,” third-year law student and director of the show Corey Ershow said.
He called the show the law school’s version of “Saturday Night Live,” but wouldn’t say more about the sketches to maintain the element of surprise.
The run-up to the show has been all about the attention to detail, third-year law student and head writer Allie Myers said, to ensure cues and jokes run smoothly. She added that the experience and the hard work pay off, offering fellow law students solace in knowing they’re not alone in their struggles.
“It’s so rare in law school where you can find a group of creative, hilarious people. It shows another side of the law school experience that you don’t see in the classroom,” Myers said. “I think there is a lot of comedy to be found in high-stress, miserable situations. It’s really fun to draw that out with other people, and realize that other people are on the same page and are willing to find the humor.”
The show has dramatically grown in size and reputation over the last few years, with more than 200 comedy ideas submitted for this year’s program.
Participants come from diverse performing backgrounds, ranging from those with no experience to those with extensive backgrounds in theater.
“We’ve been putting on this show for a few decades – one of the longest of its time for law school. And it was really funny, and it was really good and people decided, hey, that’s something that I wanted to be a part of,” Ershow said.
Many cast members were quick to note that the Law Revue is one of the best parts of their law school experience – a way to gain confidence and find relief from rigorous workloads.
The cast has bonded over the duration of the production, with Ershow comparing the group to something like a fraternity – a close group with a shared experience.
“For any undergraduates who are thinking of going to law school, they should come to the show and experience the lighter side of law school and see that it is not all books,” Ershow said.
Third-year law student A.J. Kornblith, a scene director and actor for the Law Revue, said the performers are confident and will use this week to find hiccups.
“We all make the sad jokes about not getting jobs. But this is a chance to joke about how we are going to die cold and alone, together, through song,” Kornblith jested.
The GW Law Revue will take to Lisner Auditorium Sat. Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Student tickets are $15, and advanced non-student and day-of tickets are $18.
