Comedy sketches will get a little controversial tonight with Major: Undecided's biggest show of the semester, "Major: Undecided Refutes Evolution." Actually, the title has little to do with science, religion, or monkeys. Instead, group members chose the name because their first performance time conflicts with "Is God a Manmade Invention?" - a debate sponsored by The Freethought Society at Tufts.
The show's atypical name doesn't mean Major: Undecided will be doing anything radically different. According to the artistic director, senior Steven Dyer, the group will stick to its normal format, a line-up of student-written sketches that runs about 75 minutes.
This is the first semester that Major: Undecided has been without its founding members, the last of whom graduated last spring.
"There's been a little bit of a dynamic change," Dyer said, "This is the first time we're an established group, and we do have some underclassmen who have really stepped up to fill the void."
The group's longevity definitely has its benefits. Long-time members have been able to practice and test their sketches over the past four years, leading to all-around comedic improvement.
"We have new writers bringing new ideas to the group and some writing pairs and trios that, over the past four years, have really progressed," Dyer said, "I think this is some of their best work yet."
"Major: Undecided Refutes Evolution" will be performed tonight at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in Distler Performance Hall. Dyer says the group is excited to be performing in Distler, where there are less "hearing and sight-line problems" than in Goddard Chapel.
Tickets are on sale at the Beelzebub Box Office in Granoff Music Center, and will be sold at the door as well.
The early show is $3 and the later one is $5. Students must decide between the early performance and the God debate, but since when has choosing between comedy and religion been a problem?
-by Naomi Bryant
