From SNL dreams to USC scenes: The Suspenders’ ‘Wild Wild Sketch’
Look inside the hilarious world of the sketch comedy troupe’s most recent show.
By KATHERINE KANG
Some families are brought together by game nights or Sunday dinners, but Ella Grossman’s household had a different kind of routine.
“I always watched a lot of SNL with my dad, that was our thing,” said Grossman, a freshman majoring in film and television production.
The NBC comedy program’s influence shone through this past weekend, as Grossman, alongside her fellow troupe members of The Suspenders, showcased their sketch comedy show, “Wild Wild Sketch,” at the Brain and Creativity Institute.
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The Suspenders is USC’s oldest sketch comedy troupe, celebrating its 10th year this year. Each semester, the troupe meets twice a week to write and perform sketches, around 25 of which are ultimately chosen and curated for the final show.
“Wild Wild Sketch” features 20 never-before-seen sketches, two of which were video sketches. The scenes shifted smoothly as dim, colorful lights illuminated the stage, accompanied by familiar songs fitting for the sketches such as “Pepas” by Farruko, “Wild Wild West” by Will Smith, and “Telephone” by Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.
Not all of the sketches themselves were necessarily tied to “Wild Wild Sketch”’s Western theme, but the components of the semester’s work — like the set, program and social media posts that the team crafted — adhered to that aesthetic.
The show tapped into themes relevant to the oldest members of Generation Z, addressing topics often considered taboo, such as saying “tampons,” and evoking nostalgia with childhood characters such as Amelia Bedelia and Percy Jackson. However, its appeal extended beyond Gen Z, as audiences of all ages found enjoyment in the performance.
The Suspenders troupe adopts a multifaceted approach to their performer roles. Waugh and Khalil previously acted predominantly in dramatic theater, but in their performer applications, they also submitted supplementary writing materials alongside their monologue auditions. Every member of the troupe writes and acts in each show.
Grossman, a writer for The Suspenders, is not alone in citing SNL as a primary influence. JT Waugh, a junior majoring in theatre, and Allison Khalil, a freshman majoring in theatre, said they were also inclined to audition for The Suspenders as actors due to their fascination with SNL.
“I saw this as a way for me to broaden my skill set,” Khalil said. “I’ve never done comedy before, let alone sketch.”
The Suspenders consistently encourage their troupe members to approach theater from diverse perspectives. This year, Waugh has taken on the role of assistant director in addition to performing.
“I feel like AD kind of has their hands and fingers in every component of the troupe, which I honestly love,” Waugh said. “I want to be as multi-hyphenated as possible in my career, so I love that this gives me the opportunity to dabble in [every component of the troupe].”
The pinnacle of the troupe’s hard work was nothing short of incredible. Izzy Ster, a junior majoring in writing for screen and television, spoke on The Suspenders’ approach to comedy.
“We always do a good job of having a really wide variety of comedy, whether it’s dark or parody,” said Ster, who is also The Suspenders’ head writer. “[In some shows] actors will improv a joke and it lands way better than what was written, so it’s super fun to see how it evolves over the course of the weekend.”
The semester’s efforts culminated in a weekend dedicated to showcasing the meticulously crafted show. Both audience members and performers alike eagerly awaited the 7 p.m. curtain call.
“There’s nothing like the feeling when we’re all standing behind the set and [the] music starts blaring and the audience starts cheering,” Waugh said. The cast peeked through the curtains, built into the Western-themed saloon set, and as the music began, the audience indeed flooded the theater with cheer.
Grossman finds audience reaction to be the most rewarding.
“There’s truly not a better feeling than people laughing at a joke that you wrote,” Grossman said.
Despite the fast pace of the sketches, the performers effortlessly embodied their drastically different roles. Each character, complete with distinct mannerisms, speech patterns and accents, skillfully brought the brilliant, witty writing to life.
“I’ve been approaching these sketches the way I would approach a dramatic scene, just because that’s the way I’m used to doing it,” Khalil said. “I’ll definitely analyze the text a little bit, even though it’s really funny text.”
She credits troupe member Alex Nimrod, a senior majoring in theatre with an emphasis in acting, for inspiring her to develop her characters to the fullest.
“He’ll make sure each character of his has a choice that’s being made, even if it’s a really minor character,” Khalil said.
Over the semester, the troupe not only crafts a show but also invaluable friendships. In reflecting on her relationship working alongside Waugh, her fellow troupe member, best friend and roommate, Ster said it felt as though it was “just me hanging out with my best friend, which is really special.”
“The fact that I get to … create funny and silly things with some people that have become my best friends and get to call it work is really such a blessing,” Ster said.
