Theater Club hosted their first improv show of the year “Barbie vs Oppenheimer” on Sept. 22 at the Bulldog Cafe. The improv show merged different costumes, decorations and lighting to capture the tone difference of the two films in an improv show.
July 31 saw a boom in the film industry as two highly anticipated movies premiered in theaters; Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” was released alongside Christopher Nolan’s biopic “Oppenheimer.” “Barbie” was a coming of age movie as Barbie ventures into the real world and realizes the problems and expectations she will experience as a woman and how to face them. “Oppenheimer” explored the life of Julius Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb and the toll its creation took on his consciousness. The contrasting themes of the two films led to major excitement as people planned to watch both films in one day as an event with friends.
The improv show consisted of different games and topics for the cast members to build around while two teams represented Barbie and Oppenheimer. It was up to the audience to decide who would win each round with Oppenheimer winning at the end of the competition.
The teams relied on quick thinking and audience suggestions to put on their best performance. Team Barbie had the best singing and dancing ability; however, team Oppenheimer had the most creativity in their skits. “Murder Chain” was a crowd favorite as the cast tried to explain how someone was murdered without speaking. Team Oppenheimer’s performance in a game with little vocals won them the round and put them in the lead.
“I loved the games they did, I felt involved in the play,” said senior Sarah Sanchez.
With the crowd consistently cheering, it’s hard to tell which was the crowd favorite. Two of the most encapsulating parts of the performance were the singing and dating games.
The dating game was decided by the audience. The rules were that actor Citlali Jimenez would ask the other actors different questions until they decided who to take “home.” The audience chose the cast members and the characters they were playing. From Bugs Bunny to Frankestein, the four actors played their parts with enthusiasm.
The singing game was a close competition between the two teams. Every cast member was involved in either dancing, singing, or being a back-up performer for when their teammates couldn’t think of a come-back to the opposing verse.
The rules were that one member would sing, but the final word had to be shouted by their entire team, if a member said the wrong word, they were out. The two teams would take turns signing their verse before it was time to switch.
After tough competition, it was up to the audience to decide which team put on the better performance throughout the night. The audience cheered for their favorite team, with Oppenheimer ultimately winning.
With constant audience interaction and witty comebacks, Theater Club managed to give new and returning students a show to remember. Barbie vs Oppenheimer was a show that left students excited for the upcoming Matilda performance.
