All right meow. Broken Lizard pulls shenanigans

By Aitor Zabalegui

Never have a crowd of drunken Santa Clara students ever been so happy to see a group of over-zealous cops walk in the room. The comedy troupe, Broken Lizard, known for their comedy films "Super Troopers" and "Beerfest" performed last Saturday night in Leavey Center to a sizeable audience. Just like the real police, they thrived off inebriation. Cries of "Car Ramrod!" and "Gimme a ZJ!" reverberated through the gymnasium as fans finally got a look in person at the bumbling comedic squad.

The show went through a cyclical routine shuffling from skits featuring old roles like Team USA and the Vermont state troopers to individual stand-up bits. Broken Lizard, consisting of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske, got their start at Colgate University back in 1990 where they founded a still-running comedy team called Charred Goosebeak.

After graduating they found moderate success as sketch comedy writers and performers before branching out to feature length films with 1996's "Puddle Cruiser."

It was 2001's "Super Troopers" that got them success, though, after the now-cult film was released on DVD. That movie's raucously eclectic characters have become standard for the rest of their films, which admittedly, the troupe claimed resonate mostly with stoners -- the surest bet demographic next to Christians.

When asked about their writing methods, Chandrasekhar, who has directed most of Broken Lizard's films as well as "The Dukes of Hazzard" remake replied, "It depends. With Farva (Kevin Heffernan), yeah, it's based on the fact that Heffernan is a douchebag. But other than that, we try to mix it up."

Lemme then further elaborated saying, "Farva and Landfill are not too far off from each other. Yes, Heffernan's a dick. The rest of us, you know, we have different degrees to play on. We have manners." Stolhanske chimed in saying, "You're kinda like Fink, though."

It was fascinating to see the dynamic interplay the guys carried in conversation that so precisely translates into their films.

The stand up between skits was hit and miss as some bits overstayed their welcome, but these guys have mastered being able to work for so long with so little. Soter's routine largely focused on the topic of naturally excessive masturbation, while Heffernan discussed in length the repercussions of going full frontal on film.

The bit peaked upon finding that President Obama himself, having supposedly watched "Super Troopers" on an Air Force One flight, has also seen Farva's junk.

There was audience participation abound, especially with one colorful pair of students: a guy in a banana suit with a face redder than a cherry and an "educated partier" who was forced to stay on the stage half the night.

After the show, groups of students waited around trying to schmooze the comedians into coming to their houses. The Broken Lizard team inadvertently became educated partiers themselves that night. Getting offers like these is nothing new for the troupe, said Lemme, "It's a blessing and a curse. Sometimes, you just don't want to party."

The rest of the group was quick to retract that statement; however, with Chandrasekhar retorting, "I think it's a form of flattery to have somebody want you to wake up on their lawn. Well, I got to get my convertible, my coat and get out of here." Soter then spoke up, saying, "Banana suit wants us to go to his house. S--- house, I think? Yeah." As surreal as this all was, the best was still yet to come.

"We've heard about S--- house and Moon Tower or something, but the only one we didn't meet was that Jack Hall," declared a frustrated Lemme, who had heard about Santa Clara student, Wall, earlier in the evening.

After a name correction, they all began to persistently ask, "Where's Jack Wall? Where's Jack Wall?! Gimme Jack Wall!" before Lemme concluded, "He didn't show up. Jack Wall, you're on our s--- list." "You can't say that," replied Chandrasekhar. "What if he came tonight, and he loved the show?"

"Then he's on my good s--- list."

Contact Aitor Zabalegui at azabaegui@scu.edu or at (408) 554-1918.

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