This coming week from March 7 to 9, Hinman Production Company will be bringing the sixth biannual sketch comedy show, Binghamton Night Live (BNL), to the stage.
The production, an hour and a half long with a 10-minute intermission, will be held in the Hinman Commons. It will be co-directed by Sarah Coffey, a senior double-majoring in English and music, and Henry Sinnott, a sophomore double-majoring in math and economics. Both of the directors have participated in BNL before. However, this is their first time directing a comedy show, though Coffey has experience as a musical theatre director. Both share the directing tasks equally.
According to Sinnott, the potential difficulties of co-directing weren’t present during production.
“We know the other one is thinking the exact same thing,” Sinnott said. “It’s been a very smooth process, we’ve both had similar goals.”
Some of the sketches this semester include a frat-themed superhero, an oversharing professor and a possessed guitar.
Although this is the sixth edition of BNL, the production team is adding new surprises to the show, including audience participation.
BNL began during the spring of 2016. Production was halted the following semester but has carried on every semester since then. This semester, a team of 12 writers met for a week and a half to collaborate and write sketches together. At the end of the process, a vote between the writers decided what would move to production. The first act will feature eight sketches and open with a digital short, and the second act will also feature eight. By the end of the writing process, the directors and a team of 17 actors had the daunting the task of bringing the sketches to life.
Brian Walsh, an actor in the production and a senior majoring in English, cited his love for comedy and performance as reasons for joining BNL.
“The idea of being able to write our own stuff and put on comedy that had never been performed anywhere, that just seemed so exciting to me, and I knew I had to do it from the second I heard about it,” Walsh said.
Walsh has been with BNL from the beginning and said he is sad that this performance will be his last, but is proud of what BNL has become.
“If I ever come back to this school in the future, I would want to come by on a weekend to see what they’re doing years from now,” he said.
For Maddy Ross, an actress in the production and a sophomore majoring in cinema, the sixth edition of BNL marked her first performance with the group.
“I like making people laugh and performing,” Ross said. “I will definitely do BNL again. It’s a fun group of people and very welcoming. No one’s afraid to be goofy out there, and I feel like that’s reflected in the sketches. Everyone’s out there.”
Walsh said that the audience should appreciate the behind-the-scenes work writers put into each scene.
“The writers get unfairly overlooked,” Walsh said. “The writers made all this insanity possible. Shout-out to them.”
Ultimately, both Coffey and Sinnott said they feel that this production is the best BNL show yet.
“We don’t want to be biased, but we feel like we are very blessed with the writers and actors who came out to audition this semester,” Sinnott said.
BNL’s performance will take place in Hinman Commons this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $1 at the door.