This year, the HLS Parody featured two major changes from previous years-it ran a reasonable length, clocking in at about two hours and fifteen minutes-and it did not feature the infamous clown that has popped up at the end of each parody show in years past. These changes should remain a permanent feature of future Parody shows.
For those unfamiliar with Parody shows from previous years, the aforementioned clown would be an actor or actress who would walk among the audience in full clown regalia, singling out students for personal ridicule that often involved intimate details about the person. Further making the situation uncomfortable was the fact that since the clown came out at the end of the show, former Dean Robert Clark was often on stage at the same time that the clown was making these comments, giving an odd sense of implicit official approval to the meanness spilling forth from the clown's mouth. Now, there are certainly fine pieces of drama that are meant to challenge an audience by making it feel uncomfortable. But, for a student produced parody show, making the audience squirm while a fellow student was embarrassed tended to erode the humor and charm of an evening otherwise spent making fun of all things HLS with a sense of humor rather than a spirit of vindictiveness.
As to the length, in years past the show has astoundingly run over the three hours mark. This for a student-produced show featuring a student cast meant not only exhausting scenes that often lacked focus but also an exhaustion of the audience's patience. There is a reason most comedies (both theatrical and cinematic) run under two hours and that's because humor is best served in small doses in order to maintain the laughs for the duration of a show. While two hours and fifteen minutes is still longer than most comedies, it is certainly a vast improvement over the 2003 parody "The Lord of the Briefs" that took its name from The Lord of the Rings films and lasted nearly as long as one of those films.
Also worthy of note was the talented cast gracing the production. From the marvelous depiction of Ali-G by Edmond Rhys Jones down to the stage dancers, the show was a fine example of the many talents HLS students have--the Parody reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously, but it also reminds us to let our creativity out once in a while.
My wife's father is hessaby as in www.hessaby.com (they stole his cash and put it there) and my mother-in-law family is related by marriage tot the Pakravans., who headed the SAVAKPan Am was nicknamed PanIran as the Shah's family was the largest shareholder. I have extreme amount of details of exactly was going on
from the Iranians wanting him to return their assets to other coup attempts to 6 months before the Shah son pretended he was bankrupt in a public trial, to my wifes relative coming to our house talking about the coup and we did not know they were in Washington DC, to the Iran Contra hearings trial that was going to start Feb 20 th, 1989 to the tipping of the coup to the Iranian govt, ,to something in writing I can prove the coup to the Salamon Rushtie Feb 14th insult to islam to get the people on the street to avoid the coup to the Iranian govt announcement of a coup by 'dissent mullahs' announced at the time to the negiotations between the Bush people involved pretending they were going to make a deal to the 'nice' stories plant in US newspapers at the time (including the Post) as part of the negotation to the fact the bomb had to placed out of London based on the flight path as I worked at USAir at the time creating the flight plans for the 'planes to fly themselves' to overt CIA agents around me at the time to the fact that Bollier, the guy who made the timer for the bomb's wide was IRANIAN and the Libyans told me and said they were not allowed to say... there were 3 witness only.. the main one was trashed.. Bollier and a guy whom said he soldm the Libyan a suitcase in Malta.. hence, one the suitcase guy would be left.. the Libyans did not put up a defence in exchange for evidence to trash the main witness on the stand to what an overt CIA agent told me in the US 4 years later.. etc. etc and the details of several coups to the new World bank (my wie's cousin involved who used to work at the work bank)and US loans starting May 1990 to Iran to the fact that PANAm was shut down 18 months later as they thought it would be targeted again because of the Shah connection (the US airlines go in and out of bankruptcy all the time - this was the one of the first US airlines - an ICON) etc
I also know where the Iranian govt officials have money in the US, Canada and UK; the back door dealing etccall me for details.. Barry Lanza 00 44 1786831554.. My father-in-law was a convicted spy given amnesty