Our Shows
NAVIGATION
Three remarkable comedic productions each year
Free Show
The Free Show, in recent years presented alongside Bloomers Comedy, is Mask and Wig’s first production of the academic year. Tickets to Free Show are free of charge for all first and second year students at the University of Pennsylvania. The show is designed to introduce the Club to students new to campus, create lasting relationships with those in attendance, and to generate interest in the Club’s auditions. After the Free Show, interested students are invited to a schmoozer with Club members in the Mask and Wig Clubroom in the Quadrangle, and auditions typically take place in the days after.
The Free Show has is typically performed in the Zellerbach Auditorium at Penn Live Arts’ Annenberg Center, which seats approximately 1,000 patrons. For one night only, the Cast performs “tried and true” sketch comedy bits and musical numbers that represent some of the most loved and classic in our repertoire. The Band also arranges a number of covers of popular songs of the day to use as fillers, played between the bits and comedic musical numbers.
Fall Show
The Fall Show is a one-week-only sketch comedy show that Mask and Wig performs during the fall. In 1936, performances of Mask and Wig’s Annual Production shifted to the fall. When eventually the Annual Production returned to its springtime performance schedule, in 1970, undergraduate members felt that something was missing. Starting with No, But I Read the Cliffnotes, Mask and Wig undergraduates have been performing the Fall Show for one week each fall.
The Fall Show takes place on Penn’s campus, typically at Iron Gate Theatre. The show comprises a variety of independent SNL-style comedic sketches. The Opening Number, First Act closing tap, and Second Act opener create a “show-within-a-show” complete with a plot, choreography, and music derived from parody of modern artists. Of course, the show would not be complete without the Band playing covers of popular songs.
The Fall Show is entirely student-run. Writers assemble an original script, the Band selects and arranges music, the Stage Crew designs and builds the set and technical elements, and the Business Staff ensures the show is financed, marketed, and attended. All come together in just a few weeks between the beginning of the academic year and the performance. Attended annually by thousands of patrons, the Fall Show is always a fun time – get your tickets today!
Annual Production
The Annual Production is Mask and Wig’s primary theatrical endeavor each academic year. A full-length musical comedy, written and performed entirely by undergraduate members, the Annual Production runs for multiple months during the spring. Undergraduate writers write the script, but the production also leverages the combined efforts of undergraduate members, alumni members, and theater professionals for production, direction, choreography, scenic design, and costuming. The first annual production, Lurline, was performed to critical acclaim at the Chestnut Street Opera House on June 4th, 1889.
In the early days, Annual Productions were satires of literary classics in the burlesque tradition. Lurline was based on Henry Byron’s The Nymphs of the Lurleyburg. Later, productions shifted to a satirical review format with 1961’s Wry on the Rocks. With changing tastes came the transition to a full-book musical comedy in 1992’s Myth America. More recently, a hybrid format in which the plot serves as a scaffold for comedic sketches and musical numbers has delighted Annual Production audiences.
The Annual Production runs each year from January through April, including the performances on Tour during Penn’s spring break. Production, however, is a year-long process – even before the closing night of the current production, the Club is already working on the next. Each annual production is the product of thousands of person-hours, representing the combined efforts of Mask and Wig undergraduate and alumni members. Get your tickets today! View our full list of annual productions here.
Floor Shows and Band Gigs
Besides our customary Fall Show and Annual Production, Mask and Wig is available for hire to perform “Floor Shows” for special events, corporate affairs, dinner functions, alumni events, and high school audiences. A floor show consists of several sketches or songs, usually described as “the best of Mask and Wig.” We draw from our large repertoire of bits and musical sketches in order to cater to all ages and tastes. Our attire is as versatile as our material, ranging from jeans to a tuxedo. Musical accompaniment ranges from one piano to our entire Band upon request.
In addition to playing as our pit orchestra and as interlude musicians for our productions, the Band is available for hire to perform around Penn’s campus and beyond. The Band regularly performs a rotating setlist of cover songs in a variety of styles for formals, parties, and other gatherings. Smaller jazz quartets are also a popular option.
To learn more about booking our performers, visit our booking page.