THE THIRD RAIL COMEDY HOUR
Like everyone else, the Third Rail ensemble uses Viola Spolin’s improvisational theater games to create generally not very funny material. Like everyone else, they slap a sordid assortment of sketches and planned games together to make a revue of dubious quality. And, like so many other groups, they seem stuck at the awkward point between advanced beginners and semiprofessionals. Their show lacks both the exuberance of an amateur revue and the polished discipline of a professional one.
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The best sketch of the evening was an odd but cute and mildly humorous bit in which the whole cast put on rat noses and ears, and sang and danced their way through the “Rat People Anthem”: “We’re not men / We’re not mice / We’re rats, man.” Maybe not the most profound lyrics in the world, but it was refreshing to see the actors actually enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, this moment of spontaneity only made the numbing sameness of the rest of the show even more deadening.
