On Saturday, March 3, a lecture hall in the Geology corner, typically utilized for academic events, played host to a show far from the likes of an IHUM lecture. People filled the room to witness the end of quarter show of the Robber Barons, Stanford’s only sketch comedy group.

 

In a little over an hour, the Robber Barons provided laughs with a show entitled “NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL ROBBER BARONS!” The group performed 15 “tracks” (or short skits), many of which tied in to the ‘90s pop music and culture theme.

 

The show started with a welcome routine in which members of the group Tristan Kruth ‘12 and Kevin Hurlbutt ‘14 thanked the audience for coming to the show. The welcome quickly developed into an intervention of Kruth’s Altoid addiction. Hilarity and absurdity ensued, giving the audience a taste of was in store for them.

 

The Robber Barons showcased a variety of skits, one of which included a sexual, innuendo-filled impersonation of Winston Churchill. Many of the skits were well-written satires of everyday “Stanford” scenarios that the audience could relate to and thus got some big laughs. Scenarios included a dining hall argument over the last burrito, a manipulation of the RA interview process, a hilarious, somewhat “douchey” retelling of a study-abroad experience and the statistic-filled PowerPoint presentation of a professor’s findings on the infidelity of his wife.

 

The real audience favorite, however, was a skit that included the impersonations of—and a mock rap battle between—two students who have acquired a degree of campus fame: Stewart MacGregor-Dennis ‘13, the ASSU Vice President; and Ralph Nguyen ‘12, a comedian and creator of the popular Facebook page “MemeChu.” A third party ultimately decided the battle, when a member dressed as Andrew Luck ‘12 stepped in and dropped his own verse.

 

Outside of Stanford humor, the group provided an eclectic variety of skits, ranging from the divorce trial of Mickey and Minnie Mouse (which included an amusing Donald Duck impersonation by Mary Glen Fredrick ‘12) to a skit that captured the trials and tribulations of a new student who didn’t have a butt. Playing well with the ‘90s theme, a student led a delusional existence in which he believed himself to be a character from the popular teen series, “Saved by the Bell.”

 

All in all, the show was hysterical. The Robber Barons showcased an array of skits filled with absurdity, childhood nostalgia and Stanford satirical humor to shape an ordinary Saturday night into a hilarious experience.