let the game$ beg~n --

by Kristina Geerken

Smiles and applause filled the gymnasium at the Don Guanella School's second Annual Comedy Olympics. A ci:'>mpetitionof quick wit and satire lit up the stage as both students of the Don Guanella School and the Cavalier Attitudes, the Cabrini improvisational troupe, battled to get the most laughs.

Don Guanella school for boys is a residential school located in Marple that serves boys with developmental disabilities. An acting program coordinated through Cabrini College gets the boys together each week to participate in theater games and learn lessons in expression and confidence.

Starting off the "funny match," some of the students of Don Guanella perfonned a satire about the year 2020 as well as coached the audience in what they thought were appropriate "Table Manners."

Robert Cahill, one of the performing students, thought that being on stage sometimes can be somewhat nerveracking, but overall, a good time.

"It was lots of fun. I would do it again," Cahill said.

Soon to follow were Cabrini's own Cavalier Attitudes. The Cavaliers catered to a participative audience. In fact, a few boys from the Don Guanella school played some acting games with the Cavaliers. The students that were present had a good time watching some of their classmates and calling out the names of superheros so that the Cavalier Attitudes could mimic them.

Playing games like "Professor Know-it-All," when the improv troupe answers questions put forth by the audience, the students were having a good time shouting out words and questions. They inquired about things ranging from "Why do the Eagles stink?" to "What is in a Haunt- ed house?"

Senior Lisa Finegan, head of the Cavalier Attitudes, helps with the Don Guanella group. "I love working with the boys-I've been doing it for two years now," Finegan said.

Since 1985, the Don Guanella school has been fortunate enough to offer acting classes. The program was arranged with the help of Chris Burke, an actor in the television series, "Life Goes On."

Neal Newman, the theater director, has been helping with the program for two years. "We are trying to instill confidence and create self-esteem in the boys," Newman said. "They participate in theater games that have helped them become more expressive," Newman added.

Don Guanella's activity director, Robert Neely, was very enthusiastic about the acting program. He was very thankful for the help of Neal Newman and the participation of Cabrini students.

"Neal is great with the kids-he is the main man," Neely said.

Junior Gary Rupacz has also gotten a chance to help with the acting group. "I feel that something I enjoy is something that I can give to someone else. You can see the confidence and self-esteem building, and the smiles on their faces makes it all worth it," Rupacz said.

Students from Don Guanella are bused to Cabrini every Thursday for the 10 week program. The program currently accepts about 12 students between the ages of 12-21 years old.

According to Neely, the evening was a success. "We were glad to have the iinprov troupe with us again," Neely said.

The performance of the Cavalier Attitudes on Thursday Nov. 2 at Don Guanella was just a sample of the laughs they have provided the community outside of Cabrini.

Travelling to local colleges like Holy Family and Newmann, the Cavalier Attitudes have been building a strong reputation and using their talents to make others smile.

"In my four years, this is the strongest group I've worked with-they are very dedicated," Finegan said.

The editorials, viewpoints, opinions and letters to the editor published in Loquitur are the views of the student editorial board and the individual writers, not the entire student body or the faculty and administration.