The Pin-Up Squirrels, an all-female sketch and improv group, are at their best when they are committed to the zany. Each month they create a brand new show by using details from the life of a special guest whom they interview. Audiences at the December 5th Show at the PIT were in for a special treat, as the special guest was the always funny former SNL writer and founder of the PIT, Ali Farahnakin.
The show was divided in two halves. The first half were sketches based on a prior interview with Farahnakin. Before each sketch, a portion of the audio of the interview was played. Unfortunately the sound quality was not very good, so much of what Farahnakin had to say was indiscernible. Perhaps these audio problems may account for the first two sketches of the night being the weakest—both included longer audio clips and it is possible that some references to the interview may have been lost on the audience. This was particularly true about the first sketch: a scene based on Farahnakin’s audition for SNL, it included several weak impersonations of comedians such as Rachel Dratch and Farahnakin himself, but still could have been saved had the audience first heard Farahnakin's own words clearly.
Despite the shaky start and poor audio quality, though, The Pin-Up Squirrels won over the audience with the wacky premises and solid jokes in sketches that were more tangentially related to Farahnakin’s interview. The last sketch, in particular, was funny and memorable: Farahnakin related a story to the group about being a boy growing up in North Carolina and looking for a rumored sasquatch; the group took this nugget of an idea and turned it into a church group of prejudiced southern women who believe that all sasquatches are hussies trying to steal their men. This bizarre premise allowed for the group’s ability to work as an ensemble, their knack for nuanced comedic characters, and their superb joke writing skills to shine.
After a brief intermission, the improv portion of the show began. Farahnakin was called onstage to be interviewed live. It was clear that the group admired his work and were excited when he stayed on to improvise with them. The improvisation was fun and breezy, and the group’s ability to pick up on the strange and funny details from the interview were great to see in action. As to be expected of a master improviser, Farahnakin was able to jump in amongst the women with ease and humor, but never overshadowed the group the audience had paid to see.
The Pin-Up Squirrels perform regularly at the PIT and UCB. While you will never be able to see this particular show again, the Pin-Up Squirrels proved that they were hilarious and capable writers and performers—if they are as successful with their next subject as they were with Farahnakin, then you’re in for a good one.
The Pin-Up Squirrels perform at the PIT every other month. Check out our event listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/event/night-out-with-the-pin-up-squirrels
