Olin Health Center’s In Your Face Theater Troupe is, well, in your face.
A group of nine students travel across campus performing skits to highlight different aspects of students’ sexual behavior.
Olin's sex education group performs skits
The In Your Face comedy troupe put on a series of sex education sketches on Tuesday. Theater senior Marla Carter directed the group that performed 10 skits to a crowd of about 45.
On Tuesday, the troupe brought its act to Holmes Hall and performed a series of skits for about 45 students.
Each performance consists of 10 skits and covers issues ranging from homosexuality and abstinence to the importance of being tested for sexually transmitted infections. Some skits, such as one about dating violence, are serious, but most, like “Condom Man,” incorporate humor.
“I think humor always helps to ease any uncomfortable situation or uncomfortable topic,” said Marla Carter, a theater senior and troupe director.
“I think using humor in our work is helping people to realize these things are important and they can be handled in an everyday way.”
Carter revived the troupe last year after a two-year hiatus. The group is small, but the events typically attract between 50 and 100 students, Carter said.
“Our goal is to entertain and educate in any way we can,” Carter said.
“We don’t assume anything about anyone’s preferences or sexuality. We just want to give a broad range of information.”
Dennis Martell, Olin’s health education services coordinator, helped establish the troupe in 1993. Martell said portraying sexual health education in an informal manner gives performers an opportunity to educate students on taboo topics.
“The troupe was founded on the belief that education and entertainment was the way to go with some of these issues on sexuality,” Martell said.
“Whenever you give a message, 80 percent is how you give it. Only 20 percent is the content, and that’s why theater is so important in that.”
Martell said the group is one of the most influential interactions Olin has when it comes to reaching out to students.
“You can have the best message in the world, but if no one wants to accept it or listen to it, you have a wasted message,” Martell said.
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“The message is good, but the delivery is where it excels.”
Troupe members rehearse about 10 hours each week and hold performances on Tuesdays.
Elementary education senior Lynden Robbins said she requested the troupe come to East Holmes Hall after she heard about it.
“We felt it would be a good and appropriate program to serve the needs of our community,” Robbins said.
“It was fun. It was energetic. It was a unique way to present people with information that needs to be presented, but people are usually turned off by it when they hear it by itself.”
Zoology freshman Stephanie Ross said she thought the show was both informative and enjoyable.
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“It was bold, but in college you need to be,” she said.
