Presented by MSU’s Theatre Department in collaboration with the School of Journalism, R A-Holes leans fully into its sitcom inspiration by being recorded in front of a live studio audience in WKAR’s Studio A. The audience’s laughter and reactions add an interactive element, giving the performance a classic sitcom feel, mirroring shows like Seinfeld or The Big Bang Theory.

While the concept of a sitcom-based show is interesting on paper, the overall experience felt lengthy. Of course, multi-hour tapings are typical for live studio productions, but sitting through the full runtime can still be a challenge. 

R A-Holes runs close to three hours, which may be demanding for audience members – especially students arriving for a 7:30 p.m. start time on some days. 

Sitcoms, historically, have roots in theatre, and it was interesting to see this translated for a student audience, using different jokes to land laughs with different age groups. Some Gen Z-like and some more nuanced for an older audience. 

However, this leaned too heavily on sexually charged jokes that seemed pretty awkward, especially when paired with its climax – Harley selling her farts for profit. 

Trying to combine these kinds of gags also creates a lack of focus; comedy usually works best when it targets a clear, specific experience. If the audience can’t relate, like with a joke about nearly being run over by a scooter, it fails to stick. 

When these jokes came from an “older” character, though, like Hiscock (Shelby Parker), they landed much more effectively. It was especially interesting to watch the dynamic between Hiscock, Ana and Gregory during an integration scene, which featured supercuts of other individuals using comedic wordplay and a lot of physical movement – a standout aspect to this production. The scenes with Hiscock felt kind of reminiscent of Mrs. Dabney from the Disney Channel sitcom Good Luck Charlie.

A real standout gag was the running jokes aimed at Gregory (Noah Savage), who consistently drew the short end of the comedic stick – getting roasted as a “Starbucks tall” and even being compared to Buddy the Elf. A 5’2 girl myself, these jokes were some that I took home to think of some sassy remarks back. 

In the end, R A-Holes feels like a show that’s still in the trial run – naturally, since it is the pilot episode – but there is something promising about this student-driven sitcom. 

It has a cast that leans into their characters, physical comedy, and audience participation that’s sure to make one or two of you laugh; the show has the potential to grow into something funnier and more self-assured than it was on its first night.