Cool temperatures brought out the laughs as the Guilford College community celebrated the second annual Fall Follies on Oct. 29 in Dana Auditorium. Approximately 100 people attended the event, which included interactive performances and side-splitting ad-libs. Steffany Drozdo, co-coordinator of the Follies and Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages, described the event as “a tongue-in-cheek talent show which allows faculty, staff, and students to display their comedic talents through song, dance, skits, improv, and trivia.”

Numbers don John Hatch played host in casual attire, which set the tone for a laid-back hour and half of community well-being.

Vice President of Finance Jerry Boothby and his wife Louise kicked off the talent fair with a case of “Mistaken Identity.” Boothby dressed in a celadon-green suit in order to distinguish himself from his look-alike, President Kent Chabotar. The presidential spoof included rhetoric from their days “at the other place,” a Letterman-style “top ten” list and a display of doctored images of President Chabotar depicting the year 2010.

The first photo, captioned “Chabotar if the long term strategic plan fails,” showed a balding and elderly Chabotar in his customary black suit. It was followed by an image of a successful plan – a bearded Chabotar smiling and wearing a rather large, gem-embedded gold crown.

The real Chabotar stood up to show off his own sense of humor. He walked onto the stage and held up two signs. One, directed at Jerry Boothby, read “You’re Fired.” For Louise Boothby, office assistant for the academic dean, Chabotar’s sign quipped “You’re Fired, Too!”

An injection of “Whose Line Is It Anyway” brought the audience into the fun. Chemistry guru Dave MacInnes, Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages Maria Bobroff, senior Rachel Chaffin and a few audience volunteers took the stage for “The Question Game.” The one-on-one competition set the stage for a singular victory.

Librarians disguised themselves as Charlotte and the La-De-Las to fill Dana with a tune from the era of 1950’s pop heavyweight. Singing “My Boyfriend’s Back,” head circulation librarian Charlotte Divitci took the lead, leaving back-up to Kate Hood (library associate for acquisitions), Kim Garner (alternative learning specialist) and Wendy Looker (director of choral activities) as accompanist.

Assistant professor of philosophy Vance Ricks came out to the Follies to show support for his partner, Lisa McLeod. Ricks said, “It was enjoyable last year and it’s a great way to let off a little steam. It showcases people who don’t normally show off these kinds of talents.”

Ricks admits that he did not help McLeod prepare for her performance, but he decided to support her efforts with his attendance.

Ricks got what he bargained for – a few chuckles as he watched McLeod perform “The Alphabet Game” with Drozdo. Contestants had to call out words that begin with particular letters of the alphabet. By audience demand, the round started with ‘G.’

“The Alphabet Game” concluded with a tie as contestants accomplished a letter 360. The game ended with a handshake on letter “F.”

McLeod, a philosophy professor, said she prepared by learning a few words that started with “Z.” McLeod agreed to participate because “The Follies are casual and funny. It’s fun for the community.”

Drozdo agrees. “What primarily stands out to me is the sense of community that the event builds through laughter. It is a welcome break from all of our hectic schedules to take time to see our colleagues and friends in admittedly humbling circumstances.”

Senior John davis, member of the Yachting Club, John Davis humbled himself to perform “The Emperor Has No Pants,” a Super-Mario-inspired modern dance routine. Wearing a red t-shirt, overall denim britches, low-riding ball cap, dark glasses and black tennis shoes, Davis sought to emulate the popular video game character.

Next up, Greg Black, Drozdo, McLeod and a few participants from the crowd played “The World’s Worst.” Hearing others call out the worst restaurant names, pick-up lines, Halloween costumes, and others turned out to be one student’s top pick of the night.

First-year Ryan Daniel said “The (Follies) were so funny this year. Better than last year. My favorite thing was the ‘Worst Stripper Name.” Contestants rattled off names like “Paul Masters” and “Barbara Bush” to complete the category.

A hush fell over the Follies crowd as Rudy Gordh and John Hatch, professors of mathematics by trade, took the stage with two 1960s-era folksongs on their minds.

A comedic rhythm surprised an audience primed for protest, but soon fell in line with the beat of Gordh’s acoustic guitar. “The Draft Dodger’s Rag” followed “Operation Desert Storm,” a catchy sing-along that chronicles the hunt for a Road Runner.

Hatch told audience members before beginning the set that “With the times we are having now in Iraq and recent troubles with Afghanistan, it is important to remember other conflicts in the desert.”

Rounding out the evening, German professor Dave Limburg, and Drozdo gave Monty Python’s “The Dead Parrot Sketch” a run.

Python’s quirky humor gives rise to an animated pet store customer, played by Drozdo, who had recently purchased a dead parrot. The store owner, played by Limburg, tried but failed to convince Drozdo that her bird was simply enjoying a deep ‘slumber.’

In the end, conflict turns to romance and the two characters agree to a date.

For the finale, Limburg, MacInnes, Steve-Shapiro-fill-in, geology professor Dave Dobson and French professor Maria Bobroff took the stage for “Stump the Chump,” a light-hearted trivia