Hasty Pudding Selects 'Galaxy'

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals has selected the play "Me and My Galaxy" for its annual spring show.

The play was written by brothers Aaron S. Kesselheim '96 and Jared A. Kesselheim '99.

In the play, a character named Captain Anteneel leads a group from Earth to the planet Alpha Cryingoutloud where they meet a alien race of eggs.

The Earthlings are faced with not only an asteroid hurtling towards the planet but also treachery at home. Back on Earth, two villains named Barry Cuda and Lil Whitelies are trying to sabotage the mission.

The Kesselheims' script beat out seven other entries--twice the normal amount--according to Hasty Pudding Theatricals President Andrew A. Burlinson '97.

Burlinson said the play's "fast moving" structure, where both the plot and humor blend into a cohesive story, separated "Me" from the other scripts.

Aaron Kesselheim said "Me and My Galaxy" returns the Pudding play to the "common man of Harvard" by appealing to students' interests in science fiction and computers.

He said the production brings "the Pudding into the New Age" because it is the first production set in outer space.

The play was entered once before but was completely reworked for this competition, including revising some characters and "improving the humor," according to Jared Kesselheim.

Aaron Kesselheim said a defining "moment of inspira- tion" occurred at 1:30 a.m. July 4 as the two watched the movie "Independence Day."

But in this play the audience should not expect intergalactic battles. Aaron Kesselheim describes it as "Apocalypse Now meets the Internet."

The Kesselheim brothers have attempted humor before--both have written for the Harvard Lampoon, a semi-secret Bow Street social organization that used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine.

The creation of the play was not easy for the two, who were in different cities for much of the writing process. Jared was in Boston and Aaron was in New York, where he writes for Comedy Central.

The two worked together for short periods of time but did most of their correspondence by phone.

A summary and character list were submitted in the spring, with subsequent acts and scenes later on in the summer.

Costuming for the production will be typically "flamboyant," Jared Kesselheim said.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals has a production budget of almost $300,000, according to Burlinson.

Students are invited to try their hand at composing the music to accentuate the Kesselheims' lyrics. Casting will be held the weekend of November 23, and auditions for positions in the pit orchestra will continue through January.

The production will premiere in February and play in New York and Bermuda as well

But in this play the audience should not expect intergalactic battles. Aaron Kesselheim describes it as "Apocalypse Now meets the Internet."

The Kesselheim brothers have attempted humor before--both have written for the Harvard Lampoon, a semi-secret Bow Street social organization that used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine.

The creation of the play was not easy for the two, who were in different cities for much of the writing process. Jared was in Boston and Aaron was in New York, where he writes for Comedy Central.

The two worked together for short periods of time but did most of their correspondence by phone.

A summary and character list were submitted in the spring, with subsequent acts and scenes later on in the summer.

Costuming for the production will be typically "flamboyant," Jared Kesselheim said.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals has a production budget of almost $300,000, according to Burlinson.

Students are invited to try their hand at composing the music to accentuate the Kesselheims' lyrics. Casting will be held the weekend of November 23, and auditions for positions in the pit orchestra will continue through January.

The production will premiere in February and play in New York and Bermuda as well