Just because it is Summer term does not mean there is a lack of entertainment groups on campus. The Trifecta Show on Wednesday night at Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity proved that student performance is well and alive during the summer by featuring three of the most popular summer groups on campus.
At the Trifecta Show, the Dog Days of Summer performed hilarious improvisation sketches, the Summerphonics sang groovy a cappella arrangements and ShebaLITE threw down dirty hip-hop moves. The enthusiastic audience, which took up the entire first floor of Sig Ep, enjoyed an hour of entertainment from these three different groups.
First up were the eclectic and eccentric members of the Dog Days of Summer. The group did two free form games that took prompts from audience members. Even the new members for the summer had their own individual styles, and favorite characters from older members of the group shone through as well. One of the funnier moments in the show occurred when Priya Shanmugam '13, the director of the group this summer, and Maia Matsushita '13 performed a sketch in which they were praying about their prom dates.
"I really don't think that there's a difference in quality," Shanmugam said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "There's definitely been a difference in the personality of our improv because each person likes to play different characters and go for different types of scenes, but in terms of quality, we've been doing really amazing improv and shows."
The next group to perform was the summer a cappella group the Summerphonics. This group started 15 years ago when members of the Dodecaphonics, a co-ed a cappella group that performs during the regular school year, wanted to create a summer opportunity for sophomore singers on campus. Most of the group this term is made up of singers from other groups during the year.
"It's a really talented group of people," said music director Jessica Hoffman '13. "We got really lucky."
Hoffman is a member of the Dodecaphonics during the school year.
On Wednesday, the group captured the undivided attention of the audience from the first song of the set. Evan Gelfand '13 sang Gavin DeGraw's "Crush," showing off his smooth, relaxing vocals. Bailey Hoar '13 received raving applause after she sang "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks with subtle sass and a pretty smile.
"When we were making the decision about who to let in it was really important to me to really have an open mind for everyone," Hoffman said. "Let's be real, this is a summer a cappella group, so it's more important to me to give people the opportunity to do something they haven't done before."
The last act, ShebaLITE, was perhaps the loudest of the performances. Decorated in neon colors mixed with black and white, the dancers took over the "stage" space with attitude.
The members of SHEBA did a good job of teaching their new members the existing choreography, and the new members took on their roles with enthusiasm and dedication. While the dances varied in technical precision, audience members certainly enjoyed ShebaLITE's show.
"It's definitely more relaxed than it is in the school year, which is actually really nice," said Elizabeth Reynolds 13, president of ShebaLITE.
"I danced in high school, so it's nice to do that again," Camilla Rothenberg '13 said.
Wednesday's Trifecta Show exhibited the diverse artistic talents that are thriving among Dartmouth sophomores.
