Periwig: Baby Wants Candy

This past Monday, the Periwig Club hosted the comedy improvisation group “Baby Wants Candy” (BWC) at the Kirby Arts Center. BWC is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy groups in the world, earning recognition while touring internationally. During one of those trips, a group of Lawrenceville students had the opportunity to participate in their performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, which sparked BWC’s biannual return to Lawrenceville ever since.

Chair of Performing Arts Matt Campbell, who had led the initial group of students to the BWC performance, noted that BWC’s workshop was intended as an enjoyable introduction to spontaneously creating musical theatre. “Certainly, I wanted everyone to have a good time, as was the intention being part of Wellness Week…and [for everyone] to [learn] through an improvised process the approach that performing artists take when inventing new musical theatre work,” Campbell added. In the workshop, students were first taught to improvise a song then add choreography to match them, gradually building a set of “unique and original” opening scenes along the way for “never-heard-of-before musical theatre productions.” 

Jane Shindnes ’26, a participant of the workshop, felt that the event achieved all its “fun, funny, and educational” aims. She elaborated, “It's not often that you get to just surround yourself with people who like theater and just have fun with them doing something new, [and] it made for a really, really cool experience.” More importantly,, Shindnes expressed her appreciation for the safe, no-judgment space created by the BWC practitioners and fellow students, which allowed her to become comfortable with herself and her improvisation. “Really, to get further in something you want to accomplish, you can't be scared of embarrassing yourself, but at the BWC workshop, it wasn’t as hard to take that first step to put yourself out there.”

Similarly, attendee Joshua Wang ’27 recalled that the workshop required all students to participate, but by the end, even those who were initially hesitant to speak up felt more comfortable. “No matter who you were, you sang at some point, and you danced at some point,” Wang added, “We had to be vulnerable in front of others, but having each other’s backs and supporting each other while making some very fun–and maybe not the most appropriate–improv musicals made the experience all the better.” In particular, Wang remembered his initial apprehension about participating when a friend pushed him forward, volunteering him for the exercise. Guided by the BWC practitioners’ kind direction, Wang’s reluctance soon faded as he embraced the support of the group.

Matthew Brooks ’25, who had attended BWC’s similarly structured workshop two years prior, noted his hopes going into the event to let go of any fears that “may have stopped [him] from having as much fun as he could have the first time,” especially concerning singing or freer expression. To Brooks, his success was a testament to his personal growth, as he felt the workshop was more the freeing, “therapeutic” experience he hoped for. “To be honest, the best part was just that it was so fun,” Brooks emphasized, “I think that’s a really valuable part of every activity.”

Looking ahead, Campbell hopes to bring BWC to the entire Lawrenceville community. “It would be so much for [Lawrenceville to see] an entirely improvised musical on stage,” Campbell said, “[and] we would love to welcome the entire company for an evening show!”