Bosom Buddies

PIT performers Miller and Nunziata dare to be lewd in send-up of futurism.

Pictured: Will Nunziata and Jerry Miller

By Cristina Merrill/Jester Correspondent

Jerry Miller and Will Nunziata bring to life their own comedic take on the future, or perhaps futurism itself, in Dystopia Gardens, a sketch comedy show seen May 22 at People’s Improv Theater, playing a variety of characters in a loose narrative that didn’t shy away from being disgusting for the sake of humor.

The show’s opening video sets the tone with Miller, wearing ’80s style slat-blinds sunglasses, cloning himself ad nauseum, mocking one form of futuristic innovation. The duo intersperse videos throughout the show, as well.

The show’s title alludes to its fictional world, where personal freedom has become a thing of the past and people are forced to live their lives according to a dictatorial leader. Miller and Nunziata play a range of characters in this world. Although the live performance drags somewhat as they establish the plot, it does take off with a scene where the duo portray characters at the Department of Marriage Vows (the DMV, of course), where men and women are genetically matched in order to procreate. 

There were two segments in particular in which Miller and Nunziata displayed their flair for physical comedy. At the DMV, Miller played a woman and Nunziata played a man being matched up – both wearing blue Snuggie robes and getting ready for sex. Prompted by an instructional video, they remove their Snuggies to reveal tight, white bodysuits that left little to the audience’s imagination. They soon put on a contraption meant to aid them in reproduction: two jock straps connected by a long, clear tube that will allow them to exchange bodily fluids. Then disco lights and music come on and Miller and Nunziata engage in a bizarre and rollicking mating dance of sorts that reaped howls of reaction from the audience.

The other such segment had Nunziata portraying an anthropomorphic robot toilet who convinces Miller’s character to use him. In a move that made audience members both laugh and cringe, sometimes both, Miller stood on his head with Nunziata’s aid, his crotch mere inches from the latter’s face, and the two proceeded to mimic defecation. 

“Would you like some fresh powder from India?” Nunziata’s robot asks Miller when he is finished, adding an odd touch of dialogue to the scene.

Of the two stars of this show, Miller is notable for being vocally versatile – he sings, takes on accents and speaks rapid-fire dialogue. Together as a team, Miller and Nunziata bring out each other’s performing talent, and judging by the physicality of some of the show, they show they’re not afraid to get “up close and personal” for comedy’s sake.

Dystopia Gardens returns to The PIT on Saturday, May 29 at 8 p.m.