Noa Kattler Kupetz

Life Editor

Adam Stark ‘13 was frustrated with the lack of student run shows in the performing arts department. After behind the scenes involvement in Milken theater, Stark decided it was time to create a student controlled project. He began playing with the idea of what a “Milken Night Live,” a take off of the popular Saturday Night Live, would entail. Stark shared the idea with friends Zachary Brenner ‘14 and Benjamin Pitt ‘14, and soon MNL was in the works.

On February 10 in the Margolis Theater, Milken Night Live will debut as a fresh comedic show on campus. The performance, which around 20 Milken students been producing since August, will showcase the talent of student writers, directors, actors, musicians and comedians.

“It’s pretty much a group of friends that got together, thought [Stark] had a cool idea, and planned the whole show,” explained Brenner, a head writer and director.

The first MNL will consist of eight live sketches, four pre-recorded digital shorts and a musical performance. The preparation for the event has been extensive, including challenging skit brainstorms, multiple script rewrites and the filming and editing of digital shorts.

An important goal of MNL is exposing the Milken student to opportunity within theater. Stark is excited to show his peers that there is so much more to the medium than the “glee club” idea.

“I know kids at Milken who don’t go to plays, don’t do plays, but who are so funny. I want to show them that here’s something they can do, whether it’s performing, directing, [or] writing,” Stark said.

MNL is a testament to the passion, creativity and capability of the Milken student. Stark has not only created a program that has allowed Milken students to explore their creativity, he has also created an opportunity to bring together and engage the community.

“It’s silly, it’s very witty, and it should be a fun night,” Brenner said.

This year there will be two productions of MNL, with hope of the show taking place on a frequent basis in the future.

Check out the MNL Facebook page for more information, and a special video from a celebrity promoter.