On Aug. 28, we attended one of the Lilting Banshees’ sold-out performances at the Scales Fine Arts Center. The Banshees never fail to raise hype around their performances and continually deliver in their commentaries about our lives at Wake Forest University. This year is no different.
The Lilting Banshees have been a historic and important part of the Wake Forest campus since the fall of 1993. We had the chance to speak to a few members and hear their perspectives on what the iconic comedy troupe brings to the Wake Forest community.
Director Hamza Mian (‘25) believes that the troupe brings to campus a lot of freedom and self-expression that ordinarily people might not be able to express in their day-to-day lives.
“I think our goal is just that for one hour students can remember that life at Wake Forest shouldn’t be so stressful,” Mian said, “and hopefully we can play a little part in showing them that there is a lot on this campus to laugh about and have a good time with.”
The Banshees showcased just that. Walking in, we were met with overwhelming hype music and memes broadcasted on the big screen. These images satirized everything from President Susan Wente to fraternity relations. From the first moments you step into Brendle Recital Hall, the Banshees welcome you into the atmosphere of chaos, comedy and fun.
The lights finally dim, and it’s time for the performance. They opened with a broadcasted video segment. The Banshees often utilize a video to open their show. This year they focused on a common experience at Wake: the weird freshman roommate. In the Banshees interpretation, the weird roommate carried around a talking puppet. This ventriloquist caused much distress for his roommate — keeping him up at night, being in the room too much and even stealing his love interest.
The most regular criticism the Banshees receive from the Wake Forest community surrounds the fact that most of their skits are centered around Greek life. In response to these critiques, Dan Moran, member of the comedy troupe, said, “I think these shows are extremely important in the sense that they bring lightness to topics like Greek life, which a lot of students take very seriously and can feel dragged down by from time to time.”
The Banshees delivered many notable skits about Greek life. In one example, the sorority Chi Omega earned the spotlight. Throughout the recruitment process, sorority members take on different roles. For Chi Omega, one of these roles is the “water girl” at in-person recruitment events. Though trivial, the job of the water girl is often considered very important in sorority life.
In the skit, a talkative potential new member speaks with an active member at a recruitment event, and the active member yells for a water girl. The water girl sprints onto the stage looking anxious and overwhelmed.
As Moran said, these skits aim to make light of some aspects of Wake Forest’s social life. Instead of harping on these facets of our lives, we can all laugh together at them and the skits about Greek life delivered exactly that.
More than anything else, one thing about the Lilting Banshees that always stands out is their enthusiasm for their craft and their strong bond with one another.
“I collaborate with my best friends daily, and it doesn’t feel like a job,” Moran said. “The entire collaborative process from brainstorming, daily writing sessions and then performing is extremely rewarding.”
Just by talking to the members of the troupe, you can feel their contagious energy about what they do and understand the responsibility they feel to uphold the legacy of an important part of campus history.
This Spring, The Banshees will celebrate this legacy in their “Classics” show! This performance, which takes place every quadrennial, celebrates the best skits from the troupe’s origins.
Moran shared that the Banshees want to show that “we are more than just people who annoyingly pester others outside the pit; we are a family!”
