鈥淲e like to call it movement-based comedy,鈥� says Pete Betcher, one of the founders of The Back Pack. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit of dance, it鈥檚 a little bit of media, it鈥檚 a little bit of theater, all kind of blended into one thing. It ends up being very fast paced.鈥�
The Back Pack鈥檚 current show, Wear and Tear, like all of their works, is a fast-paced, energetic, and dialogue-free show that gives the impression of spontaneity even though it鈥檚 meticulously planned out.
鈥淓verything is very tightly choreographed and planned out. A lot of people accidentally call it improv because it has that very playful nature to it, but it is definitely not improvised,鈥� Betcher says. 鈥淚t is very tightly choreographed.鈥�
鈥淒own to the second,鈥� adds Katie Kohler, also a founding member of the troupe.
The members of The Back Pack have created a new type of physical performance 鈥� Kohler says 鈥渨hen I鈥檓 selling the show to people, I鈥檓 like, 鈥業 promise you鈥檝e never seen anything like it,鈥欌�� 鈥� but it draws inspiration from many earlier physical comedians.
鈥淚t takes a lot of inspiration from older media types. A lot of people will describe it [as] similar to the feel of an old cartoon. Just because it has that whimsy and鈥� it could go anywhere at any moment, [with] no explanation as to why,鈥� says Betcher.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 got some of the cleverness of Looney Tunes,鈥� Kohler adds.
鈥淎nd there鈥檚 also like a little I Love Lucy, a little Mr. Bean thrown in there too,鈥� Betcher continues. 鈥淭here鈥檚 some old classic clowning.鈥�
The Back Pack has been honing their craft for about ten years now. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been working together for about a decade. I guess the format started when we were in college. One of our friends鈥� was producing a ten-minute play festival,鈥� says Kohler. 鈥淎nd she was scrapped for content and was like, 鈥楯ust do something. Do anything.鈥� And we were like, 鈥楧o we have to talk? Do we have to write a play?鈥� And she was like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 care.鈥� And so we brought her this. And it was really well received.鈥�
鈥淥ur main shtick 鈥� why we鈥檙e called The Back Pack 鈥� is we wear these pads of paper that are layered anywhere from twenty to sixty papers deep on each of us,鈥� Betcher explains. 鈥淎nd so as the show goes on, we rip off those pages to reveal new costumes, new props, new characters, new settings.鈥�
鈥淚 tell people [to] just come and have fun. It鈥檚 a fun show, don鈥檛 overthink it. There鈥檚 nothing to get. It鈥檚 just entertaining,鈥� Kohler says. 鈥淲e write for adults, but you can bring your kids. Kids love us, because we鈥檙e, I guess, absurd and whimsical and just that. There鈥檚 no deeper meaning unless you want there to be. And you can find that on your own.鈥�
