James Wong is Chairman of Mask and Wig, Penn's all-male musical comedy troupe. The senior gives us the inside scoop on the boas, masks, wigs. and space tubes. Street: How did you first get involved in Mask and Wig? James Wong: I was dragged by my hall to Wig's free show during freshman NSO. It sounded dumb, and I knew I definitely wouldn't want to be in it. Later that week I joined the group, and in a few years I became Chairman.
Street: What does the job of Chariman entail? JW: It's really a lot of organization and keeping on top of people. The best part is introducing the whole company at the end of each show. But mostly, my role is to sit in a large beat-up leather chair and watch the rest of the group get stuff done.
Street: What are the dynamics of the group like? JW: It's tough for us to operate like any other traditional group, as we are essentially a troupe of unpaid, non-unionized actors, musicians, stage hands and businessmen who cross-dress and tap dance for fun. But we use Robert's Rules of Order - newly revised - to help keep things going in meetings. I would generously describe it as herding stray cats.
Street: What color was your boa? JW: Black, to accent my Chinese-Ecuadorian black hair.
Street: Funniest thing to have happened while standing on the green? JW: I noticed some boa-clad collegemen on the Green the other day protesting the admittance of new freshmen which was fairly amusing by itself, but then they were confronted by the Dean of Admissions, which made the protest really awkward and therefore even funnier.
Street: Thoughts on performing with masks and/or wigs? JW: Masks are mostly for ugly people. Wigs transform otherwise normal guys into sometimes disturbingly good looking women.
Street: Where do you see yourself in five years? JW: Head of SEPTA's new monorail and space-tube division. Tokens accepted.
Street: If you could pick one celebrity to cameo in a performance, who would it be? JW: I'd like to see a funny, leading-female like Tina Fey in one of our shows. Sure, that would go against the whole "all-male" thing, but I'd make sure she were only allowed to play male characters, which would count, I think.
Street: There are two kinds of Penn students. JW: Those who love Mask and Wig, and those who hate Mask and Wig so much they tried to burn down our clubhouse.
