The first original BYU sitcom will tape in front of a live audience Saturday, Feb. 8.

The romantic comedy "So Much In Love" involves an apartment of boys and an apartment of girls attending BYU.

"The sitcom examines the different ideas of what love is all about," said Tawnya Cazier, producer and head writer of the sitcom.

There are similarities in the 25 minutes of humor to the popular television show "Friends."

Like "Friends," the scenes are mostly in the girls' apartment, there is a large cast and no assigned lead role amongst the ten characters.

"The actors, as the time has progressed, have become a lot more comfortable with each other and trying new things," said Tony Gunn, a senior studying theatre as well as producer and acting coach of the sitcom.

"They are very, very funny," Gunn said.

The humor in the sitcom will be related to BYU culture, but jargon won't confuse other audiences.

"Dating is always a problem, regardless of what culture you come from," Gunn said, "We try to make the jokes funny no matter who you are."

Sitcom humor and format is different than other theatre productions.

Sitcom means situational comedy, said Tyler Weston, a junior studying media arts and media technical director of the sitcom.

With a sitcom there is a live studio audience, different television techniques are used and multiple cameras are present.

"Sitcom is like glorified stand-up," said Gunn.

The differences from theatre required adjustments from the actors.

"It's been fun to see how they've evolved as actors in the genre," Gunn said.

There are two opportunities for live audiences to attend the tapings.

The first shoot is Saturday at 9:30 a.m., and the second shoot is at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets are free but limited and are available in the TMA office. If tickets are sold out, there will be a will-call line and a viewing room outside the studio.

"We're definitely going to sell out," Gunn said.

Those who miss the opportunity to see a live taping can watch the show at the BYU film festival Final Cut, coming this March.

This will be the first year that pieces longer than five or six minutes will be shown during the film festival.

"The thing that we're really worried about is having your audience come and nobody laugh," Cazier said.



Copyright Brigham Young University 6 Feb 2003