Alex Keen and Tess Birch
Words By Kyra Gillespie
Tess Birch and Alex Keen’s show,
Smart Casual, was proof there are plenty of diamonds in the rough when Melbourne International Comedy Festival rolls around every year.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, some may argue, is defined not by the big headliners, but the up-and-coming acts that take you pleasantly by surprise. One such act was
Smart Casual by Tess Birch and Alex Keen.
Upstairs at Melbourne’s Campari House, Birch talked about how in school, her mum would always lecture her about her social media intake, yet now it’s her mum who spends hours on Facebook, sending her videos of unlikely animal friendships, captured by the endless social worm-hole.
The Dark Arts Dance Company is among hundreds of student organizations at UD that have continued safe engagement â and, in this case, performance â during the pandemic. Here, pictured left to right, Deanna Desgouttes, Stefanie Severin, Jasmyn Allen and Adamari Rodriguez prepare for a spring showcase that will stream virtually.
Undeterred Article by Diane Stopyra Photos by Evan Krape and courtesy of Samantha Simon, Alex Beigelman, Jeremy Kuelker, Miarah Johnson, Alex Keen, Anthony Doody, Corin Gioia Edwards April 07, 2021
Even in the midst of a pandemic and its restrictions, student groups thrive
For success in college, the standard advice typically goes something like this: Study hard. Get lots of sleep. Study some more. Secure an internship or two. Study.