| Screech invades UW-Stout The Stoutonia Tiffany Bockhop September 27, 2001 Curly hair, a squeaky voice and mismatched clothes. Zoiks! Who could it be? Yes, the infamous Screech from ìSaved by the Bell.î On Thursday, Sept. 20, a comedic celebrity arrived in Menomonie. Dustin Diamond, known as Samuel ìScreechî Powers from ìSaved by the Bell,î delivered a mediocre stand-up comedic performance to University of Wisconsin-Stout students and guests. With a room of 776 audience members, Steve Byrne, a well-known comedian who makes regular appearances at Comic Strip Live and Club 54 opened the show at 8 p.m. ìI think it was a big success,î Darrin Witucki, Director of Student Services said about Thursdayís performances. ìIt was a nice diversion based on the events of the last 10 days. I am happy with the turnout.î After his sitcom days ended, Diamond decided to try stand-up comedy while also playing bass in his band, ìSalty, the Pocket Knife.î ìIt [stand up] is a new avenue I wanted to explore,î Dustin Diamond said in an interview prior to Thursdayís performance. ìIt is good if you like to make people laugh, but always have something to fall back on.î But how was UW-Stout able to find Screech? ìIt was purely by accident,î Witucki said. Witucki had been in contact with Diamondís agent for other events, and he found Diamond by surprise. He realized there was a gap in Diamondís schedule, and the rest fell into place. The performance was based on various aspects of his life as a celebrity and the character he portrayed. He went from Slaterís mullet haircut to being recognized in the bathroom while standing at a urinal. ìIt really isnít the environment you want to have a chit chat. To top it all off, the guy peed on meî [because the man turned in excitement when he realized who it was], Diamond said during his act. Diamondís performance itself was not as amusing as many as the audience members expected it to be. ìBeing more of a ëDuck Talesí kind of a guy, I didnít get all excited like my ëSaved by the Bellí friends did when Screech came out,î James Spencer Brooks, a sophomore in the Graphic Communications Management major said. ìBut since Mr. McQuack wonít be showing up in Menomonie soon, I would say that Screech is the biggest thing to hit town so far this year, even though he wasnít too funny.î ìIt was cool to see him even though I thought the guy before him was more entertaining. If he wasnít who he was, it would have been boring,î said Thursday nightís attendee Bridget Isaacson, a sophomore Industrial Design major. After a 10-year run on ìSaved by the Bellî, Diamond hasnít found much work in the acting business. What became of his fellow cast members? Diamond said he hasnít kept in touch with his fellow cast members due to everyoneís busy schedule. One ìSaved by the Bellî moment Diamond will never forget occurred while filming a scene while he was in the mascot Tiger suit. While Bayside was playing their Valley rivals, Screech was bouncing around in the Tiger suit. ìAll you heard was a big poof,î Diamond said in an interview prior to the show. ìAnd no one admitted to farting, so I did. But it wasnít me.î Diamond shares few qualities with the nerdy character he is remembered for from ìSaved by the Bell.î ìIím a bit wacky, but Iím not Screech,î Diamond said. ìI added stuff to the character. I donít dress in goofy clothes, and my voice doesnít squeak during regular conversation.î Hoping to make a name for himself as Dustin Diamond instead of Screech, he plans to produce and direct in the future. ìScreech is an icon of the ë90s and it has been a great stepping stone.î Whether he becomes successful behind the scenes later, he will always be remembered by a majority of his fans as Screech, the goofy, loveable dork of Bayside High. Right now, I just want to have fun with my music and doing the stand-up thing.î |
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