Jonathan Kroberger hems and haws then rests his chin on his hand like that statue of some thinking man, and attempts to explain his character.

"I play a dog," Kroberger (sophomore-film) decides. "I play a pot dealer who is in a dog costume. No... I guess I play a pot-dealing dog. I am a dog who sells pot."

Kroberger's also playing a Penn State adviser and a French guy.

With all of these roles, Kroberger warns that talking about these characters makes absolutely no sense without explaining their context.

And what is that context?

Why it's Phroth Phest, of course.

Phroth Phest, in its third year of life, is a student-written, directed and acted sketch-comedy show that tackles everything from Ugg boots to metrosexuality to that "I was so wasted" game you hear everywhere on Monday morning.

The show is a partnership between No Refund Theatre (NRT), which puts on weekly performances, and Phroth, Penn State's own humor magazine.

A cast of eight and some other crewmembers will present Phroth Phest at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday in 111 Forum. Admission is free, but the show's director, Kevin Haulihan (senior-marketing) warns that Phroth Phest is historically the most popular NRT event of the year. So, that means arrive early if you don't feel like standing in an aisle.

Jason Lally (senior-information science and technology), a cast member who played Corky St. Clair in October's Waiting for Guffman, compared Phroth Phest to Saturday Night Live "when it was still original" and promised there will be boys in loincloths (but, alas, no salsa chugging, which did occur in Phroth Phest a few years back).

There will also be "lots of drinking action" according to Caitlin Cassidy (junior-secondary education and theatre), who has performed in almost 15 NRT productions.

"I've heard college kids like to drink," she said. "I'm not sure though."

"I'm just going by what I've heard," she added.

Haulihan, the show's head writer in addition to its director, has been working on this year's material since summetime-ish, along with the help of assistant director Steve Menegozzi (senior-film and psychology) and two Phroth and NRT alumni -- Dan Hopper and Nate Kushner, who are currently doing the sketch-comedy troupe thing together way up in New York City.

So, there are 18 sketches of original comedy at work this weekend. That's almost an hour-and-a-half of humor. And just where does all this wit come from?

"Parents, like Will Smith says, they just don't understand," Haulihan said. "That was our inspiration for the entire show."

Haulihan encourages folks to see Phroth Phest because sketch comedy is such a gosh darn powerful force: You never know just what's going to happen.

"Sketch comedy saved my life," Haulihan stressed.

"It saved me from the streets," Menegozzi agreed.

"We were both going to join gangs," Hauligan added. "But not anymore."