Speak the speech, Mercutio. Where for art thou, Yorick? This midsummer night doth feel like a dream! Yeah, I know my Shakespeare. No big deal. That’s what an NYC theater conservatory, one often referred to as “SCAMDA,” will get you. I’m hip to all the theater references. But, even if you aren’t super cultured like I am, you’ll still get a kick out of Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell clad in tights and talking all funny like.

The longtime friends and former coworkers reunited on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and gave the audience a look at what real theater should be. They pack all the plot and exposition you could need into a tight, eight-minute sketch. There are sword fights, wigs, true love, and two men trying to figure out which camera to turn to quickly.

This whole bit is delightfully silly. The scene is bolstered by the fact that Carell remains stone-cold throughout, while Colbert can hardly keep a straight face. They are clearly having so much fun together that it’s impossible not to have fun along with them. That said, it takes the audience a moment. Colbert kicks things off by turning to the camera to reveal his large codpiece, and the crowd gives him nothing.

Sometimes you just have to let two silly people be silly. That’s what theater really is (again, I did not go to a good school)!