By Alex Bailey
“Comedy can be a cathartic way to deal with personal trauma.” – Robin Williams
Comedians understand that humor is an effective way to reduce stress. It is no secret that most college students are stressed out about various things, and Fitchburg State’s Improv Club offered a solution! Their monthly improv show took place on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m., giving students an escape from the educational and election-related stresses they faced.
In light of the election, and the negative effect it had on a large percentage of the student body, the most recent improv event began with a mock election of their own. The first part of the show was filled with political jabs and humor for fans and opposers to enjoy, regardless of their party affiliation. “This was one of the best improv shows I’ve seen here,” said Ryan Kerr, a Fitchburg State junior. “Famous comedians have enough fun with politics, so it’s nice to see that happen at the college level, too. We sure need it.”
If the idea of comedy is not enough to draw a crowd, when the club performed in the Falcon Hub on Wednesday, they did so with the bar open – as long as you are of legal drinking age, of course. “Honestly, I came for the beer first, but the show definitely gave me a reason to stick around,” said Tighe Dorcey, a Fitchburg State senior. Between free comedy and $2 beers, the Improv Club has yet to let the student body down.
The Improv Club is nothing new to Fitchburg State, as it has been a part of the Fitchburg State community for years, but as their numbers grow, their shows achieve a higher level of comedy – the turnout to any given show is enough to fill a room, and the students that attend the shows have nothing but positive reviews. “I’ve never been to an improv show that I didn’t love,” said Zack “Flip” Mitchell, another Fitchburg State senior and regular show attendee. “I honestly don’t know how they come up with that shit on the spot.”
As for the skill set of the Improv Club, they recruit, they practice, and they perform, improving themselves in the process. “The club itself is very accepting of new members, and we all try to improve our performance as improvers,” said Aaron “Dice” Dias, treasurer of the Improv Club. Aside from practice, their regular shows help hone in their skills as improvers before an audience. “As a club,” Dias said, “we try to put on a show once a month for the school.”
Dias shed light on his own journey into the improv club. “I did some acting from a script, but I didn’t start improv until freshman year of college. The experience itself is very easygoing for the most part. Almost no theater experience is necessary to start.”
There will be more performances from Fitchburg State’s Improv Club as the school year continues. To learn more about the Improv Club, they can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FSU-Improvatron-1736191046602163/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fsuimprov. They meet at 5 p.m. in Percival Hall on Tuesdays.
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Improve with Improv Comedy
November 23, 2016
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