By Michelle Perry
The world of improvisation is a silly world indeed. It is the ultimate art of making everything up as you go along. So, procrastinators, lend an ear.
On April 11, I was given the opportunity to observe the F in Funny Improv club in their natural habitat. It was two hours of camaraderie and obscene silliness. The group meets every Monday and Wednesday night from 9-11 p.m. at Crites Hall to explore the world of improvisation. I sat down with the president of the club, Steve Gallant, a third-year animation major, and he explained the club’s inner workings.
Improvisation is a type of performance that is truly in the moment. The actor must create all material on the stage. How is this possible with multiple people? The principle of “Yes and … ” comes into play. If a scene begins with one actor saying he is a monkey, his scene partner must agree that the actor is a monkey. No exceptions. This makes a scene flow and generates a sense of trust between the characters. Gallant says the F in Funny club tries to keep things comfortable for its members and newcomers.
Meetings are “pretty casual” Gallant says. They begin by playing a number of improv games that involve the whole group. This loosens the members up and allows the creative juices to flow. The club circles up and begins to play games that capitalize on the idea of silly. Monday night’s meeting began with a quick game of “Bang” which is, from my understanding, a quick draw duel meets cops and robbers.
The F in Funny club is “probably one of the better clubs to be president of,” Gallant joked as he explained that the club’s main focus is to just have fun twice a week. To newcomers he said. “We won’t boo you off the stage … We’re just doing it for a good two hours of fun.” The club is not major specific. Anyone can join. All it requires is that new members come to the meetings each week prepared to let loose.
Last year the club held a performance in the student center and just finished another last quarter in the Mondanaro Theater in Crites Hall. They are looking to have more performances in the future to expand their improvisation world. John Dorsey, a third-year dramatic writing major and member of the club, is looking to even further branch out through developing a sketch comedy portion. Here the writers might use inspiration from improv performances to make sketches that are more cohesive and comically driven.
So if you’re interested in exploring the world of improv, or just want to be silly on a Monday night, check out the F in Funny Improv club at Crites hall. It may just be something worth laughing about.
