It’s Friday night, you’re in Olin basement and an improv show is about to begin. Whether it’s Scuds or N2O, the main improv groups at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³», going to an improv show at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» is an intimate experience. The shows almost always take place on Friday nights— traditionally a night in which student activities are abundant. So, the scene is this: hanging out with your friends and undoubtedly lots of other people you know in a smallish lecture hall, cheering for your pals up there on stage.
I was inspired when one of my good friends was accepted into N2O earlier in the semester, so I decided to start my own troop. It was harder than we thought. A couple of my friends got together late one Wednesday night in the beginning of October, and we tried to create a third group to rival Scuds and N2O. Though we were surprisingly funny, none of us had any previous formal theater, acting or performing experience, so we just met a few times. Even so, it was fun to spend an hour here and there laughing while being able to forget about our important duties as students—even if only for a little while.
I hope that next year, after I get back from my semester abroad, I will be able to restart my improv group. I loved the way it made me feel: free and empowered. I’m not sure what my last year at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» will bring, but I know comedy will be a part of it, whether that is going to those Friday night shows or reviving the new group. Either way, hope to see you in Olin!