Comedy is hot at Stony Brook.
The Student Activities Center (SAC) Auditorium may not have been packed with students for the Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company, but it was certainly filled with boisterous laughter.
The show, which was put together by the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), also featured Stony Brook University’s own Comedian Guild club members. The club members slowly warmed up the crowd with jokes relatable to their fellow college students and made sure to use tons of profanity. There were some awkward moments when a few aspiring comedians drifted into more sensitive topics, and the crowd seemed unsure whether or not to laugh.
However, the club did a pretty good job getting the crowd to laugh.
When the main performers took the stage, they presented themselves in a very casual manner by briefly introducing themselves and making conversation about the campus with the crowd.
Once they felt comfortable discussing what was going on around Stony Brook, they asked for a volunteer from the crowd to interview.
The interview started to drag on after a while and some students started to leave, but it was necessary for them to go through with it in order for their improv to work. Since improvisation is not scripted, the group wound up using the girl’s stories about her life to inspire the scenes they performed.
She informed them about her juggling psychology professor, Richard Gerrig, and, later in the evening, the comedy group acted out a scene dealing with how they would imagine that class.
Danny Awalt Jr., a junior psychology major, especially enjoyed that scene since it involved a professor of his. “I loved seeing them rip on Gerrig. It was great,” Awalt said.
But it was not just that scene that got him to laugh; Awalt said he used to watch the original cast of the Upright Citizens Brigade on Comedy Central when he was younger. “I love improv, it was exactly what I expected. It was great,” he said. “The show was amazing. It was hilarious, I loved it.”
Alexandra Santiago, a senior majoring in environmental studies, also enjoyed the laughs. “I really admire people who do improv and can think off their feet and have to play off emotions,” she said.
According to P.J. Abelein, the vice president of student life, USG recognizes students’ interest in comedy and hopes to continue booking comedic acts.
During the academic year, decisions for acts on campus are made by the Student Activities Board (SAB). All decisions for events and acts on campus are based upon the requests and voices of the students.
In this case, Stony Brook did not have to seek out the improv group. “They actually reached out to us,” Abelein said. “They reached us over the summer and we got the SAB together to decide it.”
However, it is not always up to the SAB as students also have the influence to get a performer to Stony Brook.
“Suggestions are always welcomed and strongly encouraged,” USG president Anna Lubitz said in an email. “Students will be receiving surveys sent out by the SAB, and students are welcomed to attend the open, weekly SAB meetings. If students are not able to attend the SAB meetings, they should never hesitate to stop into the USG suite and voice their ideas in addition to posting to the USG facebook page and emailing USG representatives. USG and the Student Activities Board want to hear what the students want to see happen on campus and make the student voice and dreams as much of a reality as possible, enhancing student life events to the maximum!”
Though there will not be more improv acts for the remainder of this semester, Abelein did hint at there being one more large event for students to look forward to.
“We are planning another big event towards the end of the semester,” Abelein said, “So get ready for that.”
