Shrieks of laughter and the stomping of feet echo from Room N204, on the second floor of Memorial Union. Most classes have ended for the day, and the campus streets are quiet, save for a few students on a brisk Tuesday night. The large glass windows muffle most of the sound, but anyone passing through the hall has a clear view of an animated game ensuing. Students of all grades belonging to MU’s long-form improv club are kicking off their practice with a game; then they’ll begin the real work of acting, imagining and preparing for their Thursday night performance.

MU Improv is an improvisational acting group dedicated to making MU’s students laugh. Performances occur weekly at The Shack, starting around 8 p.m., so those wandering through the Student Center can pop in, grab a bite and laugh along with the troupe. 

“[The club] is focused on building plays, essentially, in the moment,” said MU Improv president Ben Prentiss, a senior who’s been a member of the group since his freshman year. “When I first heard about it, I really enjoyed what they were doing and I just wanted to crack jokes like they did.”

Prentiss and the rest of his team are excited to get back on the stage after a year of virtual improv due to COVID-19 restrictions, and they started their season with a “Welcome Back Show” on Aug. 28. While they had continued to practice through the pandemic, their opportunities to perform were limited. Prentiss said much of the troupe’s improv relied on being able to physically play off each other on-stage. With physical interactions out of the picture, they were forced to reform their comedy.

“It was tough, but a lot of good stuff came out of it,” Prentiss said. “We all learned to listen to each other a lot better. We were working on building dialogue instead of just being funny constantly.”

MU Improv will present a new experience to audiences after a year of the COVID-19. With recruitment put on hold last year, new faces have been practicing and preparing for their debut next semester, after one semester of training and auditions. Even the format has taken on a new look compared to years past: while “Sex With Me” (a well-known game to MU Improv regulars) isn’t going anywhere, the audience can look forward to a new game called “Anger” which will start off shows. “Sex With Me” takes a humorous look at sexual intimacy, while “Anger” requires cast members to perform an outraged monologue about audience suggestions: anything from French fries to the Beatles. 

Both of these high-energy games require audience creativity and participation, getting the crowd ready for the oncoming comedy and then capping off the night at the end. Sandwiched between the two games will be three 15-minute improv shows featuring different actors.

“You Will Be Bullied,” MU Improv’s show on Sept. 9, is a new take on their traditional shows. The show was planned to embody its name, and audiences were warned beforehand: you will be bullied.

All jokes aside, Prentiss promised that nobody’s feelings would be truly harmed — they could expect nothing more than a light-hearted jab or two at outspoken, consenting audience members eager to give suggestions. To give consent to a little teasing, crowd members were encouraged to wear red at Sept. 9’s show, which signaled to the actors that they were fair game for a few friendly jokes.

Going along with Thursday’s theme, the group played a game called “Playground Insults” to kick off “You Will Be Bullied.” The activity is a play on charades but with a themed twist: all the prompts are popular playground insults.

“The ‘You Will Be Bullied’ show is not as intense as it sounds,” Vice President Maddie Bunten said. “We like coming up with themes for our shows to encourage audience participation and have a gimmick. We’ll be doing a little bit of crowd work. If we see someone wearing red, we’ll make a joke. Nothing too crazy. It’s mostly to encourage engagement with us.”

With shows and in-person meetings opening back up, MU Improv hopes to see new faces joining the mix at practices on Tuesday nights in Memorial Union.

“Improv has really helped me become more confident,” Bunten said. “The people I’ve met have been so great and so supportive, not only of the comedy I do, but also just in college. So that’s why I recommend [improv] to anybody. We rely on each other on stage, not only for ideas, but also just to trust each other and come up with something funny. And that trust transcends the stage.”

For more info on MU Improv or the “You Will Be Bullied” show, check their Instagram (@mu_improv). 

Edited by Shannon Worley | sworley@themaneater.com