This Saturday, comedians from Missouri to Chicago gathered for the first-ever MU Improv Festival.
The event, sponsored by the Department of Student Activities, featured seven comedy groups who performed at the Corner Playhouse in the Fine Arts Annex. The teams consisted of mainly college students but also featured one professional group from Kansas City, the Kansas City Improv Company, and one professional group from Chicago, the Cook County Social Club.
Most of the college improv groups came from schools in Missouri, but 8th Floor Improv came from Ohio State University. The sizes of the groups ranged from four to 10 people.
MU Improv has experienced significant growth during the past few years. The group started in 2009 and has grown during the past four years. MU Improv appears regularly on campus, performing at 9 p.m. Thursday nights at The Shack.
Senior Dillon Cassidy joined MU Improv when he was a freshman and has been a part of the group ever since. He said he is very excited about this year’s festival.
“This festival has been growing exponentially over the years,” Cassidy said.
Senior Dan Sheehan, also a member of MU Improv, said he was very excited for the event. Sheehan joined the group three years ago when he was a sophomore.
“I hope this is one of the first of many festivals,” Sheehan said.
One activity that brought all of the comedians together is a “jam.” A jam is when comedians from all of the teams join together and improvise as a single group.
In the final jam, students had the opportunity to perform with the professionals. The performers at the Kansas City Improv Company joined students to create sidesplitting jams. Throughout the day, the Cook County Social Club provided workshops for all of the groups involved.
Sheehan said the result of the festival is a dream come true.
“Its been awesome to see (MU Improv) transform from eight or nine people in a basement, to where we can have an event like this where we can have teams from other schools come here,” Sheehan said.
Cassidy and Sheehan both said the festival, which was the last for both of them, was the largest it has ever been.
“I’m very excited,” Cassidy said. “I really hope this is something that continues after I’m gone.”