The next Wayne Brady or Colin Mochrie may just be sitting in the Student Union.
UBImprov, the University at Buffalo's first improvisational comedy club, has students laughing off early semester stress.
"The more and more we got into it, the more we realized it could be a real club," said Ed Caravajo, a senior psychology and theater major and president and founder of UBImprov.
The club, which was officially founded in 2009 when it became a temporary club through the Student Association, has had underground members for the more than two years.
Caravajo has always had an interest in improvisational comedy. After completing a local Buffalo workshop, Caravajo and other students started meeting weekly on Monday nights in 145A Student Union. The Monday meetings serve as a platform where veteran members teach new members different improv games and techniques.
A classic game, called "Party Quarks," is very popular. One member serves as the host of a party and he or she must guess what his guests' personality quarks are. Personas range from Super Mario Brothers characters to narcoleptics who fall asleep when the host says "I."
The club became permanent this past spring, and the leadership plans to use funds to allow club members to see professional improv groups performing at local comedy clubs in Buffalo, Rochester and Toronto.
"We have so many new members that we're going to have a class show at the end of the year," Caravajo said, "[It will be] sort of like a small graduation improv show for their friends and family."
Last year UBImprov teamed up with other SA clubs such as Latin American Student Association (LASA) and Student Strategists and Role Players (SARPA) to put on improvisational shows.
UBImprov also helped the SA bring the Upright Citizens Brigade, a classic comedy troupe from New York City, to the Student Union Theater last spring.
The club also gives monthly performances. The next show is on Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. in 330 Student Union. UBImprov hopes for a large turnout at their first show of the semester.
"The best part of improv is how the audience is practically part of the show; they're the ones who have the ideas and we get them to play along," Caravajo said. "It wouldn't be nearly as much fun if you didn't have anyone to perform it for."
