Chances are while
channel surfing you’ve come across the syndicated show “Whose
Line Is It Anyway?”
In the show, four to five actors will do improvisational comedy
skits, sometimes taking suggestions from the audience, and once
in a while get a few good laughs.
Forget about that.
“Whose Line Is It Anyway?” is the Pat Boone of improv
compared to Boone-based improv comedy troupe The Noun. In relation
to music, they are the Judas Priest album your mom made you throw
away.
“It was just a group of people who had done some improv before,
or just a bunch of extroverted people who decided they’d like
to try it, and it worked out for us,” said Kiehl Smit, president
of The Noun.
Entering its fourth year, The Noun has picked up new members, seen
others leave, and also witnessed a rise in the popularity of the
troupe.
The Noun performs two to three times a semester on campus, including
shows at Legends and I.G. Greer. Their upcoming performance, slated
for Nov. 6 at Legends, will mark their third appearance at the venue.
“Ever since we started going there two semesters ago, they’ve
wanted us back,” said Smit.
The Noun is comprised of seven full time members, Kiehl Smit, Shelby
Jennings, Rickey Glover, Ross Bryant, Alex Lang, Tim Young, and
Seth Olson. Although they are the most prominent members of The
Noun, joining the troupe isn’t out of the question for anyone
interested.
“The process of becoming a member isn’t really that intricate,”
says Smit. “It’s a matter of coming out and being comfortable
on stage, us being comfortable with you, and then we’ll stick
you on stage.”
Members of The Noun started plugging their troupe early on in the
year, with Shelby Jennings and Rickey Glover performing an act called
“Risque Business” at the freshman orientation, and afterwards
advertising The Noun. Members also went to Club Expo and distributed
flyers. Soon enough, students were coming in to audition.
“Usually we get ten to twenty people that come out, but only
three to five people stay with it because their schedule is so busy,”
said Smit.
Improvisational comedy still takes a great deal of practice, possibly
even more so than a regular comedian’s stand-up routine.
“The are certain rules, formats and tricks of the trade you
can learn with improv,” says Smit. “To make a scene work
there are certain things that need to happen, and the number one
thing is you have to be comfortable with the people you’re
on stage with. You almost have to trust your life with them, because
if a scene goes bad, the audience will hate you right away. You
could have a million good scenes and then you have one bad one and
they audience will say ‘Oh, they weren’t all that good.’”
The Noun shows are unpredictable, right down to admission. At their
most recent show, those in attendance had to draw from a deck of
cards to determine their entry fee, with prices ranging from free
to $4. Seats went quickly, as 50 people found out after being turned
away.
Upon entering, the audience’s energy is kept on full blast,
with bands like Flogging Molly and Boxcar Racer blaring from the
PA.
When show time arrives, the members make an entrance of rock star
caliber, working the audience right out of the gate.
When the scenes ensue, participation from the crowd is crucial,
as the troupe plays off some of the more bizarre suggestions shouted
out.
One of the more unique aspects of The Noun is their uncanny ability
to incorporate sub-sects of pop culture into their scenes, adding
in jokes that appeal directly to the sensibilities of their audience.
Aside from their Nov. 6 performance, The Noun is looking into the
possibility of smaller, more intimate shows, such as their most
recent show at I.G. Greer, as well as taking their act outside of
Boone.
In the meantime, members will be rehearsing the unrehearsable, and
when the time comes to perform, launching their own flyer based
grassroots advertising campaign which students are sure to know
about, whether they like it or not. |
