“Whose Line” tradition continues with second show this semester

The second “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?”was held in the RCA on Feb. 27,  where students continued to show off their improvisational comedy skills.

Participating in February traditions, the theme of the night was Valentine’s Day. The performers, sophomore Greg Whitney, freshman Kyera Bryant, junior Canaan Hess, and senior Evan Detwiler, prepared improv dating routines and comedic sketches concerned with the topic of love.

Hosts Matt Henry and Crystal Erb kept the show moving and perfectly timed, while the performers left the crowd in stitches through a combination of singing, dancing, and acting.

The erratic and fast-paced nature of the show contributed to the improvisational aspect of the comedy; when you put people on stage with no practice, and tell them to be funny on the spot, the audience is going to see a hectic and quickly changing set of skits.

The show became interactive during this session by reading tweets from the crowd and picking random participants from their seats to join different routines on stage.

While most students get anxiety being the center of campus attention, Hess finds that performing in front of a crowd, and flexing his comedic muscles comes naturally to him.

“For the most part, thinking of things [that are] improvised is something I do every day, so I’m used to it.  Obviously a big part of improvisation is making sure that the audience is laughing, and if they don’t it can be hard,” Hess commented.

Erb described being part of the comedy show as her host as a unique and amazing experience.

“Watching how funny these kids are on the spot is crazy.  To be able to be a part of this [show] is a blessing, and I just try to do my best to stay out of their way and let them be funny,” Erb said.

For fans familiar with the original or US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway, ENC’s version clearly echoes the pace, comedy style, and skit outline to keep as close to the original as possible.  With a significantly different audience and far less money than a syndicated TV show, performers seemed to pull off re-vamping a beloved comedy show.