Elon University’s improv troupe, Instant Laughter, had several performances Sept. 26 as part of the university’s Family Weekend.
Eight Elon students were featured in the improv performance, with each one leading a game. The show lasted for one hour.
The show contained several improv games played by the performers who went by stage names such as “Lions” and “That Guy.”
The games included “objection,” where the players portrayed lawyers who would object to each other and “slide show,” where performers had to position themselves in poses as if they were representing objects in a photo. The games all required performers to collaborate, creating unexpected and unique situations.
“My favorite part of it is just watching them all collaborate and how they use teamwork up on stage and then each of their prompts just creates a spark that the next person takes off with,” said Leslie Tesch, the mother of performer Owen Tesch (“That Guy”). “Each show’s different and you don’t know what you’re going to see,” Tesch said.
Owen’s older brother, Adam Tesch, said that he liked the Jeopardy game.
Sophomore improvisor Brody Lyons said his favorite part of Instant Laughter is “getting to stretch those comedy muscles.”
The night included audience input as well, with attendees writing down unknown phrases prior to the beginning of the show, which were then incorporated into the performance.
“I also love getting to have the interaction with the audience because that’s something you don’t always get with scripted performances,” Lyons said.
Lyons said his favorite game is “Objection,” which he hosts.
“I got to have that relationship with the audience and also with the other improvisers on stage,” Lyons said.
The troupe’s next performance will be 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in Yeager Recital Hall.