USD’s Improv Club creates space for students to express their goofy side

Whether it’s french kissing badgers to being half person, half cat, anything goes with the University of South Dakota’s Improv Club.

With the help of Cody Hull, President Breanna Bietz brought USD’s Improv Club to life.

“We’re an easy going group of people, and when we get together, we are able to be creative, goofy, interactive,” senior Bietz said. “It’s kind of a release, and it’s a place where you can go and let loose, get creative, make some friends and laugh a lot.”

The group does several different games that focus on improvisation and the random.

“The main thing about improv is you’re not trying so hard, you’re not coming up with ideas beforehand and forcing them into situations,” Bietz said. “You’re just opening your mouth and what’s coming out is furthering what’s going on, so it’s more off the top of your head instead of people trying so hard to say something funny. Just say stuff, and it ends up being funny.”

Sophomore Erica Kuharski, who joined last year, said improv is “Where you can be somebody else for a little bit.”

“Other clubs are different where you sit down and discuss what you are going to do throughout the year and have an information type meeting, but we interact with people,” Kuharski said.

When it comes to improv, Bietz and Kuharski said there are rules or certain ways to keep the scene intact and the randomness rolling.

“Always accept ideas; you don’t say no to things, because it inhibits the scene,” Bietz said. “We try to limit the questions because sometimes too many questions make it hard for that process to happen.”

Clarification is also a key product with improvisation.

“When you come into a scene, your first line should indicate who you are or who they are or set a place,” Bietz said.

With “rules” to guide them, Bietz said improv becomes part formula, part personality, as well as a type of cultural exchange.

“People are bringing their own personality to the table, and people have different majors so things cross over all the time,” Bietz said. “I think in a life where everything is so structured constantly at school between classes and sitting in a classroom all day and studying all night in the library, it’s a good release and a good change of pace from that where you get to go off the wall.”

Along with the random excitement of the group, Kuharski said participation has a positive effect on one’s self-confidence.

“It helps you when you have to prepare a presentation,” Kuharski said. “In improv you do the most ridiculous things that you never plan on doing in front of someone, so giving a presentation becomes really simple.”

Junior Megan Waldner attended the meeting held March 20 and experienced the crazy group first hand.

“It was interesting,” Waldner said. “It looked like fun, and it seemed like they were having a fun time.”

Future performances for the Improv Club are in the works according to Bietz, and Waldner liked the idea of providing that opportunity for students and faculty.

“I’d definitely go,” Waldner said. “It definitely reminds me a lot of the show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway,’ and I really enjoy watching that show so I think it would be fun to watch.”