Improv Festival Brings Laughs to MU

Over the weekend, comedians gathered at the University of Missouri for the fourth-ever MU Improv Festival.

The event, sponsored by the Department of Student Activities, featured seven comedy groups who performed at the Corner Playhouse in the Fine Arts Annex. The teams consisted of mainly college students but also featured one professional group from Kansas City, the Kansas City Improv Company, and one professional group from Chicago, the Cook County Social Club.

Most of the improv groups came from students all around Missouri but 8th Floor Improv came from Ohio State University. The sizes of the groups ranged from four to 10 people.

MU Improv has grown tremendously since it first began in 2009. MU Improv appears regularly on campus, performing at 9 p.m. Thursday nights at The Shack.

Senior Dillon Cassidy joined MU Improv when he was a freshman and has been a part of the group ever since. He said he is very excited about this year’s festival.

“This festival has been growing exponentially over the years,” Cassidy said.

One thing that is unique to this festival is their famous “jam”. A jam is when comedians from all of the teams join together and improvise as a single group.

In the final jam, students had the opportunity to perform with the professionals. Throughout the day, workshops were given to all of the groups involved. There are some students who were there when the group first began. Among them is senior Dan Sheehan.

“Its been awesome to see (MU Improv) transform from eight or nine people in a basement, to where we can have an event like this where we can have teams from other schools come here,” Sheehan said.

Cassidy shares his hopes for the legacy he will soon leave behind: “I’m very excited,” Cassidy said. “I really hope this is something that continues after I’m gone.”

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