Photo Courtesy of N20.
Packed among the audience like a can of sardines, my friend and I were grateful to have found seats for our first-ever comedy show in Olin’s basement. Students overflowed onto the steps, already laughing before the show had begun. Casually late, members of Scuds ran out onto the stage and up to the podium, asking the crowd for a word more creative than pineapple. This routine became my ideal Friday night, a way to laugh and release tension with my friends whether we were brave enough to shout out a word or sit back in ready enthusiasm.
So, it goes without saying that attending shows put on by Scuds and N2O, the two student improv groups on campus, is one of the Conn-specific “going out” events I miss most. The pandemic has certainly impacted how both groups approach practicing together, building a sense of community, and hosting events.
In fall 2020, neither group held a virtual or in-person event partially because they were thrown into a whole new world of making improv over Zoom and Google Hangouts. Both clubs were also cognizant of what their members needed. Scuds member Tess Beardell ‘21 explains “we were struggling with adjustments…and family being sick.” Margaret Condon ‘21, also in Scuds, agrees with Beardell and says that “the whole group was lethargically meeting” but adds this new semester promises new energy. Seniors in N2O felt similar to their peers. Sydney Lamb ‘21 explains that as a club “we weren’t really ready to kind of adapt to the Covid world.” Instead, they worked on vibing as a group again so that when new members joined in the spring the bond would be stronger. Both comedy groups “tabled” at the Spring Involvement Fair and received interest from first-year students and sophomores who wanted to be part of either notorious improv group who have come to define Friday night culture at Conn.
However, hosting auditions is an obstacle within itself. Scuds hopes to host auditions in-person when the College enters Alert Level Green, but they are open to having one-on-one or virtual auditions if necessary. Until then, the group is raising more awareness for their club. They hosted a game night over Google Hangouts on Feb. 11 where club members and participants could interact and bond with each other through popular virtual gaming sites such as Skribblio and Jackbox on Quiplash. “Part of the purpose of the event…was to get our name out there and get people excited to audition,” explains Beardell. A game, whether online or in-person, can often break the awkwardness even a cool senior feels when they log onto a Google Hangout.
In a similar vein, N2O hosted a Zoom event on Feb. 13 to bolster excitement for auditions but also reimagine their Olin routine. The group prepared fill-in-the-blank sentences for audience members to fill in; members then gave a brief presentation with pre-selected images on a phrase selected from the chatbox. They were also able to Zoomify their radio hour game where two members host a talk show about a topic the audience pitches. Now past their first event of the semester, the club hopes to shift into audition-mode. Fiona Hull ‘21 recounts that 10 to 15 students have already signed up for their mailing list after the Involvement Fair. However, Jimmy Cork ‘22 points out that while they want a lot of interest, “the more people who are interested, the more difficult it’s going to be to actually coordinate.” The pandemic has certainly thrown a wrench in student clubs that rely on being able to see facial expressions and physical touch.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions on campus last semester, Scuds and N2O were still able to practice outside in-person in the fall semester, which they hope to continue this semester, weather permitting. However, practicing in-person while socially distant has created new challenges. Beardell explains that a lot of Scuds’ humor relies on physical touch and being close to each other to respond to movement; so the question becomes how to translate their humor when spaced apart or over Zoom. But, “if you can make someone laugh over Zoom, that is a pretty good sign that they are going to be good in-person too,” comments Beardell. Condon added that technically speaking, “it [improv] is possible anywhere.” When the group meets over Google Hangouts, there is a lot of back and forth banter. In many ways, “[we are] passively rehearsing the things we would do in-person,” explains Beardell.
Although both groups are improv-based, Scuds is perhaps more free-flowing in that they ask for a singular word from the audience to guide their skits while N2O cycles through certain games which also require a word or phrase given from those watching. Lamb explains that many of their typical games can easily be performed socially distant, as seen during their first show of the semester. Audrey Black ‘21 adds that N2O’s comedy is more based on physicality so reading each other’s facial expressions was more of an obstacle given masks and socially distancing. That being said, N2O members are cognizant of speaking up during practice and being aware of their distance from each other. Cork recounts a particular practice round of Director (one person directs a movie that has never been made before) where he asked someone to touch another member’s elbow before realizing such activity is egregious in the Covid climate. However, Cork doesn’t recall a time when following social distancing guidelines and wearing masks hindered the comedic effect of the game.
Both groups have become more comfortable producing content live over Zoom and Google Hangouts, but they are now considering the implications of using their social media, mainly their Instagram accounts, to make comedy. Beardell expresses the desire to use their Instagram @scuds_improv to share more than just event details. On the other hand, Black, who runs N2O’s Instagram @n2oisfunny, explains that the group uses Instagram to show their personalities and group dynamic but doesn’t see them producing content online to the same extent as they do in person or over Zoom. “The premise of improv is that it is temporary and reactionary,” explains Black, so posting permanent humor online goes against the nature of their work.
While it has become harder to step into the goofy space for many members, Beardell says that the openness implicit in improv is one way to process what is happening in the world. For Beardell and Condon, Scuds has been a welcoming and friendly space community that they hope to extend to everyone through events similar to their Game Night. Similarly for Hull, N2O has been a space to laugh with her friends and release tension: “the beauty of having a group is that we all come together, and just being there with the group immediately kind of picks you up a little bit.” Cork adds, “in the fall, who knows. Maybe it will be back to saliva spreading chaos.”
Although Scuds and N2O are planning more events for the spring 2021 semester, Beardell acknowledges that it is all tentative. There will always be the unknown, but for now, we can laugh together in-person or over Zoom whether out of nostalgia, Zoom fatigue, or the world’s best Slice pun.
