As students return to the monotony of school, On the Spot Improv is ready to brighten their Monday nights with spontaneity and laughter. The club has been bringing smiles to campus since 2009, and its weekly 8 p.m. show regularly draws a sizable crowd to Forum Hall.  

As students return to the monotony of school, On the Spot Improv is ready to brighten their Monday nights with spontaneity and laughter. The club has been bringing smiles to campus since 2009, and its weekly 8 p.m. show regularly draws a sizable crowd to Forum Hall.  

“Of all the things you could be spending your Monday night doing, it’s probably the thing that’s going to make you smile and laugh the most,” said Ruby Jane Hoffer, junior in park management and conservation and member of On the Spot Improv.

Hoffer joined the improv team as a sophomore and has been involved in over thirty shows during her time on the team. 

“Every single week we get the chance to bring these people a little extra joy in their lives, no matter what else is going on in the world,” Hoffer said.

For Drew Hutchinson, junior in secondary education social studies and anthropology and member of On the Spot Improv, improvising is about having fun with the people he shares a stage with.

“We try to be less than a team and more like a family,” Hutchinson said. 

That familial feeling resonates across the audience as well. Each performance brings in a lively crowd eager to participate, as throughout the night, the host asks the audience for theme suggestions. 

“Their laughter and positivity really fuels the team to reflect that within our performance,” Hoffer said. “As we bounce that back and forth, we can really start to create this positive feedback loop of energy.”

On the Spot Improv builds connections with the audience not only through its shows but also through public workshops. These workshops are a natural way to get introduced to the world of improv and the faces behind the show. They feature a handful of improv games and constructive feedback for those interested in auditioning for the team.

“We see so many wonderful people and faces every Monday that we can’t even begin to know everyone personally … our public workshops help to bridge that gap a bit,” Hoffer said.

Along with audience connection, On the Spot Improv’s approach to comedy heavily emphasizes character-based acting choices as opposed to plot-based decisions. Instead of immediately reaching for the funniest line, the team opts to make choices that are most plausible for their character.

 “We try to get to improv for acting rather than improv for comedy purposes,” Hoffer said. “We find humor in those intricate relationships … even though it is a little bit more challenging than just making the joke.”

This technique is one of many that the students learn during their time on the team. Since joining On the Spot Improv his freshman year, improvising has helped Hutchinson grow on and off the stage.

“Improv is a great educational tool; it teaches you how to think on your feet, adapt to change and work with others,” Hutchinson said. “A couple good things to remember when improving, especially for the first time, are: commit to the bit, make joyful choices and love what you do.” 

Whether students are looking to take the stage or simply get relief from the week’s grind, On the Spot Improv offers a vibrant campus community.