Tyler Daniels

Northern Kentucky University students gave the Second City improvisational comedy troupe a standing ovation for its witty and lively performance Sept. 13 at Greaves Hall.

A few topics the troupe touched upon were terrorism, religion, politics, blow-up dolls and homosexual Shakespeare.

The performance’s perfect mixture of slapstick humor and political satire kept the audience captivated for most of the night. It was like watching ‘Whose line is it, anyway?’ with edgier topics and less Drew Carey. The cast members’ interaction with the audience and each other helped bridge the gap between themselves and the viewers, which helped them feel like they were a part of the show.

“The fast paced action made the improv one of best parts of the show,” said senior organizational leadership major Brad Steffen. “We had them talking about horrendous masticating skyscrapers, strip clubs and obituaries … it was great.”

With all the nutty improvisation there were also skits that had the feel of a Broadway musical, such as the “socially awkward” anthem. In this song, the cast sang, “I am socially awkward,” then proceeded to state a reason why. One of the funnier lines of that skit came from a male cast member who exclaimed, “I am socially awkward, ’cause when I see a pretty lady I give my penis a pat!”

However, there were also skits in which the cast was silent and let its actions speak louder than words. In one skit, they portrayed a couple attempting to shower together – both people jockeying for position under the shower head, clumsily bumping into each other, getting soap in each other’s eyes and shaving – all while trying to maintain a level of intimacy.

Another silent but deadly sketch poked fun at religion, particularly Catholicism. Three cast members stood shoulder to shoulder as if at mass. Then one by one they began to sit, kneel, stand and genuflect as if it were some kind of competition. The skit ended with the three cast members breaking out into the Macarena as the audience howled.

The cast was smart and intriguing with just enough dumb humor to keep any college student’s attention. Edgar Blackmon, Colleen Doyle, Greg Hess, Sayjal Joshi, Katie Rich and Steve Waltien all deserve the highest praise for their performance.

When asked how he felt about the performance that night, cast member Steve Waltien chimed in, “We only used the ‘f’ word once; that’s good, right?” With The Second City alumni that includes the likes of Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Meyers and Steve Carell, one “f” bomb was not just good, but appropriate.