Kicking off Friday with a one-hundred and seventy-five person audience at George Mason University, the fourth annual DC Improv’s Funniest College tourney has officially started. Whatever their US News and World Report rankings, the eight D.C.-area universities participating have the chance to out-smart each other in the subject of Laughter. Spanning over the next eight weeks, the competition allows individual students (grad and undergrad) to perform stand-up against fellow classmates inner-collegiately and against rivaling schools.
Like many of the troupes involved, GWU’s team Recess does not teach or perform stand-up. Instead, they focus on shortform stage games during weekly practices — that is, just “kicking it” at someone’s house, perfecting the art of knowing each other. Recess troupe leader Chris Singel says he likes the novelty of performing stand-up in this competition since “it diversifies the team’s repertoire.”
Judges will include a student rep from each school and two local comedians, usually quasi-professional or well-known icons of the D.C. comedy scene including Rory Scovel, Erin Jackson and Jon Mumma, with others rotating each performance. Quasi or not, they are professional enough to make stand-up look easy during a quick intro before the students, who have little to no experience, get five minutes to attempt the same. Some bring up the predictable keg party banter. Others like to tap the relationship topic. Politics. Anything goes. The funniest two are invited to perform in the Finals, held at the DC Improv on April 11th, where one winner will be rewarded an all-paid hosting gig there, an interview on WJFK’s Morning Show with “The Junkies” and major Washington street cred.
Former champs include Georgetown, who took wins the first two years with J-L Caulvin (04) and Dan Hare (05), and Howard University’s Kris Payne winning the entire competition last year. The 2007 schedule includes GWU (tomorrow night), Georgetown (2/22 — note the date has been changed from the web site), UMD College Park (2/23), AU (2/28), a Variety School Showcase at DC Improv (3/6) and Catholic University (3/15). (The dates for Howard University and Johns Hopkins have not yet been confirmed). Eleven George Mason students performed last Friday, with an audience overwhelming the university’s entire Student Union Main Floor. The team even had Domino’s catering.
Look for updates on the DC Improv web site since show dates and locations are subject to change. And if you’re a student eager to perform, email DC Improv Manager Allyson Jaffee at allyson [at] dcimprov [dot] com.
