The Johnsonian

Winthrop offers many clubs and organizations for students, but one stands out for comedy.

"Improv This, Fool! is a organization on campus that seeks to promote comedy for the students and help local charities," said senior theatre performance major and president of Improv This, Fool!, Russell Felder.

Despite what the name implies, the club is also looking for short five to 10 minute sketches from students to perform at their show in April, Felder said. Scripts can be sent to ImprovThis@winthrop.edu or placed in the Improv This, Fool! box located inside the theatre and dance office in Johnson.

The idea for this organization sprang from a theatre class on improvisation and the popularity of shows like "Whose Line Is It Anyway?."

"There was talk of creating a improv/sketch group on campus, but nobody could commit themselves to the time of building it up," Felder said.

Last semester, Felder plus 15 students created Improv This, Fool!. The "Improv This," part of the group's name came from a name contest. The other part comes from Mr. T.

"Our patron saint is Mr. T, so that kind of shows where the 'Fool!' part came from," Felder said.

Rehearsals for the group are usually held every Thursday at 10 p.m. in Johnson 103. Students interested in joining the club can stop by or students can just come watch.

"Having an audience really creates a much more intuitive atmosphere and allows the creative process to really flow," said freshman illustration and theatre performance major Chris Hall.

"My favorite thing about the club is the fact that each member has an equal say in what games we keep and don't keep, as well as the choice of which ones we want to play," Hall said.

A small fee of $5 is required to join the club. The money is used to pay for the production of the group's shows, said freshman music education major and treasurer Courtney Woodberry.

She thinks students might enjoy the rehearsals as well.

"We experiment with games and try to teach some fundamental principals of improvisation," Woodberry said. "The rehearsals are a lot of fun and can be very entertaining even if you aren't participating."

Woodberry likes the way the people in Improv This, Fool! work together. "When a scene works really well and the audience buys in, it's a great feeling," Woodberry said.

As Felder said, Improv This, Fool! is also an organization in the business of helping others. With their first show, "Two for Tuesday's Child, thhey raised $40 and gathered school supplies. Tuesday's Child is an afterschool program for at-risk youth.

They're next project is co-sponsoring the movie "Rent" in April. They hope to raise money for AIDS awareness, Felder said.

He also said they hope to have another show in late April and raise money for cancer research in honor of Lyssa Rauch, a theatre student who died earlier this year from complications from cancer.

"We want to celebrate her life and raise hope for a cure for cancer," Felder said.

For more information on Improv This, Fool!, visit one of their rehearsals or e-mail the group at ImprovThis@winthrop.edu.

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