This post was contributed by Isabella Lazzareschi, a second year English major at Cal Poly.
Having a bad day and looking for some cheering up? Or maybe you want to spice up your weekends during this spring quarter? Whether you’re a fan of theatre or not, everyone can enjoy a performance put on by Cal Poly’s very own improv group, Smile And Nod.
For a $5 entrance fee, these twenty-one comedians will keep you laughing for a full two hours filled with everything from choreographed dances to games that are invented on the spot and while getting your weekly dose of hysterical laughter you will be supporting local theatre.
The proceeds of each show go towards sending the comedy group to Edinorough, Scotland every other year for an improv convention where the actors are pushed out of their comfort zones and forced to explore comedy that is shared by multiple cultures.
I was lucky enough to sit down with two of the older female members of the club to find out a little more about their passion for comedy.
Leah Van der Heide is a third year fruit science major who joined Smile And Nod as soon as she possibly could in winter quarter of her freshman year.
Leah’s friend Lilly Conboy had watched Leah perform for a year and decided to audition for the group. Lilly is a third year psychology major, and although she’s only been a member for one quarter now, the group is all the better for it.
HC: What made you want to join Smile And Nod?
Leah: I participated in a lot of improv classes and acting in high school and it’s what I’m most passionate about. Being onstage is what makes me feel good, so I knew I wanted to audition right away.
Lilly: I participated in improv in high school as well and when I saw the show as a freshman with my WOW group, I was intrigued watching them because everyone was so talented and hilarious. There was almost a feeling of jealousy, like “I want to be up there,” and eventually I tried out.
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HC: Improv can be really intimidating and you have to think quickly. Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
Leah: Sometimes you just say things that you didn’t mean to say. It’s like you have no control and blurt something out, then you’re stuck in that situation that you just created for yourself and it can get weird.
Lilly: In practice the thing I’m most worried about is getting a topic that I don’t know anything about. Like what if some kind of historical topic comes up that I’m not familiar with? Every once in a while even movie or pop culture references can be difficult.
HC: Do you feel it’s different for women to participate in comedy than men?
Lilly: I think it’s harder for a woman’s humor to be received. For instance, a boy can put on a high voice and get amusement from the audience but it’s harder for a girl to get that reaction. Often in different scenes, we end up being wives or classic girlfriends when the men get to have funny characteristics. We have to recognize that that gender roles exists in society and therefore will exist in comedy, which reflects our society. Women are already characterized by our culture, whereas men have a broader spectrum of roles to fill.
Leah: Also, usually women aren’t allowed to say as vulgar things as men are, and men seem to receive laughs from the audience easier. All a man has to do is call his friend “Susan” to get a good reaction from a crowd whereas a woman has to really embrace the character she is assigned.
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Lilly: But I think it really adds to the show to have both genders present, it’s really important to have a good ratio. We need the boys just as much as they need us to portray relationships and such. It’s really crucial to have males and females onstage so that every member of the audience can identify with someone.
HC: What was the hardest topic you had to take from an audience member’s suggestion while being on stage?
Leah: Probably when I had to pretend had to be in love with my father.
Lilly: (Laughing) Yeah, that was pretty weird.
Leah: I was put in the situation of explaining to my current boyfriend about how I actually had feelings for my dad and that one was hard to work with.
HC: How has participating in Smile And Nod changed your life?
Leah: The team itself is a support system that I’ve never really had before. I’ve gotten really close to these people that I’ve been working with for years and I them almost every day. It becomes a family. I really saw how much I relied on them when my boyfriend broke up with me during my second year here. I was devastated and it was on the day of a show so I wasn’t going to participate but one of the seniors at the time convinced me to go on and it was one of the best shows of my life. I forgot about everything else while I was on stage and had the best time.
Lily: It gives me a sense of confidence in all aspects of my life. I like having multiple ways to identify myself because if I feel stressed out about school or work at all it’s a way to put your mind in a more positive place.
If you want to see a show put on by these two comedians and their 19 teammates, you can come to their show every Saturday night starting at 7pm in building 45 room 212. For more information on them, visit Smileandnod.org to look up additional show times and learn about all the members.