Meet Mike Green, a junior in the college. Mike is an English major, a Philosophy minor, and a member of the ATO fraternity. Mike is also the Emperor of Rathskellar, Emory’s only improv comedy troupe, and coincidentally the oldest college improv troupe in the country. Read more to learn about how Mike got involved and what Rathskellar means to him!
Her Campus Emory (HCE): How did you get involved with Rathskellar at Emory?
MG (Mike Green):Â I got involved by auditioning my freshman year.
HCE: What is Rathskellar exactly?
MG:Â Rathskellar is Emory’s only improv comedy troupe!
HCE:Â What makes improv comedy so special to you?
MG:Â Improv comedy is more than just a type of acting, but it is a philosophy that I live by. This philosophy is the concept of “yes, and;” In other words, it is the idea that I accept every idea and suggestion given to me in life, (i.e., meeting new people, trying new things, experiencing new adventures, etc.) and develop it into a suggestion I can replicate and give back.
HCE: What is your role as Emperor of Rathskellar?
MG: My role as Emperor of Rathskellar is “The Omniscient and Puissant Tsar/Tsarina and Autocrat, the much beloved Supreme Leader and Most Divine Ruler of Rathskellar” (well, at least, that’s what our constitution says). It really means that I am the president of the troupe—I run rehearsals, shows, and the overall progress of the troupe.
HCE: What are some of the challenges with improv performaces?
MG:Â One of the challenges with improv performances is that we don’t have scripts to fall back on if we don’t know what to say! As difficult as you think it is to get up on stage and make things up on the spot, it is!
HCE: What is your favorite part about being in Rathskellar?
MG:Â My favorite part about being in Rathskellar is the challenge of not being able to fall back on a script. These challenges leave us vulnerable, and they force us to be open-minded. Additionally, this open-mindedness allows all of us to connect in such an accepting way that I can feel as comfortable with the members of this troupe as I would with friends that I’ve known for many years. This common bond of weirdness is what brings us together.
HCE: Do you have any events coming up?
MG:Â We just had our first show on Saturday, which was awesome. Our next performance is Sunday, October 18th at 8:30pm in Harland Cinema.
HCE: How can students keep up with your shows and schedule?
MG: We have a Facebook page (linked here), a twitter account (@EURatheskellar, linked here), an instagram (emoryrathskellar, linked here), a listserve, phones, computers, hands, ears, mouths, (carrier-pigeons, ravens, ships, etc.) and you can always Facebook message me or email me at michael.green@emory.edu.