StetsonUniversity presents An Evening of Improv, an unscripted comedy show featuring a variety of improvised scenes and games, Saturday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m. at Stetson Theatre Arts’ “Second Stage” located inside the Museum of Art, 600 N. Woodland Blvd., adjacent to the DeLand campus. The interactive, improvised show draws on a popular comedy style known as “long form improv,” which has been sweeping the nation.

An Evening of Improv is directed by Kevin Kearney, a guest director for Stetson who has produced award-winning improv comedy in Chicago. The actors include, clockwise from lower left: Caitlyn Foster, Jarred Kirschner, Jacob Manos, Kevin Serrano, Dylan Mullins, Grace Aguda, and Stephanie Wattingy. Photo by Ken McCoy.

Blending several forms of comedy, this improvised show will be unlike any you have seen in the past. The familiar games, ὰ la Whose Line is it Anyway, in which performers compete against each other to get the biggest laugh, will be taken to new heights. Not just games, but entire scenes are improvised, which means the show doesn’t stop when the buzzer goes off, and the characters can wind up going anywhere. Wacky, zany characters will be given the chance to develop throughout the evening, and can find themselves dropping in on scenes where you would never expect them.

The audience has to be on their toes, too; the performers will base their improv on audience suggestions, and participation is a must! Some lucky volunteers will even get to see their own lives dramatized in front of them, through the wild lens of improv comedy. It is certain to be an exciting, fun-filled night – and every performance is different!

“This season’s improv show at Stetson is more exciting than ever. The cast blends new improvisers with seasoned performers who come together to explore the endless possibilities of an entirely improvised show,” said director Kearney. “These performers aren’t going to just rattle off punch lines –  they have been studying the art of improv as an extension of their formal theatrical training –  so the goofy, hilarious, and absurd scenes associated with improv will be infused with high quality performance. The stakes are high, because no one knows where the show will wind up; characters and plots can develop into anything imaginable. While you can be sure this show will make you laugh out loud, that is not the most important element. The improviser’s’ ability to create and explore themes live, in the moment, drawing on audience suggestions and their own storytelling talents, elevates the show to something more meaningful and satisfying – it’s a truly unique experience.”

The ensemble cast of improvisers includes: Grace Aguda, Caitlyn Foster, Kevin Serrano, Stephanie Wattingy, Peter Feliz Anyang’ Nyong’ O, Jr., Jacob Manos, Jarred Kirschner, and Dylan Mullins.

Admission for this performance is free. Tickets will be available at the door and reserved tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to the start of the show. Box office will be open one hour prior to curtain. 

For information or reservations, call Stetson Theatre’s “Second Stage” box office at (386) 822-8700.