Lexie Corner

Staff Writer

Improv Molotov has evolved over the past few years. In 2013, they performed in Dutcher Hall to a small crowd. On Thursday, September 15th, 2016, Improv Molotov performed for a growing crowd of students in the SMC MPR for the first performance of the semester, nearly filling the room.

Leading the troupe are co-presidents Alex Arnold and Mike Garland. The show lasted just over an hour and had a variety of improv games that never bored the audience members.

They opened the show with Lines, a game involving Mike Garland, Kiefer Luckenbill, kneading dough and revolution.

After this opening, other members of the troupe joined in. Lisa Shaffer, Rasheed Wesley, Alex Arnold, and Mike Falcone performed a game called Director.

Nesting Dolls, another game, happened next, including Taylor Onkst, Alex Arnold, Rachel Miller, Mike Falcone, and Mike Garland. The audience did not seem to want this one to end.

The show contained a lot of humorous situations that often took an either dark or unexpected turn. None of them were redundant or dull. There were few people looking at their phones throughout the performance.

After Nesting Dolls came Half-Life with Rasheed Wesley and Rachel Miller. This game turned an amusing scene into a chaotic one filled with strange one-liners.

Then, there was Channel Surf, which included the entire Improv Molotov group.

Lastly, a fun game called Five Minute Mingle happened, which ended the performance with a roar of applause.

Alex Arnold said that this show was “one of the largest turnovers [they have] ever had.” According to him, they “ran out of room at McComsey,” their previous stage, and so changed their venue to the MPR.

Improv Molotov will continue to work towards perfecting their comedic art even after the outstanding reception they received.

“We’re going to keep working until we are genuinely happy with everything we’re putting out,” said member Lisa Shaffer after the show.

They plan on doing so. They are hosting a workshop on Sept. 21 in Dutcher Hall at 8 p.m. to teach curious comedians about improv and its various games.

After the performance, everyone’s bellies ached from laughing so hard—a motivation for the troupe to perform.

“I’ve seen where we started, and I see where we’re at now,” member Rasheed Wesley said, reflecting on his years as a part of the group’s early days in Dutcher Hall. “We had some pretty good laughs back then, but these are different kinds of laughs. “Back [in Dutcher], it was weird, expletive kind-of-jokes, but now we actually make stories and scenes with conflict and dialogue.”

The next performance by Improv Molotov will be Thursday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. in the SMC MPR. If you’re interested in joining the group, then try out at the auditions, which will be on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. in Dutcher Hall.