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BYU Divine Comedy celebrates 30th anniversary with alumni show

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Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright pose after the show Saturday night. The show featured alumni from many eras of the club's history. (Chloe Peterson)

The BYU Divine Comedy club celebrated their 30th anniversary by inviting previous cast members to perform in an alumni show on Feb. 24.

According to theirwebsite, Divine Comedy began in 1994 when two BYU students, Sprigg Davis and Mike Rasmussen, discovered their mutual love for sketch comedy.

Over the years, Divine Comedy has been committed to providing BYU students with clean entertainment while fostering a spiritually strengthening environment.

Alumni from many eras of the club returned to perform in the show, some even flying in from other states to participate.

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Two shows were performed Saturday night; one at 7 p.m. and one at 9 p.m. Performers geared up at the show's tech rehearsal. (Chloe Peterson)

Jeremy Warner, one of the original cast members of BYU TV’s sketch comedy showStudio C, was among the alumni performers.

Warner first heard about Divine Comedy as a 17-year-old freshman at BYU. Following his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he joined the group as a cast member from 2008-2010.

“I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had. Divine Comedy has been a big part of my life,” Warner said.

He spoke about what he has learned through his experiences in the entertainment industry.

“We’re all different, and we’re all the same. We’re all unique and we all matter,” Warner said.

Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright, from the YouTube channelCinema Therapy, also revisited their time in Divine Comedy at the alumni show.

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The Divine Comedy club is sponsored by the Brigham Young University Student Association. Each year they hold auditions to replace graduating students or fill empty spots in the cast. (Divine Comedy Website)

Seawright was primarily a writer for Divine Comedy, beginning in 2006. Decker was a writer and cast member for Divine Comedy from 2005-2007.

“Those are some of the fondest memories I have in my life. When you make a room full of hundreds of people laugh, it’s a pretty great feeling,” Decker said. “Just being here is kind of a chance to relive it for a night which is really special and really cool.”

The show had multiple comedy sketches, all featuring alumni members. The sketches ranged from comical commentary on BYU life to musical parodies of popular franchises.

“I think it’s really fun to see a comedy show catered to your college experience, and your town, and what you’re living right then,”Naomi Winders, a Divine Comedy alumni and current writer for BYUtv’s Studio C, said. Winders was a Divine Comedy cast member from 2018-2021.

The audience was filled with family and friends who came to support the cast and alumni, as well as BYU students and Divine Comedy fans.

“Divine Comedy invites people from around the community as well as students to come and participate in a common experience where we get to laugh together, and share a common moment,” Ryan Frostad, an audience member and BYU junior in the School of Family Life, said.

To keep up with BYU Divine Comedy and attend an upcoming show, visit theirwebsiteorInstagramfor more information.