BYU’s Laugh Out Loud (LOL) Improv Comedy Club’s kickoff show, usually held in a classroom in the Crabtree Building, filled the Varsity Theater in the Wilkinson Student Center on Sept. 12.
LOL has been an official BYU club since 2003 and has experienced significant growth over the last several years.
“We love these shows so much,” said Allison Scroggins, a returning fan of LOL. “There’s so much talent and, I mean, it’s obviously something that people have enjoyed because they’ve been growing. They’ve gone from a classroom to a theater.”
Logan Cropper, one of the two emcees for the evening, introduced Friday's show.
“We’re generally going to make fools of ourselves and you guys are going to have a great time,” Cropper said.
The program featured a variety of crowd favorites including “Seuss Interrogation,” “The Dating Show” and “For Your Consideration,” all of which involved random suggestions from the audience.
The games covered everything from tiny ostrich farms to Dracula without his dentures to what it is like to room with the Lorax.
Additionally, the audience was kept involved as improv players threw fruit snacks and neon toilet paper imprinted with the club logo into the crowd at the end of each game.
Devin Driskill, the LOL Improv Comedy's president, is a junior at BYU studying marketing and has been a member of LOL for two years.
“The purpose of our club is to provide BYU students with a space where they can come and be creative, learn to perform improv at a high level and make friends and have fun,” Driskill said.
He said that in addition to providing a space where students can embrace creativity, friendship and laughter, LOL Improv Comedy allows members to develop important skills.
“I think improv is super valuable because it teaches people how to work together," Driskill said. "It teaches people to have fun and enjoy and appreciate one another’s talents, because when you’re in an improv scene with someone your goal is to lift them up and to make them better, and to make them look good and hopefully that can be a life lesson.”
Dylan Ross, a prominent player in Friday night’s show, said improv is a way for him to serve and elate others.
“The chance to give people a little bit of joy, a little bit of laughter or a smile, is the most exciting thing ever," he said. "Even if I can’t take away the struggles that people are having, if I can give them just an hour or two of fun joy tonight, that warms my heart like nothing else."
Sadie Christensen, a first-time attendee, said she was genuinely impressed.
"I was laughing my head off the entire time … I’m definitely interested in coming back," Christensen said. "That was so funny and a really good way to spend my Friday night.”
LOL has several more shows coming up throughout the semester, including special themed shows for Halloween and Christmas. They also hope to expand their acts to include long form improv, musical comedy and more.
Interested members and patrons can learn more about upcoming shows on the LOL Improv Comedy Instagram account or by attending their weekly meetings held on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. in the Crabtree Building, room 250.