Wresting open the doors of the FXK theater, the first things I notice are the bald caps. Twelve students, with twelve corresponding bald caps, stand onstage, rotating through an office scene, an elementary school wedding, and a pre-game pep talk. This is “Occamsween,” a production by Occam’s Razor, one of the University’s improv groups.
The University of Chicago offers five comedy Registered Student Organizations (RSOs): Commedia dell’Arte, Life of the Mic, Occam’s Razor, Off-Off Campus, and The Shady Dealer. Their focuses range from improv to stand-up to satire. The comedy groups’ productions and articles at the University of Chicago provide more than a one-off laugh; they infuse joy into a university experience that can often lack it. Artur Procopio Burian Breternitz, a first-year and an “Occamsween” attendee, felt that “the show was a good study break where I could spend time laughing with my friends.” This sentiment carries over to the RSOs’ members as well. Trayi Ajit, a first-year and new member of Occam’s Razor said, “Your day feels super foggy, but then you go to this two-hour meeting where you’re just messing around. And it’s such a nice feeling; it just always makes my day.”
Older members of campus comedy groups remember their troupes as a source of community during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many did not participate in any other RSOs. Jake Schroeder, a fourth-year undergraduate in the improv and sketch group Off-Off Campus, recalled the sense of community that existed in the group. “Every day we would, through the Zoom screens, make hand-hearts with each other on the edge of the screen to connect ourselves digitally with our bodies,” he said. “That is sort of emblematic of my experience. It was meaningful, but it wasn’t ever good comedy.” Upperclassmen fondly remembered comedy as their light in a dark time. From a nine-week production period on a “Starred, Spangled, and Banned” satire album to socially distanced meetups on the Midway, each group found innovative solutions to cultivate humor and community during an age of widespread interpersonal and political discord.
While many RSOs were on hiatus, comedy groups forged an elevated sense of belonging. Being the only structured social space members could find at this time, the troupes filled a gap that the lockdown exposed. Merrin Seegers, a fourth-year, Editor-in-Chief for The “Chicago Shady Dealer” satire publication, and member of Occam’s Razor, identified a shift in the latter before and after lockdown. “Older members are like, ‘We’d show up and we’d leave,’ whereas [for current members] it’s like, ‘I just wanted a place to express myself and do comedy,’” she said. “I joined it to make friends. It’s like Greek life for people that can’t do Greek life.” With such small groups, the dynamic between club members is crucial. Alex Nobert, a fourth-year in Occam’s Razor, adds that “the disruption of the normal flow of things meant that there was a lot more space to restructure a group culture that may not have existed had lockdown not happened.” With new leaders taking the stage during lockdown, it was up to them to determine the energy of each group as activities transitioned back to an in-person format. The theme of enjoying oneself among friends ran through every conversation, intrinsically linked with the dynamic of comedy on campus.
With some semblance of normalcy restored at the University and across Chicago, what is the future of these comedy groups? Josh Kindler, a third-year in the stand-up group Life of the Mic and Occam’s Razor, has felt leaders emerge in his years onstage. Upon performing stand-up for the first time as co-president, he said, it felt that it was “really heartening to see all these new people, that had no reason to be as excited about it as we already were, take up that same excitement.” Bonding at a point of stasis over the lockdown and transitioning into dynamic in-person showcases was a large transition for the members who experienced this shift, but all reflect on their time thus far with an air of overwhelming positivity.
The new members share in this anticipation for the future; Abby Langer, a first-year in Off-Off Campus, shares that she sees comedy’s impact on her as “getting to be part of something bigger than myself.” Other first-year students in the troupes laud the instant tight-knit community—something difficult to find upon entering a new campus environment—and the opportunity to pursue a passion amongst friends.
Seegers’s last words perfectly portray humor on campus: “If no one came to our shows, we’d still be doing them.” As students and performers, members of campus comedy groups are forging a new path in the field as they transition in a constantly evolving world. Join them for a show along the way—you’re bound to have a laugh.
