Twice a month on Thursday nights, Irvine Lecture Hall erupts with laughter that can be heard from outside the building. By 10 o'clock sharp, every seat fills up, leaving barely any standing room at the top of the hall. From eager freshmen looking for entertainment to seniors preparing for their nights at the bars, Improv Inc. is where many gather for a laugh.

Improv Inc. is one of Chapman’s very own comedy clubs, but what differentiates their shows from others is that none of it is scripted. If you’re unfamiliar with it, improv is a type of performance where actors create scenes, characters and dialogue on the spot, prompted by various games.

On Oct. 24, The Panther had the opportunity to sit in the audience for the annual Halloween Killer show. A member of the troupe would explain the premise of the game to the audience and from there, the actors took it away. Leah Jacobson, a sophomore theater performance major, thought the performances made the show

“I found that Izzy Geldbach stood out because she creates very unique characters, and she's really quick with picking up on what other people in the troupe are putting down,” Jacobson said.

With just under 20 members, the troupe is led by President Geldbach and Vice President Cole Potas; the two seniors work in unison to create an environment that fuels laughter. Geldbach, a theater major with an emphasis in directing and performance, said that is precisely what her goal is when performing.

“It's like us just coming together and doing shows and putting on performances,” Geldbach said. “But at the heart of it, it's all just us trying to make something funny together, just doing comedy. All of us are really passionate about comedy.”

While these passionate improvisers make the show their own by doing comedy in a unique way, much of the energy in the room is also owed to the audience. Potas, a screenwriting and psychology double major, said the performers are as unsuspecting as the viewers are.

“The experience of improv is unique just because you never know what's gonna happen. Nothing is planned aside from the structure of the games we have,” Potas said. “We have no idea what's going to happen. So it's kind of like the audience is almost in on the jokes with us.” 

Geldbach and Potas have been part of the troupe for all four years of their Chapman experience, but their audition processes differed.

“I auditioned fall semester of my freshman year, and I got on, and I had never done improv before,” Potas told The Panther. “I just kind of went with my friends because they dared me to go with them.”

Once Potas made the team, they suggested that Geldbach also try out in the spring of 2022. 

“I considered doing it freshman year, my first semester, but I actually got so scared that I didn't audition,” Geldbach said. “I had done (improv) in high school, but I never thought about doing it in college because I didn't think I was too good at it.”

The vulnerability of getting on stage in front of peers and not knowing where a scene will go is a part of the improv technique. Geldbach said this feeling is what makes their troupe different from others.

“Comedy is such a vulnerable thing, you know, getting out on stage and making a joke and hoping people will laugh,” Geldbach told The Panther. “And I think what makes us unique is that, you know, we just do stuff on the fly every single week.” 

“I think the special thing about improv comedy is that every night, what you're getting is different, and you're seeing things in real action, because that's what it is,” she said. “It's not pre-scripted, which is really cool.”

This spontaneity creates a bond between the performers and the crowd; every joke is unique to that performance. Geldbach says that these moments are what she cherishes most.

With Potas and Geldbach both being seniors, this vital part of all four years of their Chapman experience is coming to an end. While Geldbach feels especially sad to leave the team, Potas feels his time with them is naturally coming to a close.

“I'm kind of okay with it coming to an end, just because it's been so fun and like, I feel like it's gonna be nice,” Potas told The Panther. “Alumni come back for shows and stuff sometimes, and that'll be nice to have that kind of experience and just see it from afar.”

“I think what I want (the audience) to take away from the show is literally just a laugh,” Geldbach said. “If it makes somebody feel better at the end of the day, we've accomplished our job.”