Improv comedy group starts off weekends
By Allison Leuppie
On October 30, 2012
Laughter and spontaneity are a staple every Friday night when cast members of Friday Night
Live take over Warren Enters Theater in Upton Hall.
Friday Night Live is a comedy improvisation show that goes from 10:30 p.m. to midnight.
The show is free and open to students, faculty and the general public. No ID is needed.
Lee Becker, coordinator of Friday Night Live, compares the show to "Whose Line is it
Anyway."
Neither show is scripted and the humor comes from the on-the-spot decisions made by the
performers Becker said.
"We're not derogatory. We're just not afraid," said Jeremy Melendez, a member of the cast.
The entire show is based on audience suggestion. Cast members try to get the audience as
involved as possible, which makes the show interactive and more lively, Becker said.
From cast perspective, cast members said they hope that their work will cause the audience to
laugh with them, and not at them.
The teamwork of the audience and the cast helps to blur the line between the two, highlighting
their similarities instead.
"If you're not offended, you're not listening," Becker said.
The Friday Night Live cast promoted this week's show with the "Follow the Arrows" campaign.
This consisted of arrows being drawn in various places on campus, leading students to places
where they could receive more information about the show on Friday.
Friday Night Live started off in Flexible Theater in Donald Savage with a much smaller
audience, which consisted of thirty people on a good night, said cast member Cindy Delaney.
Since then, the performance has been moved to Warren Enters Theater to accommodate the
average 200 audience members.
The show is in its fifth year, having premiered in 2007. The current cast is the biggest it has ever
been, containing fifteen members.
"The group goes beyond performing and making people laugh. I've realized that this is
something bigger than myself. I'm trying to create a legacy," Becker said.
Members of the cast do not need to be Theater majors.
"When choosing members, hopefuls are assessed on their comfort in front of an audience, their
willingness to take risks, and trust of their own instincts," Delaney said.
Auditions are held during the spring semester and if chosen, new members serve out the rest of
the semester on a trial basis. They are considered "FNL Interns," Becker said.
"The show gives students who maybe couldn't get involved in larger productions the opportunity
to perform. We look for potential and help people grow," Melendez said.
Friday Night Live is made possible by Casting Hall Productions, a United Students Government
funded organization.
The productions and shows offered throughout the theater season come from the combined
efforts of the theater department faculty and Casting Hall Productions.
"Being involved in FNL is giving people purpose. We're trying to make sure that it is still
around for when other people need it later on," Becker said.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
'Injustice' is a fighting delight
In the spring of 2011, the award-winning NetherRealm Game Studios established itself as a heavyweight in the fighting genre of the ...
NASO engages college community in cultural comeback
The Native American Student Organization explored oral history, cultural identity and other topics in a speaker series entitled ...
THE RECORD TURNS 100: Animal Kingdom - April 8, 1970
In celebration of 100 years of service to Buffalo State, The Record will re-print one former article in each of its 10 issues this ...
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
- Your Child’s Tomorrow Begins Today
- Choose Beer Grown Here: Anheuser-Busch is First to Adopt...
- Helping Alleviate Children’s Anxiety
- Vitamins and Minerals: Fortifying Against Poor Oral Health
- Do you PHIT? Why A Career in Public Health Informatics...
- Do you PHIT? Why A Career in Public Health Informatics...
- Shining a Spotlight on Kidney Health: Get to Know Your...
- Phony Investment “Opportunities” Can Cost You Big, Say...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Ash Carter Exchange Showcases Innovation and National...
- AI Expo for National Competitiveness Announces Key Sponsor
- 2102: PRETENSE, THE PLAY: New Literary Novel Overlays...
- Why It's Important to Talk About Inheriting Wealth
- 100% of Latino Grads Start Trades Careers With Centro...
- Sound Solutions: How Generative AI is Enhancing Business...
- Wow Your Easter Guests With A Very Easy Spring Surprise...
- Tips to savor springtime and reflect on li...
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Captivating Reads
- Wow Your Easter Guests With Easy Spring Surprise Cake
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- State Department Announces 2023-2024 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions