The main attraction of the night was the Upright Citizens Brigade, a comedy troupe that housed comedians like Amy Poehler and Matt Besser. | Joseph Lefler/The Daily Cougar
The UH School of Theatre & Dance and the University’s original student improv troupe, Glaundor, had the Cullen Performance Hall echoing with laughter as they opened for the nationally-touring comedians of the Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company on Friday night.
The six-man troupe opened with a set that lasted about 20 minutes. They received a warm welcome from the crowd of students and, although things got off to a slow start, the men soon found their rhythm and picked up the pace.
“Glaundor got started when a couple of guys in the theatre department wanted time to goof off and have fun,” member Jason Ronje said.
“We haven’t looked back since. We added a few people here and there, and now we perform in different venues around town.”
Glaundor’s performance ended with a rousing round of applause. Then it was finally time for the night’s main attraction.
Thirty minutes into the show, the UCBTourCo’s four members were introduced to the stage.
Consisting of three men and one woman, they did not take long to become comfortable.
Audience participation and crowd interaction was a vital factor throughout the improv set, and the UCBTourCo did an excellent job of feeding off this energy.
The set did not involve any traditional theatre routines such as change of outfits, unique hair and make-up. Looks or extravagant stage props did not take center stage; the humor came all from the comedians.
The chemistry between the four-person act was evident; they had a quick wit that kept the audience filled with laughter throughout the night.
The perfomance lasted an hour and 30 minutes, but time seemed to fly by as they received cheers of approval at the end of their performance.
Glaundor was impressive. The UCB troupe kept me laughing the entire way through.