(This story was originally published in print on Sept. 19, 2019).
From finalizing school schedules to setting up new dorm rooms, settling back into the routine of school can be exhausting. With the stress that can come in the first couple weeks of the semester, some Biolans may need nothing more than a good night of laughs to ease their spirits. Last Friday, Sept. 13, the Rich Kids Comedy delivered a laughter-filled night to anyone feeling early-school stress in the packed-out Mayers auditorium.
ON-STAGE SPONTANEITY
Rich Kids Comedy is a club dedicated to improvisational comedy, where they perform skits and come up with content on the spot. During shows, they also involve the audience, asking them for suggestions before their sketches.
Senior communications major Landon Hawley, senior psychology major Carissa Tereba and junior theatre major Brynn Nieuwenhuis started the night off in song. Asking the crowd for theme suggestions, they each came up with a song about whales. As they took turns on the mic, the crowd erupted with laughter from their clever lyrics.
Throughout the night, the team played many games on stage, including “director’s cut,” where a few members acted out a film suggested by the audience, and an advice panel game, where three characters—a talkative nurse, a brutally honest Minnesotan native and a quirky Irish man—shared their best relationship advice. To conclude, the Rich Kids members played “world’s worst,” where they acted out scenes of how the world’s fill-in-the-blank would be. With lighthearted hilarity and high energy, the Rich Kids kept the audience engaged from start to finish.
MORE THAN A CLUB
For the members, being involved with Rich Kids is more than just putting on a show twice a semester. Tereba believes that without comedy, people would get swept up in the busyness of life and forget to have moments of laughter.
“Not to be dramatic, but I literally can’t live without comedy,” Tereba said. I think [comedy] is part of what a human person needs.
Through consistent involvement, club members have been able to practice their skills and gain friendships along the way. Junior psychology major Sam Corey enjoys improving his craft while spending time with his friends.
“I did improv in high school, so it’s fun to still have the performing arts side of my life going,” Corey said. “Also, I love all the people on my team.”
Club president Hawley values the opportunity he has to break the common day-to-day routine.
“I’ve always loved improv,” Hawley said. “I started in high school, and it’s just a fun way to do something completely different.”
RICH RELATIONSHIPS
For others, Rich Kids helped them get out of their shell, cultivate relationships with others and embrace who they are. Senior biological sciences major Danielle Verduzco appreciates the safe space Rich Kids creates for openness and acceptance. As a former student-athlete longing for community, Verduzco felt right at home after she joined the club during her sophomore year.
“[Rich Kids Comedy] definitely shaped my Biola experience because it’s allowed me to be more open to people, more willing to hear what they have to say, making them feel like it’s okay for them to be themselves and it’s okay for me to be myself,” Verduzco said.
Ultimately, the Rich Kids Comedy team hopes to use their abilities to honor God and to bless Biolans with laughter. They want their audiences to leave their shows feeling refreshed, recharged and lighthearted.
“I hope that the Lord uses our shows to meet each audience member where they are,” Tereba said. “I hope that someone who’s coming in just for fun gets that fun and those laughs with their friends, but I hope that someone who’s coming in and desperate for a reason to laugh, I hope they get that too from what we do.”
