Kylie Jansen and Elsie How are two of the many women here on campus who love comedy. They are both members of Iowa City’s improv comedy troupe: The Great White Narcs. The troupe travels around the midwest competing and performing in festivals. Check their Facebook and Twitter for their upcoming performing dates.
What are your majors and years in school?
Kylie: Theatre Arts. I’m a second year.
Elsie: Graphic Design and journalism. I’m a junior.
Why did you two choose to audition for The Great White Narcs?
Kylie: I was walking home from the Theatre Building with Dave Cutler (a second year theatre major) and he simply asked, “Hey I know we just met but I’m about to go try out for an improv troupe, do you want come with me?” And I was like “Heck yeah dude let’s do it.” The rest is dumb amazing history.
Elsie: I was definitely looking to make new friends and be more involved in the comedy world. Little did I know the impact it would come to make on my life. Sometimes I wonder what I’d be like now if I hadn’t—I seriously can’t even picture it. The Narcs are some of the most supportive people in my life.
Did you perform improv in high school?
Elsie: Yes, I did. I had a social studies teacher who ended up being the speech coach as well. I wouldn’t have done any theater stuff if it hadn’t been for him seeing my potential and asking me to do improv.
Kylie: Our high school didn’t have an improv team, but I took classes outside of school.
Do you perform stand up comedy?
Kylie: Yes, I started by going to Yacht Club on Mondays and I’ve slowly but surely transitioned to Studio 13 on Tuesdays.
Elsie: Sometimes, super rarely. If I do it’s at the Secret Basement or Catacombs of Comedy.
Where do you get your inspiration for your stand up sets?
Kylie: A lot of my routines come from me sitting around bored in a really manic mood and writing down things that I think are funny in the notes on my phone. Then later I can pick through them and decide which are actually funny and which are trash.
Elsie: I write in my journal almost every day, and I tweet a lot. Some of my tweets are like little reminders of things I want to one day do a set on. A lot of my inspiration just comes from friends or family and conversations we have with each other. It helps to have friends that are so funny.
Do you prefer stand up or improv more? Why?
Elsie: Improv, because it’s so great to be supported by others and create something together. I still love stand-up because I always have admired story-tellers and how we can take the mundane and play with it.
Kylie: Hard to say. Stand up satisfies me on a more individual, narcissistic level, while improv just helps me feel not so completely alone.
Why do you enjoy performing comedy?
Elsie: I feel like I’ve always felt the need to make other people comfortable, or at ease. I feel like my mind runs a million miles a minute and sharing some of the weirder thoughts or ideas that cross it is so relieving—especially when people can laugh and relate.
Kylie: Making people laugh makes me feel important and feeling important makes me feel good and feeling good makes me laugh. It’s a give-and-take relationship.
What drew you to comedy?
Kylie: I started out doing staged theatre at a young age, and comedy felt like a natural next step.
Elsie: I was raised by the television—mostly Comedy Central Presents specials and cartoons. I liked getting boys’ attention by making them laugh in middle school/high school and for that reason got to hang out with my brother and his friends. I also just really like the community that comes with it and how interesting and easy it is to talk to them.
Do you hope to pursue comedy after college?
Kylie: Definitely. I plan on moving to LA with some good friends after college to pursue a career.
Elsie: After college I plan on taking a year abroad, staying with family and doing odd jobs. After that, some friends and I are planning on moving to LA and taking classes at UCB, feeling out the open mic scene–it might not even be LA at first, maybe Austin or Atlanta. That’s not concrete–nothing is. But I know wherever I go I’m going to keep making comedy.
Who do you see as your comedy role models?
Elsie: Pete Holmes is one of my favorite people and comedians. I love the honesty of Louis C.K. and how he can just talk about his life and make it the funniest thing. Sarah Silverman is definitely my hero. I also just love cartoons and how zany and weird they can be.
Kylie: I have a few celebrity role models in mind, but as far as who has been the most influential, I really get the most out of my friends who do comedy with me. Being around people every day who are constantly finding new ways to make you laugh, that’s what helps me evolve most as someone who hopes to pursue comedy for a living.