Walking through the halls of CAS on a Sunday night, one might hear the sounds of a deadly game of hide-and-go-seek or two couples in a laundromat-turned-Middle Earth. These are the sounds of one of BU’s improv comedy groups Liquid Fun.
“It’s like getting to do recess four hours a week,” said Shawn Musgrave (CAS ’12). “You can just create these random crazy worlds. It’s definitely a great creative outlet like during midterms. You just start craving, needing, something really unstructured that’s not staring at a computer or book.”
Liquid Fun performs at least one show on campus a month, all of them being free. In addition, the group also does outside improv tournaments and connects with improv groups at near-by colleges.
“Every year there’s two big tournaments that we do,” said Musgrave. “There’s the College Improv Tournament, which the Chicago Improv Tournament puts on. There’s also the Improv Boston Beanpot. Off of that we’ve made really good friends. We done a couple of collaborative shows with Suffolk, Northeastern, a college called Williams which we’re going to over Spring Break.”
The group has been invited to benefits, such as at a local high school. They also collaborate with other groups on campus, such as Chordially Yours and hosted the “Mr. and Mrs. BU” competition. In addition, Liquid Fun will be hosting its 7th annual 24-Hour Comedy Marathon on March 23 at 7pm in BU Central. Over 24 hours, Liquid Fun, along with 16 outside groups will be performing in a rely-type comedy show.
“It breaks down into segments after our performance,” said Matthew Duffy (CAS ‘12). “This time, which is different from all the other times, we are going to play with the other groups as well. And then it breaks down into themed hours. We do uncensored hour, where it’s encouraged to be very dirty. We do a stand-up hour, or skirt-prov, where all the dudes dress in skirts and do improv.”
In addition to practicing and performing for Liquid Fun, many of the “funners” perform in outside improv troupes, do stand-up or do other performing groups on campus. Check out our first round of highlighted “funners!”
Matthew Duffy (CAS ‘12)
Duffy has done stand-up comedy in NY and Willamsburg, despite only starting 3-4 months ago. He also hosted BU’s Funniest Student Competition. Duffy also directs and acts in Theatre For Everyone.
“I was always highly, highly, competitive about being the funny kid, but I did not ever think it would translate into an art form,” said Duffy.
Shawn Musgrave (CAS ‘12)
As of June of 2011, Musgrave has been a part of a mainstage cast called “Faceoff” at Improv Boston. Faceoff performs every Saturday at 10pm. He is also one of eight finalists from BU making it to the next round of Rooftop Comedy’s National College Comedy Compeition (NCCC), along with four other Liquid Fun “funners.” The live showcase of the NCCC, where BU will compete against Boston College, will take place on Monday March 26, 7:30 at Improv Boston.
“I love it at Improv Boston. It’s been interesting having one foot in both, seeing both college stuff and Improv Boston stuff,” said Musgrave.
Ross Husdon (COM ‘15)
Hudson also does stand-up comedy and was a finalist in BU’s Funniest Student Competition and member of Theatre For Everyone. He also jumped in the ocean on March 3rd (as a part of Polar Plunge).
“I did come wanting to improv because I always loved watching it on like TV, those shows. I saw it for the first time in Chicago live at the IO and it was so amazing. Stand-up was something I just wanted to give a try,” said Hudson.
*Liquid Fun holds open practices (no auditions!) every Sunday in CAS 116.