An infomercial featuring an invention that will help you drop it all the way low in the club, with Mr. T. as the celebrity guest, was an improvised scene performed by some members of Friday Night Live last Friday that caused the audience to erupt into fits of laughter. FNL continuously kept the crowd amused and cackling as the members played games filled with spontaneity and humor.
Friday Night Live, or FNL, is a comedy improvisation team made up of Buffalo State students. Similar to “Whose Line Is It Anyways?”, FNL plays improv games and perform them in front of an audience on Friday nights in either Upton Hall or the Warren Enters Theater ‒ both located on campus.
I interviewed members of FNL, Jesse Tiebor, who is also the team leader, and Jeremy Catania, to learn more about the late night comedy show.
HC Buff State: For anyone who hasn’t been to FNL, how would you describe the show to them?
Jeremy: For anyone who hasn’t seen the show, I’d describe them as a solid hour of watching 10 clever people make fools of themselves on-stage for their own pleasure (for FREE.) The show is a time wherein the imagination mixes with comedy to create a personally tailored comedic showcase geared directly from the audiences mind, and project through the 10 of us on-stage.
HC Buff State: How and when did FNL start?
Jesse: FNL Started more than 6 years ago by a group of students, both in and out of the theatre department, who wanted to play a couple of improv games and have some sort of an audience. FNL has gone through many changes and through even more growth that made it what it is today. FNL started with no set, a troupe of 3-5 and an audience of 10. Today, FNL has performed in several venues on and off campus, has doubled the size of it’s cast and has managed to PACK the Warren Enters Theatre in Upton hall. And FNL has no plans of slowing down in the near future.
HC Buff State: When did you join and what made you decide to join the improv team?
Jeremy: I decided to audition for Friday Night LIVE in the spring semester of 2014; while I was a sophomore. I decided that I wanted to audition because I was a part of the theatre department, so I’m always seeking performance opportunities, I had improv experience in the past, and I felt as though the group was a strong way for me to hone, as well as, display my talents to a solid and diverse audience.
Jesse: After seeing my first FNL show my Freshman year, I knew I wanted to be a part of the cast. However, I didn’t act on this desire until I was well into my Sophomore year, and finally auditioned and was cast my Junior year. Improv was something I knew I was good at, but never really did until I joined FNL. My interest and active engagement in the group eventually led to becoming the leader of FNL with the help of other executives in the group.
HC BuffState: What is your favorite part about doing FNL?
Jesse: Performing. The fact that I receive the opportunity to perform a show, let alone an improv show, every Friday night for a couple hundred people is enough for me to keep doing it. It allows me to grow and it lets me do one of my favorite things in the world – making people laugh. I have to say I will truly miss this group when I graduate this year. But I’m terribly excited to see the company keep growing and performing amazing shows.
HC BuffState: What is the rehearsal process like?
Jesse: Instead of rehearsal, we like to say we practice what we do. Improvisation is a skill. It’s something that needs to be practiced, just like playing guitar or painting. But the practices that we have are very productive and sometimes intense. We build our group around teamwork and placing an unbelievable amount of trust in each other. It’s the only way you can truly go out there having no idea what on earth is about to happen and be 110% comfortable with it.
Jeremy: We refer to our rehearsals for FNL as “practices.” Rehearsals imply that we know what’s going to happen, and we rehearse that. The thing is, we don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t even know what games we’re playing in the show until the night before or sometimes the day of. So instead of trying to plan everything out and dilute what a comedy improv group is all about (improv comedy), we just practice games. We play with each other and go through some games we want to practice and make clearer. It’s more to keep us sharp and on our feet rather than memorization. There is no memorization because the nature of the show is 100% random; you cannot prepare.
HC BuffState: What is one thing FNL has taught you?
Jesse: FNL has helped me realize the power and capabilities of the imagination. I’ve learned how to make even more of something out of nothing, and have realized how connected things in our everyday lives truly are. I’ve grown as an actor, performer and artist exponentially.
If you want an hour and a half of pure entertainment that will leave you dying of laughter, then make you go see FNL! Follow their facebook page to find out when their next performance is! There are only a couple left so make sure you see this amazing comedy show before the semester end!