Khadija Greenidge
Say Anything Improv, LIU Post’s improvisational acting group, presented its first program of the semester, called Black Comedy, in the Hillwood Cinema. On February 20, the club decided to recognize several African American comedians and their contributions to the world of comedy in order to observe Black History Month. Some of the comedians honored included Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Wanda Sykes.
During the free event, 13 video clips depicting the comedic styles of Bill Cosby, Kevin Hart, Donald Glover, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Richard Pryor, Patrice O’Neal, Dave Chapelle and Whoopi Goldberg played for an hour. Some students in the audience had the skits memorized and recited the acts, especially those of Kevin Hart and Eddie Murphy.
In between the comedy clips, members of Say Anything asked trivia questions about the comedians. There were three rounds of questions and candy was distributed to the winners. Some of the questions ranged from how long the Wanda Sykes Show had been on air to naming Kevin Hart’s comedy sequences. Students were anxiously screaming to answer the questions and jumping up to catch the candy thrown into the air.
This segment helped club members inform students on the accomplishments of the African American comedians. While some audience members knew the information, others left with new knowledge, which according to Say Anything Improv, was the ultimate goal.
Junior Musical Theatre major, Emily Crowe, said, “I’ve been to several Say Anything events so I expected them to improvise some standup [routines]. I was surprised when they used clips, but they were extremely funny.”
Freshman Psychology major, Jessy Pierre, said, “Every part of the program was enjoyable. Say Anything did a great job.”
Say Anything Improv, which originally started at LIU Brooklyn, brought a new chapter to LIU Post in 2008. The purpose of the club is to provide a welcoming environment for people who want to learn improvisational acting and meet others who are interested.
Say Anything Improv is affiliated with The Bedtime Brothers improvisational group as well as Post’s drama club, Emerging Student Theatre Artists (E.S.T.A). E.S.T.A. is a club for aspiring theatrical artists on LIU Post campus.
The Bedtime Brothers is a New York City-based improvisation duo consisting of two men named Brandon and Neal, which originated in Nebraska. The duo performs throughout New York and recently appeared at LIU Post on January 26, 2013, to perform a show called Il Tragide de Lorenzo in the Little Theatre.
Members of Say Anything Improv show their love for the club and encourage everyone to try the club. “This club is about having fun and enjoying improvisational acting,” said Joshua Cahn, Vice President of Say Anything Improv.
According to President Shelby Wellington, “A lot of people come in saying they cannot perform improv; I always say, if you can have a conversation with somebody, you can definitely do improv.”
The club’s executive board consists of the Coach Sean Costello, President Shelby Wellington, Vice President Joshua Cahn and Treasurer Douglass Robinson.
General meetings for Say Anything Improv are Mondays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Pioneer Room in Hillwood Commons. Future events are planned and will be promoted on the club’s social media sites as well as fliers around the campus. For more information, visit the Facebook page “Say Anything Improv” or email the club at sayanythingimprov@yahoo.com.
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