ANNA RUTH CHANDLER, Contributing Writer
Have you ever wanted to be a part of the television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” If so, the Festival of Fools may be the group on campus for you.
Originally called Homemade Fireworks, Festival of Fools is an improv troupe here on Bison Hill.
The group was started in 2012 by OBU alumni Cherish Parker with the aid of the College Players, a theatre social club.
Parker said she realized there was not a group like this at the university, so she created one–and she is proud of that achievement.
“In my sophomore year a group of friends and I formed Festival of Fools Improv Troupe just because we wanted to play improv games together,” she said.
“I don’t think any of us expected the group to continue beyond the first show, let alone our graduation day. In the last three years, Festival of Fools Improv Troupe has become its own little family,” Parker said.
“I feel like a grandmother watching her family grow. I’ll probably never meet my great-great-grandbabies, but I’m truly blessed to know they’re going to exist.”
Senior co-captain Noah Seltzer said the group was also important to him, and that nature of improvisation itself makes the group valuable for him and other students.
“My favorite part about improv is having fun with all the different characters we get to be in each scene,” he said.
“Regular theater has scripts, back drops, props and so on so forth. We have our imagination. We use that to create our worlds, our characters and our props,” he said.
“The scene only can happen if we believe it is happening, and that makes the audience believe it is happening. From there, no props or background is needed. “
These improv skills were evident during the group’s first show in September. Hosted in the Black Box (in Sarkeys), the free show included improv games which involved suggestions from the audience.
Junior co-captain Adam McCollough hosted the event and initiated the improvisation by asking the audience questions such as “what do I have in my pocket?”
The answers would then inspire the troupe’s performance.
The rest of the evening involved a series of short and long-form games; the Black Box was almost full, so one could safely say the event was popular.
Even though the first show has come and gone, there will be other opportunities for both the viewing audience and students who might be interested in performing.
“We are open to anyone and everyone,” junior public relations officer Ashely Hontz said.
“If you like having fun and making people laugh we are the clubs for you! If you don’t have any experience don’t worry! We are a learning troupe for reason!”
Last year, the troupe had 15 members, but six of those were graduating seniors.
The troupe currently has nine members and is looking to expand.
The group is hosting auditions September 17th in the Sarkey’s Black Box at 3:00 p.m.
Auditions are open for anyone, nothing needs to be prepared and they are available to all majors and minors. No theatre experience is needed.
The next show date is Friday, October 13th, 2017 in the Black Box at 7:30 pm. Admittance is $2, and the theme is Halloween.
Most, if not all of the fools, will be dressed up in costumes.
The show will have a similar format as their first where they will do some short-form games and some long form.
You can also follow the group on Facebook by searching Festival of Fools Improv Troupe.
thebisonnews.com 
Leave a Reply