The Black Box was arranged with candlelit tables and warm spotlights on Friday evening, Oct. 29. The air was filled with laughter as Mustang Comedy hosted a fantastic show that brought together Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley students. Running from seven to nine p.m., the event featured a lineup of talented student comedians and games that called for audience participation.
The opening acts for the night were performed by The Third Wheels, an improv troupe from Neuqua Valley. Kyle Aspen, sponsor of The Third Wheels, and Lynna Befus, sponsor of Mustang Comedy, worked hard to make the collaborations between the Nequa and Metea improv groups possible.
“We only got to see a glimpse of these amazing, creative people when they came to our school, and getting to, get to know them, and learn with them and even perform with them, is so extremely helpful for us for future shows,” Third Wheel club member Meghan Markham said. “I’m glad that we’ve made friends within this very small community of theater.”
From the classic theater game of “Freeze” to a comedic spin on “Four Squares”, the evening was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. Junior Lylah Elsaya, an attendee of the show that evening, enjoyed the spontaneous energy of the show.
“I like that they didn’t prepare anything and that they had to come up with jokes on the spot,” she said.
The club sponsors, Rebecca Walker and Lynnea Befus, aim to have three shows per year Befus explains that while the shows were planned ahead of time, sports events weren’t taken into consideration while planning. Hence, fewer people were able to attend, and Befus expressed gratitude for the people able to attend.
“The importance of comedy, self-expression and also finding community with people who also share that same humor and understanding,” senior Layla Maxwell said. “Working with everyone with different backgrounds, doing comical things, just brings us together, connects us with other people.”
Mustang Comedy started in 2016 as a small group that wanted to explore improvisational comedy. From there, they have continued adding more fields of improv comedy and began performing three full-length shows every year. They also participate in other workshops and performances at Metea and in the area. They meet every Friday in the Black Box from 2:25 to 4:25, where students play games that improve their confidence, and speaking skills and learn to MC. But most importantly, the club is about having fun and making others laugh.
“I’m really proud of the fact that we are open to all people. You don’t have to audition,” Befus said. “You can show up whenever. It’s just a very warm and welcoming club.”
