BY: REBEKAH RICHARDS
The halls of Egan bustle with student traffic Monday through Friday as students hurry to their next class with a cup of coffee in one hand and a pile of books in the other. For the most part the halls are quiet on Saturdays and Sundays, except when the campus competitive improv team hosts a show and then the halls are anything but calm and quiet.
The line for Pun Intended's shows begins to form as much as three hours beforehand. Students gather with their friends and bring board games to wait outside of Anathan Theatre.
Due to the show's great response, Pun Intended became an official club on campus in December.
"We are ecstatic at being sponsored by Franciscan University officially now," said Teresa Arredondo, the president for the club. "It is amazing to have the support of the University. Pun Intended shows are so much fun for all of us playing in them and it is so great to know that the audience is having just as much fun as we are!"
Bob Rice, a theology professor at Franciscan, is the club's advisor. "One of the best times in my life was when I worked at an improvisational comedy club in Orlando, FL," said Rice. "Doing improv taught me a lot about how to live life; you've got to work with a community and say 'yes' to what is offered to you by someone else. And just like life, it's unscripted. When Pun Intended was looking for an advisor, I was thrilled to be able to help."
Pun Intended has always strived to keep a clean environment at the shows so that anyone can feel comfortable coming and bringing their children. There's no dirty jokes, just clean hysterical moments created by crazy situations.
"The whole team really enjoys getting up there for a show. It allows them to do what they love and show how hard we've worked," said Arredondo.
While it is completely improvised with no scripts and no premeditated scenes, the team does hold weekly practices to stay on top of their game and keep the hilarious moments coming.
"The scenes we do are all suggestions from the audience so we have no clue going into a show what we'll be doing," said Arredondo. "As nerve racking as it is that's the fun of it! We love it when the crowd gets creative and challenges us, because that's when we really get to have a good time and our best work really shines."
Audience interaction is crucial to the success of a show, so getting up close and personal with the team is not uncommon. In some of the games that the team plays they even invite audience members up on stage or use them as props.
"We're so honored by the great turnout at shows. It makes it just that much more fun when we get to interact with such a large crowd and work off their energy," Arredondo said.
The audience does not seem to mind that there is not always open seating. They stand in the back or off to the side of the aisles just to enjoy some wholesome entertainment on a Saturday night.
"Every time I go it gets better," Margaret Zelinka, who attended the show Saturday, explained. "It's so awesome; it's worth the wait."