Student comedians discussed whiskey grandmothers, groundhogs, secrets and sex this weekend as part of Northwestern Sketch Television’s Winter Stand-Up Showcase.
A total of about 400 students turned out for the two shows at the McCormick Tribune Center Forum.
The event was the first of its kind hosted by NSTV and was an opportunity for people to get involved with the stand-up scene on campus, said the showcase’s co-producer Michelle Goldfine, a Communication sophomore.
The show’s directors, Communication junior Scott Baumgartner and Communication senior Chris Poole, held an open audition for students in early November, said performer Dan Selinger, a Communication freshman. From there, both members and non-members of NSTV were selected to perform. The comedians incorporated drawing boards, puppets and condoms into their acts.
Selinger’s audition material about 1990s public television and dancefloor grinding landed him a position as the show’s opener both nights.
He said he was flattered to be the first performer but even more surprised about the unexpectedly high turnout.
‘It was great to see so many people coming out not just for the support, but because they heard that the comics were funny,’ he said.
Selinger, who is not a member of NSTV, said he started writing sketch comedy in high school but was initially unsuccessful at getting involved with the comedy groups on campus. Instead of stopping, he decided to perform his own routines independently at clubs in Chicago and weekly open mic nights at Kafein in Evanston.
‘The nicest thing about stand-up is that you don’t need to audition to do it (off campus),’ he said. ‘There are so many open mics and opportunities to perform. For me, it was a matter of finding an outlet for comedy, and stand-up is a great outlet for that.’
For Lex Singer, the showcase was his first time performing stand-up. He said he has a history of participating in sorority pageants, which is where he got his break on the stage.
‘I’ve been in three,’ the Communication sophomore said. ‘Officially retired.’
Singer said his original routine did not take long to write, but he developed it during weekly comedy workshops for four weeks prior to opening night. The night before the showcase, the comedians went to an open mic in Chicago to gain live experience.
Michael Elsen-Rooney, who attended the event on Friday night, said the best part was when performer Brad West inflated a condom in his mouth.
‘It was both the fact that he could blow it up and that he had been chewing on it for his entire routine,’ the Weinberg sophomore said. ‘The audience was really into (the act), and that makes it a lot more enjoyable.’
Jonathan Rosenberg, a Medill freshman, said he went to the showcase because ‘there were a bunch of people really passionate and interested in it.’
‘I was surprised there were kids my age performing acts that they had created on their own, and it was so fun to see a culmination of their work come to life,’ he added. For Goldfine, one of the most surprising and memorable parts of the show from an NSTV standpoint was the turnout.
‘We didn’t have enough tickets, people were just chilling in the aisles and standing in the back,’ she said. ‘I didn’t think the audience would be so responsive.’
