Northwestern’s premier comedy group, The Mee-Ow Show, separated from its historical board sponsor of over 50 years, Arts Alliance, at the start of Spring Quarter.

Mee-Ow is one-third improv, one-third sketch comedy and one-third “rock and roll,” as it also includes The Mee-Ow Band. The group has held two shows every Winter Quarter since 1974. AA is a student arts organization that works to produce a number of NU art shows, such as the Garden Party and various musicals.

Communication junior Zoe Davis, Mee-Ow’s current producer, said Mee-Ow originated as part of Arts Alliance, but the two have had diverging goals in recent years. Davis mentioned she noticed a lack of passion and focus on Mee-Ow from AA.

“And so, through these 50 years of growing and having different values, we decided that it’s time that we orchestrate these values and goals as separate organizations rather than one together,” Davis said.

As a result of the separation between AA and Mee-Ow, Davis added, Mee-Ow will organize their own producer petitions for the 2025-26 season, instead of AA selecting the role.

Now, Mee-Ow will have two co-producers, an art and a business producer, and the cast and band will select them. AA has been very helpful in guiding Mee-Ow with the transition to become independent, according to Davis.

The returning cast and band members will select the co-producers based on petitions happening this week, which entail a written petition on a Google form, a coffee chat and an in-person petition.

“We’re hoping to find two collaborators that will work well together and are excited about leading this new era for Mee-Ow,” Davis said. “Artistic and business separation is a goal that we have in terms of covering a lot of what AA responsibilities for Mee-Ow have been in the past.”

Co-Director and Communication senior Brenden Dahl said AA was often responsible for booking the spaces and running the producer petitions for the Mee-Ow shows in the past. But in recent years, Dahl said, it had become unclear which of those duties were the board or Mee-Ow’s responsibility.

Dahl also said that there had been some “intense” financial mismanagement at the end of last year, including the disappearance of funds from Mee-Ow ticket sales. Dahl said he thought some of the tensions were the result of a lack of ownership for Mee-Ow from those on the AA board.

He said the board didn’t send many members to help build the first Mee-Ow set because most were working on The Dolphin Show, NU’s student-produced musical.

“I get it from (AA’s) perspective,” Dahl said. “They care more about this thing (Dolphin Show) that they’re actually working on than this random thing that their board supports.”

Communication sophomore Lane Ruble, executive director of AA, said structural issues made collaboration challenging.

Ruble said the turnover rate in Mee-Ow is very high, and there is a new production team every year which made communication between Mee-Ow and AA challenging. There was also little to no creative input from members of the AA board on Mee-Ow shows.

Mark Brogger (Communication ’85) is a Mee-Ow alum and served as a co-chair for the 50th reunion gala that Mee-Ow hosted in April. Brogger said when he was a student, the AA board was involved with all of its productions.

He also said that Arts Alliance and Mee-Ow worked well together to help produce Mee-Ow’s 50th reunion gala.

“Both organizations were extremely cooperative and enthusiastic. It was lovely to see. They helped us out with many things logistically,” Brogger said.

Ruble added that there is no animosity between the organizations and that AA and Mee-Ow have been considering separating for many years.

She said that though the organizations are separate, she is looking forward to seeing The Mee-Ow Show next year.

“This is a 50 year partnership,” Ruble said. “We have a commitment to making sure The Mee-Ow Show is able to have its 52nd year next year.”

Email: mayaikenberry2026@u.northwestern.edu

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