A new improv-comedy group is welcoming all students, no matter their level of improvisational skills, to raise some laughs.

It’s Their Line Anyway: New Student Org Takes on Improv

While most clubs are made up of those who “do,” Joking Hazard also needs those who “watch.” The new student improv group welcomes both performers and audience members to its weekly meetings.

Founder Joshua Bregger ’18, who took part in improv comedy in high school, says he had wanted to see a similar group surface on the SNC campus. However, it wasn’t until he spent a study-abroad semester at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand that he developed his own plan. 

In New Zealand, Bregger enjoyed participating in an improv comedy group on the Canterbury campus. Not willing to let the experience slide, on his return to St. Norbert he established Joking Hazard – one of the newest student orgs on campus. 

Setup
For its first-year pilot, Joking Hazard has been aiming to encourage both practice and performance while welcoming a diverse body of students. Bregger’s intent is to welcome members at all levels of experience who are looking for some laughs and fun. Joking Hazard is determined to find the right spot for anyone, he says, no matter their skill set.

To Bregger, both practice and performance are equally important components. “We need people to laugh and encourage our performers as much as we need people to get up and perform,” he says. “So all are welcome to attend our weekly meetings!” 

Bregger works to instill an atmosphere of comfort and confidence. He says, “We celebrate mistakes because they aren’t really mistakes – they’re learning opportunities.” 

Punchline
As members build the club, they have high hopes to attract larger audiences, more performers and more publicity. As Bregger approaches the end of his senior year, he reiterates this fact: “My remaining time is short, but I am confident that the group’s officers can carry on the structure and tradition of the group well beyond my time here.”

Joking Hazard meets every Wednesday evening during the academic year. 

May 8, 2018