Improv Group Disbands After Audience Suggestions Insult Troupe’s “Sophisticated Taste and Unparalleled Wit”
Zoe Ervolino, MC ’20 YH STAFF
Oct. 15, 2018 — A Yale improv group has decided to disband as a result of “bad” suggestions at their most recent Halloween show. The Chill’d Gogurts, known across campus for their mastery of both short and long form, have been a staple of the comedy scene for over a decade. But, following their annual event, “Spooktacular: A Very Spooky Improv Evening,” they have decided that enough is enough.
Tensions came to a head when member Sadie Saddler, MC ’19, asked the audience to suggest an interpersonal relationship for the last scene of the show. “Cousin!” one audience member called out, after a moment of stifled silence. “Cousin… singular?” Saddler replied, followed by more silence from the audience. Saddler stood, blinking at the audience member who had initially offered the suggestion. Then, she began to continuously shriek for five minutes. Afterwards, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and then resumed shrieking for another seven minutes, stopping only after ripping her shirt and bra to shreds on the stage. Audience members were shocked.
“I had never seen anything like it before. But it kind of reminded me of the Control Group!” offered first-year Freddy Fortman, SY ’22.
“I was the one who said ‘cousin,’” added sophomore Henry Ruben, SC ’21. “And I honestly don’t get what the big deal was.”
Shayna Jones, TC ’20, the current director of the group, had some words to offer regarding the incident: “Audience members just don’t understand that we’re putting ourselves on the line for these people. If we fail, we look stupid. Stupid! And for what? Shitty suggestions like ‘Cousin?’ I don’t think so.” Jones added, “Our reputation as creatives is at stake, and as director, it’s my responsibility to make tough calls like this one. Any lay person can tell you that the law of improv is ‘yes and.’ What’s the point if saying yes means losing your dignity?”
A sophomore in the group, Kevin Tevin, had his own take: “Cousin. Farm. Toothbrush. You get to a point where you’re like… maybe they’re just stupid. Like only a really, really dumb person would say ‘cousin,’ right? It felt like doing improv for a bunch of freshly lobotomized people. Even if I add some of my magic and try to make it work, they’re not gonna get it.”
The comedic bards now spend their time independently of each other, staring at a random word generator.
Improv Group Disbands After Audience Suggestions Insult Troupe’s “Sophisticated Taste and… was originally published in The Yale Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.