By Mariah Bennett | Staff Writer
Fifty students have shown interest in learning more about the giggles of the new Sketch and Stand-Up Comedy Club at Baylor. After being chartered in the spring, the student organization plans to begin its meetings in November.
The club’s goal, besides rehearsing and performing stand-up and sketch comedy, is to serve as a community for those who enjoy comedy. It also serves as a safe space for members to practice and improve their craft, according to Houston sophomore and club president and founder Jacob Reiger.
Reiger said when he initially came to Baylor, he couldn’t find any comedy clubs besides the occasional open mic night. Although he joined an improv troupe that he said he loves, Reiger said he believes there is a space for those who enjoy stand-up and sketch comedy rather than improv comedy.
Reiger’s past performance experiences include acting at the Silent House Theater in Waco as well as doing a small amount of acting in high school.
“I want to create the place where people who think they’re funny can come and meet,” Reiger said.
According to Reiger, current plans for the club include meetings in which members rehearse and work on their material for performances, which the organization might host. He said there may be one or two shows per semester that will be open to the public and most likely free.
Texarkana senior Alana Avard said that while she has never heard of the organization, it sounds like a lot of fun and she would go to one of their performances.
“I think it is something unlike a lot of other Baylor organizations, and it would help get some students involved that haven’t been in the past,” Avard said.
Sacramento, Calif., senior Josefine Green said she is a big comedy fan, and after hearing about the new organization, she said it sounds like a lot of fun.
The performances will be similar in structure — not comedy-script — to Saturday Night Live, including an opening, a monologue, sketches and ideally a musical guest.
“I’m looking at mainly … shows where people can perform sketches and stand-up,” Reiger said. “I imagine [the comedy] will be people’s different comedic taste from sketch to sketch and stand-up bit to stand-up bit, so that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Reiger also said there is not a lot of pressure for members to show up with the funniest sketch or stand-up in the world. He said the club is for members to work on and improve their skills, growing in something they love doing.
“If you think you’re a funny person, this club is for you,” Reiger said. “You might be terrible — that’s great. We want you to walk out of [this experience] just being bad, and maybe next semester, you’ll be good, and then by your senior year, you’re great.”
Reiger said the club is meant to be a tight-knit community of people all about love and trying to make somebody better.
“Comedy … it requires you to be very vulnerable,” Reiger said. “If somebody is interested in joining, the club is for you … This is the opportunity to put yourself out there.”
