While there are numerous student organizations on campus, few do more than make t-shirts. Cricket City Improv, now in its eleventh year, has a different goal.
Led by director Matt Plummer, the improv group has reached a new level of maturity, having studied and performed at numerous venues across the U.S. Earlier this semester, Cricket City sent eight of its members to Chicago to train with the famous The Second City, an improv program that claims such notable alums as Stephen Colbert, Mike Myers and Tina Fey.
“Every year we have shows that we do- the Halloween show, an end of the semester show, etc.” Plummer said. “In between those, we feel out the situation. If we feel we’re ready for a show, we’ll do one every two or three weeks.”
Last week Cricket City performed for students in the Sam Rayburn Student Center as they geared up for the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas. The seven day festival ran from the first of September to Labor Day.
Cricket City isn’t all about laughs. “One of our goals is to be an entertainment venue to the university,” Plummer said. “Cricket City is a chance to give back to the university; however, it’s also an educational experience for everyone in the troop. We go to workshops, we practice, and we watch other troops perform. Improv helps you in more areas than simply comedy. It opens you up to new ideas.”
This sentiment is echoed by Cricket City members. “It’s a great chance for me to relax if I get too stressed out,” Melissa Ford, a sophomore animal science major who also works as the group’s treasurer said. “I can come hang out after class and be funny and laugh. It’s helped me think quickly on my feet and come out of my shell.”
Plummer credits improv as one of the main reasons he’s become the person he is today. “It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that I became a more extroverted person, and I owe 100% of that to theater and improv,” he said. “I’ve become comfortable with who I am and the fact that I like to make people laugh.”
Keep an eye out for upcoming Cricket City events. The troop will be holding auditions sometime in the next few weeks, and they’re currently talking with the Texas A&M University-Commerce radio/television department about participating in a ten minute segment on one of their shows.
“I’m a member of numerous student organizations, and Cricket City is my favorite,” Gerald Taylor II, assistant director of Cricket City Improv said. “It keeps you on your toes, because you have to prepare for different audiences and remain relevant to them.”
With a variety of events and shows planned for this semester, Cricket City will remain a thriving student organization and a viable entertainment option in what is usually a pretty dead town.