The room fell silent in anticipation as senior Marc Maggiore burst out onto the makeshift stage in the basement of the Creative Arts House. As the leader of Colgate’s improvisation group, he and the other members of Charred Goosebeak showed off their quick wit at their final show this past week on Thursday, April 26. Their shows are usually held on Thursdays in various locations, and this talented group of students consistently has the room roaring with laughter; this time was no different. 

“It was funny and awkward. [The group members] laughed a lot and [the audience] laughed a lot. It was a good last show of the year,” junior Sara Gillis said. 

Their shows are a great setting to hang out with friends and take a break from the stress and worries of the week, so if you are interested in supporting your peers and having a few laughs, check the Charred Goosebeak Facebook page for performance dates.

The group has many skits that its members perform at each show. Although they perform many of the same skits at multiple shows, they receive different prompts each time and therefore give completely new performances. One of the crowd favorites is “ABC,” where two members of the group participate in the scene, but the catch is that the improvisers have to maneuver the dialogue so that each new line has to start with the next letter of the alphabet. It’s always impressive to see how well they can craft a skit with such specific requirements. In other skits, they don’t even get to choose what they talk about.

“Fill in the Blank” actively involves a few volunteer audience members to help steer the trajectory of the skit. Four random students line up on stage with the performers, and when it is their turn, they give the comedians a word that acts as the end of their sentence and a prompt for the continuation of the skit. Although forced up on stage by his friends, first-year Michael Shea enjoyed participating in the skit alongside fellow first-year Griffin Fenady, who is a member of the group. 

“I like how they had the audience participate. Griffin Fenady is the funniest human being I have ever met. He is my hero,” Shea said. 

While other audience members may not  necessarily see the group members as their heroes, these performances can mean a lot to students and provide a fun, relaxing tradition. Senior Mariam Mahmood has been attending the shows for all four of her years at Colgate and loves the performances. 

“I thought it was amazing. I have been coming to Goosebeak shows since my freshman year, so it’s sad that it’s my last one. A lot of my friends are in it and I think it’s a really cool thing that Colgate has. The improv is very clever. I think it’s a really nice thing that you can see throughout the year instead of one big show at the end. It’s really fun,” Mahmood said. 

Charred Goosebeak is an excellent showcase for some of the creative talent on campus, and the group never fails to impress the audience by taking the skits to wildly funny and unexpected places. Although their last performance of the year has passed, you can be sure to catch them next year as they continue to inspire genuine laughs and lighthearted fun.

Contact Abby Blair at [email protected].