By Alexandra Bonano
Staff Writer
The Traditions lounge, which was bustling with noise and conversation, was filled with an audience that was ready to enjoy a night of laughter at the Stand Up Comedy Society’s Open Mic Night on Friday, April 12 at 8 p.m. The stage was open to the public, and anyone from the audience was encouraged to take a shot at delivering a comedic performance for the crowd.
Those who were brave enough to get up and perform admitted that they were making up jokes on the spot, which put their comedic abilities to the test.
Acting as the emcee for the night was Jason Thorpe, a sophomore history and secondary education major, who is an active member of TCNJ SUCS.
“The goal is, generally, for our members to come out or even just anybody to come out and get a chance to try their hand at stand up,” Thorpe said.
As stated in the beginning of the show by Thorpe, the goal for most of the acts is to last up on stage for at least five minutes, or long enough to perform a full set. This is seen as a major accomplishment for those who are new at stand-up.
Most participants told their jokes in the form of stories or small anecdotes. The stories told of antics like of how one perform- er’s friend ruptured their spleen after a fun night out, or how another told of their experience with paranoia when smoking weed and their knowledge of hard drugs.
All the acts consisted of topics that could be considered raunchy or even too taboo to be joking about, such as sex, alcohol and partying, –– not to mention the many expletives thrown around throughout the bits.
Despite these being such serious topics, the acts mixed their severity with a sense of fun and lightheartedness to elicit laughter.
“I’ve always loved and been interested in comedy, especially comedy shows like this,” said Allison Glantzberg, a junior physics major. “I would like to think that at some point I would have the courage enough to go up there and perform.”
The purpose of this open mic night was to allow audience members to practice their stand- up skills while expressing their individual comedic tastes — the lounge became a space where college comedians step outside of their comfort zones.
“I admire how this event is a place for laughs and no judgement,” Glantzberg said of the event. “I think we need more things like this that promote that kind of environment.”
