Marathon of mirth: STC hosts 24 hour improvathon fundraiser for Art 180

Your wheels are made of toast, the highway exploded and you had to put your dog down. Two car dealership employees were crawling on all four legs, star-jumping and waving their hands in circular motions like “wax on, wax off” from “The Karate Kid.” A third employee ran into her angry boss at the dealership, forced to explain her late arrival. But she didn’t know why she was late. This was the third game played in UR’s improv troupe, Subject to Change, show at 7 p.m. on April 19. 

“You are late” is a charade-style game where one player runs off while the audience suggests a setting and three reasons to be late. The player comes back and has to explain to their boss why they are late from the other players’ pantomimed clues. 

The show was one of two during STC’s Improvathon, a bi-annual fundraiser for Art 180, a local non-profit organization that provides access to arts for low-income children, according to Doro, a junior and member of the troupe. STC stayed up for 24 hours during the improv marathon, which was located on Westhampton Green this year. 

The (subject to change) schedule had activities such as STC advice panel, lipsync, a flashmob, improv workshop, ST-Speed dating, letters to Santa and the Tooth Fairy and STD’s sex ed. The activities were open to passer-byers, which included attendees of the A&S Symposium which was also being held that day and prospective students. 

Senior Jillian Yates joined her friends on STC for Fight to Death at 12:30 a.m.. Laughs and screams echoed across Westhampton Green as STC members and friends ran around chasing each other with skinny pool noodles and “sword fighting.” Yates walked by Improvathon two years ago but chose to stop at the event this time. 

“I like it [Improvathon] because it is a good cause and I applaud them for staying out here for this long,” Yates said. 

This year’s donation goal was $1000. At midnight, they had already reached $800 from students and community members. At each donation mark, the members faced various challenges, such as swapping outfits, a half-body self tan, pie in the face and eating habanero peppers.

The improv troupe has 15 members and hosts shows on a Wednesday night of each month. STC is over twenty years old as an organization, according to sophomore and STC member Harrison Craver. Craver auditioned in the fall of his first semester and has made the troupe an important part of his time spent at UR. 

Craver had improv experience from high school but other members auditioned as amateur improv-ers, like sophomore Jacob Martin who joined STC this semester. He heard about the team from a co-worker and walked-in blind but has discovered a new passion for the troupe.

“I’ve always tried to be funny and now I feel like they’re showing me a better way to do it” he said.

This is senior Margot Roussel's first year in STC. Roussel expressed her admiration for the troupe and that she leaves each practice feeling invigorated. 

“I really love how creative you get to be and how fun it is and how deeply unserious [it is],” she said. “It’s so silly and fun and you meet so many interesting people who, sort of, don’t always run in the same circle.”

Contact city and state editor Ava Humphries at ava.humphries@richmond.edu.