Full Frontal Comedy, IU’s longest running improv group, is entering its 25th year.
Founded in 1994, the group practices long-form, “Chicago-style” improvisational comedy, as well as short games and sketches. According to its Facebook page, FFC has free performances every Friday night in a variety of venues, from residence halls to the Indiana Memorial Union.
“Full Frontal is older than I am,” current member Calvin Badger said.
Badger, a senior studying advertising, said he found FFC as a freshman at the student involvement fair. While he didn’t think he would get in, he auditioned anyway because he thought it would be fun.
“Coming into college, though, I wasn’t like, ‘I’m going to do comedy,’” Badger said. “I think I just like to perform and be the center of attention.”
IU alumna Emily Chervony said she found FFC her freshman year after attending a show with friends. She said doing improv helped her manage her generalized anxiety disorder during college.
“It’s 100 percent changed so much for me,” Chervony said.
She said her improv experience has made her a confident public speaker and quick decision maker. While she started taking improv classes after she moved to Chicago, she said graduate school has kept her from taking more.
Several members of FFC have gone on to pursue comedy full time, such as founders Jill Benjamin and Derek Miller. Benjamin wrote and starred in an award-winning show “Playing Dumb with Jill Benjamin” and performed a two-person show with late night host Seth Meyers. Miller teaches improv and has appeared on the Comedy Central shows “Secret Girlfriend” and “Wedding Band”.
Junior Elizabeth Hutson is a current member of FFC. She said she finds it easy to get along with FFC alumni who come back because everyone who joins shares the same sense of humor.
“Being one of the newer people, you don’t know as many of the alums, right?” Hutson said. “But then whenever I meet them, it’s always like we click instantly.”
Chevrony said the amount of time the group spends together creates a strong bond. She said she had been a bridesmaid in another member's wedding this summer, and a big group of FFC members came to her wedding three years ago.
“It’s your family when you’re in college,” Chevrony said.
Badger said he thinks it’s cool that he and current group members are keeping the group going after 25 years.
“It’s still going to be going on after we leave,” Badger said. “Hopefully, it’ll get to 50 one day or something like that.”
Badger said he had looked up other events that were happening 25 years ago to consider what it was like when FFC was founded.
“Bill Clinton was president,” Badger said. “Gas was a dollar. It’s just wild.”
