Liquid Fun Prepares for 24-Hour Improv Charity Show

Imagine being on stage in front of over 75 people with no script or prepared remarks. You open your mouth to speak, and suddenly everyone in the crowd starts laughing.

Sound like your worst nightmare? Maybe you could use some coaching from Liquid Fun, an improv comedy group at Boston University. The Funners perform entire shows by improvising, taking their cues from improv game rules and audience suggestions. The results range from hilarious to confusing to downright weird–but overall it makes for a great experience.

“They’re always really good,” said Liquid Fun fan Amy Gaines (COM ’15), “and they include the audience a lot. They get people involved shouting out things and bringing people onstage so it’s really interactive. The show is long but it doesn’t feel long at all.”

Liquid Fun is all about the laughs, but they put their comedy to serious use through their fundraising work. On April 6, Liquid Fun will host its 9th Annual 24 Hour Comedy Marathon, a comedy show to support the Greater Boston Food Bank. For just $5, attendees will see performances from a variety of Boston comedy troupes, including Improv Boston, Improv Asylum, and various college and high school groups.

“I’m really excited about this. It’s a very special thing,” said Liquid Fun President Ari Stern, who is also a columnist for The Quad. “It’s like a really unique thing in the comedy community in Boston.”

On Saturday, Liquid Fun put on a show called The 100-Meter Dash, which gave the audience a small taste of what to expect at the 24 Hour Marathon. Over 75 people attended to watch members Ari Stern, Elizabeth Cross, Jasper Craven, Jimmy Blackmon, Kaitlin Bresee, Ross Huston, Stephanie Moses, and Will Dowsett perform. Taking to a sparsely decorated stage, they acted out everything from a trip to Disneyland to a police interrogation–there was even a rap/hip-hop montage.

The Funners’ antics elicited everything from small giggles to big-bellied laughs, whistles and shouts of “Oh my god!” It was undeniable that Liquid Fun wowed the crowd.

“I thought it was hilarious,” said Molly Carusone (CAS ’15). “I thought that they are very talented people. It was just really funny. It was a good time.”

James Nelson (SMG ’15) shared the sentiment. “I think Liquid Fun is really funny,” he said. “This is the second show I’ve been to. I think they’re hysterical, they’re really witty.”

Both Carusone and Nelson were excited about the 24-Hour Marathon–though Carusone scoffed at the idea of staying for the whole thing.

“That would be physically impossible,” she said laughing. “I will leave and come back.”

According to Liquid Fun member Jasper Craven, who performed at last year’s marathon, there are fans dedicated enough to stay for the full event. The performers, of course, stick the whole thing out.

“By like 2 a.m. it was getting a little bit weird,” Craven said. “And then in the next hour it was just absolutely wild.”

Liquid Fun member Ian Blau, who is responsible for marketing and promotions for the club, emphasized that the event brings together all different comedy groups that can’t be seen in that capacity anywhere else.

“It’s the only event where you’re going to see as much comedy for the price,” he said.

Blau explained the marathon had a variety of segments, including a “Drag Hour” where the men dress as women and the women as men, and an “Ammunition Hour” where audience members can pay for balls to pelt at performers as they tell bad jokes. There are also opportunities for audience members to win prizes donated by local businesses. Last year the event raised about $700.

“Don’t think of it as a 24-hour comedy show,” said Blau. “Think of it as a 24-hour comedy fun, party, event. It’s an event.”

The April 6 event will be hosted in BU Central. BU students can attend free, though there is a $5 suggested donation, and tickets for the general public cost $5. For more information on this event, you can visit www.liquidfunmarathon.com.