Two years ago Pepperdine students had the opportunity to showcase their comedic talents at the “Last Comic Standing” competition. Now thanks to the revival efforts of senior Jeff Thompson and junior Luci Prosapio they will have the chance to do it again.
During the event which will take place Friday April 9 in Elkins Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. 15 players will be given five minutes to perform individual stand-up routines. A panel of alumni judges will determine the best performances. The top three comedians will each be allotted three additional minutes to entertain the crowd. The entire audience will then vote to determine the winner.
Although not a stand-up comedian herself Prosapio a member of the Student Programming Board is in charge of planning the event.
“I don’t have any experience in comedy or stage performance but I love funny people she said.
Thompson and Ashley Perrez, the second- and third-place winners from the 2008 contest, will perform after a long hiatus from stand-up comedy. I haven’t done stand-up since the last event Thompson said.
Perrez also said she has not performed a routine since her freshman year at the Last Comic Standing, in which she was the only female competitor. I think my presentation was a relief from all of the male humor she said.
Perrez explained that her friends encouraged her to enter the competition. My sorority sisters Delta Gamma came to support me she said. It was nice because I felt like I was just telling a story to my friends.”
Freshman Hayden Christensen is one new face in this year’s competition. A participant in Songfest and disc jockey for the KWVS radio station Christensen has spent his first year at Pepperdine hunting for opportunities to perform. He described his sense of humor as similar to Dane Cook’s and said he bases his routines on personal stories. Although Christensen has a couple stories in mind he said that his performance “is probably going to end up being more on-the-run than incredibly prepared.”
A special intermission performance will be executed by members of “The Randumb Show Seth Allison, Jeff Loveness and Kyle Helf.
Alex Skinner, the winner of the 2008 Last Comic Standing competition, will return as a celebrity judge along with former Pepperdine Improv Troupe (PIT) member Alec McNayr. The show will also feature Pepperdine alumnus Darnell Brisco as a guest host. Brisco acted as the brains behind the 2008 event when he served as the SPB Arts and Entertainment chair.
Brisco admitted to being partially inspired by NBC’s Last Comic Standing but also by all the humorous people on campus. There are the members of PIT and the Telecomm majors who enjoy comedy but there was no real comedy community at Pepperdine Brisco said. When it didn’t happen last year people remembered the event and missed it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Amid the anticipation some students have expressed dissatisfaction with the organization of the event. “The sign-up date was supposed to end on April 7 and by April 5 the sign ups closed at 15 people junior Wade Hartgrave said. A telecommunications major aiming to enter the world of comedy, Wade thought potential competitors should have been required to audition. The best 15 comedians should perform he said.
Others involved in event, though, said they take a more laid-back approach.
The best attitude is to just have fun Perrez said.