Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Seriously Bent headed to Chicago

bentseriously

Article By: Ethan Long

Suffolk’s own comedy troupe, Seriously Bent, has defended their title of “East Coast Regional Champions” for the Chicago Improv Festival’s College Improv Tournament. Competing at two different locations around the area, Improv Boston, located in Central Square, and the Improv Asylum, located on Hanover Street in the North End, Seriously Bent was able to defeat teams representing other schools in the region. The competition took place over the course of two days, in which Seriously Bent took on other improv teams from schools such as Yale, NYU, and Penn State. This tournament is one of the biggest events of the year, and Seriously Bent has proven once again that they are ready to take on different challengers in Chicago after the new year.

“I thought that the group did wonderfully, especially with the structure that we just learned about two weeks ago, when we worked with a music director from second city in Chicago,” said Trevor Livingston, a senior member of the group who will be graduating this year. “He came to Boston and we hired him to do a workshop with us. We basically formulated our own songs, did scenes, and ended with the same songs we started with.”

Seriously Bent’s performances usually include scenes in which the members of the group improvise everything that goes on. Music has played a part in performances in the past, but now that the members of Seriously Bent have learned this new structure, music is now able to play a bigger part in the normal routine.

“I thought that the group showed an amazing amount of risk to just jump into [the structure], like all of us, especially the seven of us performing who just learned this structure, and to perform it in a competitive atmosphere was really, really wonderful to see. Everyone performed at the highest level,” said Livingston.

Starting on February 6, the finals for the National Improv Competition will take place in Chicago. This is Seriously Bent’s second time making their way to the finals in the last few years.

“Last year we went and we came in second, which was amazing, but also at the same time, once you get that close you kind of want the whole thing,” said Livingston.  “I’m excited just to head to Chicago again; it’s a beautiful city and a wonderful experience.”

Teams all over the country have been competing in similar regional tournaments, deciding which teams from each region will go on to the finals in Chicago. Teams from the University of Florida, Oberlin College, and the University of Houston have advanced to the finals as well. More teams will be decided this weekend in Seattle, as well as across the country in the following weeks, as tournaments in other regions are still taking place.

“We will represent all of the schools in the Northeast, including the ones we’ve defeated,” said Christian Roberts, a sophomore who joined the team last year, along with fellow sophomore Alec Lawless. “We will hopefully take the number one spot nationally, a bump up from number two, and hold that trophy,” said Roberts.

Seriously Bent continues to attract members of the community to their shows. Their performances not only make the audiences laugh, but enrich the lives of members of the team.

“I would say it’s been the strongest hold I’ve had at Suffolk University. Not that I ever felt like leaving, but once I got into Seriously Bent I definitely never would have left, because it was such a great bonding experience. I’ve met so many friends. It helped me pick a career path in which I want to follow. It just gave me a lot of good experience as I got to travel to Chicago and meet people from all over Boston who work in the profession, so it’s been quite the experience,” said Livingston. “When I first entered the group, it had never traveled outside of Boston. Over the course of four years we’ve traveled to Chicago, done more charity shows, and done more shows outside of the school.”

Seriously Bent has performed at the Improv Asylum as well as other venues in the past, escaping the campus and getting their name out there.

“We were contacted this summer about sending a portfolio to MTV because they wanted to see some of our stuff. Just in the four years I’ve been here, it’s grown. Hopefully in the next four years, who knows, maybe Seriously Bent will be traveling out to LA or who knows where,” said Livingston, who has been looking forward to continuing performing improv once he leaves Suffolk. “I would like to perform at the Improv Asylum here in Boston and then hopefully one day strike it up big, maybe in Chicago, LA, or New York.”

As students graduate, they leave the team; it affects the way the group works together. “Last year, actually, I didn’t even think about it while rehearsing,” said Lawless. “The team changes every single year because you know, the seniors, they’re the top dogs.”

In order to keep the number of members about the same size each year, Seriously Bent conducts auditions every fall semester. “The audition process for Seriously Bent this year was different from past years, because there were just so many people, around 30, that auditioned,” said Roberts. “There were definitely a lot of good kids, but there were only four spots for new people.” The members met for hours to discuss and decide on who the new members were, taking into account what kinds of qualities and strengths they thought were missing in the group.

“Age came into factor, skill came into factor,” added Lawless, whose favorite part of performing has been the fact that as fun as improv can seem, it’s still considered a serious type of performance.

“Whether it is a dorm show, or up on the stage making people laugh, it’s fun,” said Roberts.

Seriously Bent continues performing around Suffolk’s campus with a show next Tuesday, November 24, at 8 p.m. in the Donahue cafeteria.

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Seriously Bent headed to Chicago