It may be four in the morning, but members of Whitman College’s improvisational comedy group Varsity Nordic are pulling an all-nighter for its charitable 24-hour improvisational event, co-sponsored by Delta Gamma.
Members of Varsity Nordic will perform in shifts and each time slot has its own theme.
“[One of] my themes is stand-up comedy and the other is audience participation hour,” said junior Simi Singh, a Varsity Nordic member. “Other people have silly things, like Charlie Sheen. [A theme] gives the performers something to work with during that hour.”
Members of the team look forward to this performance because its gives them the chance to explore improv in new ways.
“Through a combination of sleep-deprivation, the need to fill time, and the desire to have fun, we end up exploring aspects of improv during 24-hour that we don’t normally touch,” said senior member Devin Petersen. “Improvisation is usually a quick thing. It’s a high energy, high stakes, quick-witted performance, but 24-hour forces us to rely on more than this.”
Audience members are also encouraged to get involved with the performances and can do so by donating money, which goes toward the event’s sponsored charities : Blue Mountain Heart to Heart and Service for Sight’s Walla Walla Audible Crosswalk Fund.
“The audience can pay for us to do whatever they want, so if they want a specific type of scene or specific people in a scene or want us doing something weird, like have all the girls play boys or all the boys play girls, they can,” said Singh.
Varsity Nordic supplies the talent, while Delta Gamma is in charge of raising funds, advertising and selling food during the event.
“[Delta Gamma is] getting donations from local businesses to auction off, putting up posters, and selling baked goods at the event,” said sophomore Caroline Carr, a member of Delta Gamma.
Many members of Delta Gamma, including senior Tillie Gottlieb, welcome the opportunity to work with Varsity Nordic.
“We are there, and we sell cookies and manage the flow of the entire event, so for me, [it’s] been something fun to meld the two groups together because I think a lot of the time members of Varsity Nordic are not terribly involved in Greek life,” said Gottlieb. “The fact that we are working with them is a very special thing and speaks to the Whitman campus in general.”
As a longtime Varsity Nordic event-goer, Gottlieb looks forward to the event that has been part of the Whitman tradition for more than 15 years.
“The best part about it is being able to go periodically through the night,” said Gottlieb. “It’s something I encourage [first-years] and people who have never gone to do.”
The event begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 29 and ends at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. It will take place in Olin Hall in room 157 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and in room 130 for the rest of the 24-hour period.
