Improv and comedy students get the spotlight in upcoming Student Showcase

Regev Nystrom, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

EAU CLAIRE — At the upcoming Student Showcase, the next big name in comedy in the Chippewa Valley may be getting their start.

Oh Claire Improv, the comedy and improv school and theater that opened its doors in late 2023, will be presenting its Student Showcases this weekend, made up of people who have completed Oh Claire’s stand-up and improv classes. Those who complete either of those courses at either level will show their skills in front of a live audience.

Alyssa Rivera, the co-owner and a teacher at Oh Claire, said that two classes help those who are are trying to get more comfortable and experienced on stage without the fear of immediately being in front of an audience, Rivera explained.

“There’s so many different skills that go into making a good improviser, like listening, collaboration or communication skills. I would say that those are the fundamentals that we teach, starting out,” she said. “And then for stand up, I would say it’s stage presence, getting comfortable on stage, and confidence.”

Rivera said that one of the more rewarding things for her has been “being able to already hire some of those students to open for some of our shows. So to be able to watch them go from having never really done it before, to gaining that confidence, and then us officially making them a paid comedian is, very gratifying and very awesome to watch.

“It’s fun to watch them go through that journey.”

And for these new comedians, that journey starts with their first showcase in front of a live audience.

Friday’s performance will begin with short sets from Oh Claire’s Level 1 stand-up classes: Kerri Kiernan, Matthew Kruszka, Melissa Scarseth, Miah Walley, Nicole Lincoln, Steven Ewig and Timothy Roe. Following that, the level 2 improv class performers will do an improv set. Those performers will be Erin Swanson, Andrew Hofer, Chase Anderson, Cherish Nelson, Joel Forke and Lisa Moore.

Saturday’s showcase starts with performers from the level 2 stand-up class: Ami Christensen, Emily Anderson, Jeremy Hardy, Keith Wojciechowski, Kelley Reierson, Kirk Anderson, Matt Pabich, Ramiro Vazquez and Shanon Lehrke. This is followed by level 2’s improv class doing an improv set: Adam Flogel, Brett Bullock, Lorna Halverson, Mikayla Halverson, Nick Hughes, Margaret Davies, and Suzy Murty.

These showcases will take place this Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Oh Claire Improv, 515 Wisconsin St. in Eau Claire. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets will cost $5 plus fees, and tickets can be purchased online from volumeonetickets.org.