For some students at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), college is about finding their community. For others, it’s about finding the perfect punchline.   

On campus, student groups Chaos Improv and Hello, My Name Is… Sketch Comedy (HMNI) offers both – a space to experiment, to fail spectacularly and to turn quick thinking into connection.   

Over the past 25 years, comedy has quietly become one of UNC’s most vibrant performing arts scenes, and Chaos and HMNI are doing more than just making audiences laugh; these groups are building a powerful creative legacy on campus.  

Every Sunday night, the two groups alternate performances in Frasier 249 with the goal of bringing together the campus community through laughter. Both groups are audition-based, accepting only two to four new members each academic year, out of around 50 who audition for each.  

The STAD Collective, the student group overseeing all other groups within the School of Theatre Arts and Dance, currently supports eight student organizations on campus, including Chaos and HMNI. However, students from Chaos and HMNI both feel that their groups offer something totally unique, even compared to other organizations in the STAD Collective. 

“Our advisor, Brian McManus, says that improv is the most stupid thing you'll ever do in your life. And I totally agree with that,” said Martin. “It doesn't really have a point, except that it's fun to do and it's fun to watch. Meanwhile, a lot of our other student groups in STAD focus on producing and creating stories that really mean something; not that improv doesn't mean something. But it's a release. It's very cathartic, and even so for our audiences as well, because it's something where you can just shut your brain off and have some fun.” 

For HMNI Co-President Ava Bockhouse, the performances provide one of her only opportunities to connect with her passion for the arts while she studies English Secondary Education at UNC.  

“Prior to joining HMNI, I had no experience directing anything,” Bockhouse said. “I had no experience writing; I only acted. But through HMNI, I've been able to develop those skills in a way that I otherwise never would have as an English major.”  

As “sister troupes,” Chaos and HMNI pride themselves on being each other’s biggest fans.  

“We care about the same things,” said Riley, “We care about having fun on Sundays with everyone. Everyone who's on Chaos just adores improv, and everyone who's on HMNI adores sketch comedy. That's really what it's about: doing something that we love, and it's so lovely to have a companion in that.”  

For those who haven’t yet had the opportunity to attend a Sunday Night Comedy show, HMNI starts off with an introduction of members.

“It will be some kind of a parody or something crazy that gets the audience familiar with who we are,” said Bockhouse. “Then, we have four live sketches and two video sketches, generally.”  

“Walking into a Chaos show, you can expect about an hour of us making up a story on the spot,” Riley (Chaos) explained. “And hopefully it's entertaining.”

Both Chaos and HMNI rehearse an average of six hours each week, in addition to a two-hour rehearsal prior to each show. Auditions are held each fall semester, and Riley hopes even those new to performing arts will give it a try if they think they’d enjoy it.  

“[Auditions are] very chill, no experience needed,” she assured. “We teach you the games in the room and, hopefully, it's a fun time. I know auditions are stressful, but it's just a day of improv, and who knows? I'd never done improv before auditioning, and I fell in love with it, so I certainly recommend coming to auditions, even if you don't know if you’d like it.”  

Beyond the Stage  

Although Sunday night performances are the face of both comedy groups on campus, the impacts of being a part of Chaos and HMNI are sure to be felt long after graduation.  

And for the presidents of Chaos, both of whom are graduating seniors from UNC’s Musical Theatre program, Riley explained that being a member of Chaos for the past three years has given her a space to be silly while also instilling self-confidence in the way that only improvisation can.  

“You get out there, and you truly just have to trust that your brain will take care of you, and you'll be able to tell the story you need to tell,” Riley noted.  

For Martin, improv has changed how she views performing entirely. She recounted entering college as an actress who experienced severe stage fright but found the confidence to have fun making big choices through Chaos.   

“It’s a very stressful thing to put yourself out there,” Martin said. “But Chaos has made it so much easier to just be who I am.”  

Within both Chaos and HMNI, comedy at UNC has been an experience of performance and discovery. Members learn what it means to trust each other, to take risks and to find joy in the unpredictable. In the end, it’s the laughter they’ve shared, not just the jokes they’ve written, that will define their time here.   

---

For more information on performances, workshops, auditions and more for both Chaos and Hello, My Name Is… check out their Instagram pages:  

• Chaos Improv  
• Hello, My Name Is... Sketch Comedy  

Make sure to support the final joint performance Sunday Night Comedy show of the semester as well, on Dec.7, at 7:30 p.m., in Frasier 249.