Saturday night, on a relatively bare stage at the Harold Prince Theater, sat the two classic staples of stand-up comedy: a mic stand and a wooden stool. The no-frills set of Simply Chaos's spring show, "Non-Prophet Com-ics," reflects the philosophy of Penn's only stand-up comedy group: a commitment to honing its craft. Simply Chaos offers young comics "a relatively risk-free way to do stand-up comedy," reflects sophomore Collin Beck. "We're getting a lot of the trial-and-error experience out of the way without having to live out of a box and [do] open mics in New York."
And judging by the crowd in attendance, Penn students are starting to take notice. The group, founded only four years ago, is drawing increasing crowds; this year's spring and fall shows have each sold over 150 tickets. "We're definitely on the upswing," says president Jason Schneider.
In between their major performances, the comics appear at small events around campus as well as at the nearby Helium Comedy Club, where a few members test their material each week at its Tuesday night open mics.
Keeping fresh can be a challenge. "Material has to be continually revamped," says freshman Alex Livingston. "Jokes have a short shelf-life." At their weekly meetings, the comics workshop material to help jokes reach their potential. "Sometimes you might just come in with a premise and others help you write," says freshman Alberto Sevilla-Sacasa.
The comics come from a broad range of backgrounds and levels of experience. One of the most seasoned comedians, Schneider described his introduction to the stand-up scene. "When I was 15, I went into a comedy club and I just begged the guy to put me up," he explained. After hearing about Simply Chaos, he figured, "I might as well try it again." Schneider has since gone on to open for comic mainstays such as Damon Wayans and Tracy Morgan in New York; at Penn, he often hosts shows at Helium.
Onstage, the comics maintained the right balance of Penn-related material to grab the attention of the crowd, touching on everything from sorority girls to SEPTA trading cards. But they weren't without their fair share of pop-culture jabs. A reference to George Washington Carver as a 19th century version of Forrest Gump's Bubba scored especially well, marrying, as good comedy does, wit and a penchant for the off-color. As the show's title attests, Simply Chaos certainly doesn't pull its punches.
Some comics will perform again tonight at the Witness Week Coffeehouse at Harrison College House (7-9 p.m.) and the Unite For Sight benefit in Houston Hall (8-10 p.m.).
