COURTESY ANDREA DRUMMOND
Laff Co., pictured above, will perform their improvisational comedy set tonight at the Powerhouse in Oxford.
Calling all comedy buffs of Oxford: Tonight at the Powerhouse, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is hosting Laff Co., an award-winning Oxford-based improvisational comedy troupe. Given the nature of improv comedy, every single show the troupe performs is absolutely fresh.
“I can’t really tell you what to expect since it is different every time you see it, but it is a great show,” said Stacey Sanford, outreach and education coordinator for the arts council.
The group, directed by Bruce Butler, offers a unique comedy experience.
“Our show is a mix of sketches, improvisational games and stand-up comedy,” Butler said. “We really try to make it immersive for our audience.”
The show takes the audience on a ride led by some of the best comedic talent in Oxford. Members of the troupe include Butler, Dillon Courson, Carolyn Free, Brian Spurlock, Joseph Stinchcomb and Jayson Wirth.
Spurlock, senior chemistry major at The University of Mississippi, said the show “starts with high-energy, audience-driven games, gets more cerebral towards the middle and ends with heavy audience participation. We really pride ourselves on getting the audience involved.”
Spurlock, who is studying to be a medical researcher, will leave Laff Co. in May when he graduates.
He said he believes the chemistry of the group is what makes the performances so special.
“My favorite part is when every one on stage is on the same page, when everything just clicks,” he said.
Local stand-up comedian Sam Lyons will also be featured in tonight’s performance. While Lyons is not formally affiliated with Laff Co., he is familiar with the work of Butler and company. He got his stand-up start at the comedy open mic night directed by Butler, formerly held at the Blind Pig Pub and currently held at Proud Larry’s.
When asked to describe his comedic style, Lyons said, “Desperate. I don’t know. I guess it’s observational. I try hard to keep it fairly clean. I want it to be something that my parents could listen to.”
Lyon’s has long wanted to work with Laff Co. because of his relationship with Butler, but with the constrictions of school, life and other auditions, this is the first time he’ll be able to join a performance.
Laff Co., now in its 10th year, has received a fair share of accolades for its comedic talent. Last year, it was added to the Mississippi Arts Commission’s artist roster, a veritable “who’s who” of talent in the state of Mississippi. Laff Co. is the only improv comedy group on the artist roster.
The troupe was also recently featured on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s “Mississippi Arts Hour.”
Butler hopes that through the success of Laff Co. and other local comedians, Oxford will develop and maintain a viable comedy scene.
“I’m hoping to help make Oxford a hub of comedy,” he said. “I want people to know that you don’t have to go to New York or L.A. to see great comedy.”
