About the Group:

About Us:

Obviously Unrehearsed Improv! (OUI!), Oklahoma's premiere comedy troupe, specializes in short-form, long-form, and musical improv. We perform across the state at colleges, festivals, art happenings, and private events entertaining hundreds each year. In addition, OUI! also teaches workshops in conjunction with public schools, library systems, and other academic institutions.

The troupe's core players come from a diverse background and represent a wide variety of academic and professional disciplines. We currently count among our ranks majors and/or graduates in Adult and Higher Education, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Drama, Film and Video Studies, German, History, International and Area Studies, Law, Linguistics, Math, Microbiology, Fine Arts, Nursing, Physics, and Political Science.

Our Mission:

mprov is a fun and challenging art form that encourages creativity, imagination, and in-the-moment problem solving. It builds confidence and improves group dynamics by fostering an atmosphere of cooperation, support, and complete trust. And most importantly, IT'S FUN!!!

Our primary mission is to promote the art of improvisation in central Oklahoma. We do that by not only performing in front of audiences throughout the year but by teaching the skills necessary to bring improv into your life and your community.

When We Perform:

During a regular semester, OUI! usually performs once a month, always on a Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. Performances last approximately two hours and include a 10-minute intermission. Admission to most performances is $5.00. Audience participation is encouraged! We also perform at a variety of other private and public events throughout the year. Check our calendar for more information.

For regular E-Mail updates regarding upcoming shows, join our listserv.

More About Us: A Brief History

Over six years ago, a group of friends, all recently relocated to Norman, found themselves with time to kill and in need of a challenge, not to mention a good time. They found inspiration with the popular BBC and ABC versions of the show Whose Line Is It, Anyway? The show features four comedians participating in a series of improvised comedic scenarios utilizing audience suggestions. The group of friends, composed of Curt Coy, Chris Curtis, Marcy Fleming, Nick Tyra, Clint and Buck Vrazel, and Eric Webb, took many of the games and forms from the series and, in adapting them, created a "home game" version that, after a few trial runs, quickly became the center of monthly Improv parties that would bring in upwards of 50 people, forcing the festivities out of a one bedroom apartment and into the apartment complex clubhouse across the street.

The majority of the friends soon found themselves enrolled at OU, and in 2001 took the first step toward creating a fully functional professional Improv comedy troupe by establishing O.U. Improv! as an official student organization at the University of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Memorial Union became the troupe's new home, where we been performing on a regular basis ever since.

O.U. Improv! became Obviously Unrehearsed Improv! in 2004 and our popularity and notoriety continue to grow with every show, as positive word of mouth builds and more people come to appreciate the skill involved in this art form, not to mention the joy of original, organic, and affordable live entertainment.

Accomplishments:

Over the years we have participated in a number of memorable events. Here are some highlights:

In 2003, we produced a children's theater workshop in conjunction with the Norman Community Theater. In 2004 and 2006 we led a series of team-building workshops in conjunction with National Society of Collegiate Scholars. In 2004 we were featured in The Wall Street Journal for our one-of-kind election night watch party and variety show, Vote '04 Laughs. Since 2004, we have served twice in the capacity as headliners at the OU Habitat for Humanity's Annual Shack-a-thon and have volunteered laughs for 3 years in a row at the annual Relay for Life. In 2005 OUI! was voted one of the top 5 theatrical troupes in the Oklahoma Gazette's Best of OKC reader's poll. That same year we led a series of workshops for the Pioneer Library System in conjunction with their summer reading program, "Laugh Out Loud." In 2006 we received an audience choice award for Best Performance Troupe at last year's Momentum Art Show. Also last year, OUI! had the honor of performing in the Implosion Improv Festival, part of the prestigious Chicago Improv Festival.