The transition from 21-and-older venues to an alternative nightspot proved successful for Second Floor Stand-Up, Penn State's only stand-up comedian club.
The group usually performs at downtown bars, seeing audiences of five to 50 people. But the crowd in Paul Robeson Cultural Center's Heritage Hall on Friday exceeded expectations -- more than 200 people attended the performance, club president Brandon Scott Wolf (junior-journalism) said.
"We had almost every seat filled. People were sitting on the side rail," Wolf said.
Wolf expressed hope that the audience for future events grows even larger. The goal for their final performance in Schwab Auditorium is 300 people.
"We want to bring in more talent, because we're looking to perform in front of even larger crowds," he said. "As the comedians get better, the crowds get better."
Wolf emceed the event. Halfway through the show, without saying a word, he sat on the stool and ate a slice of pepperoni pizza. The audience paused in their laughter temporarily before starting a slow clap.
"Did you remember the hand sanitizer?" Matt Klein (senior-film) asked dramatically as part of his swine flu movie trailer.
Catering to a college audience, the Second Floor Stand-Up comedians joked about the concerns of their peers, such as swine flu and majors.
"They say that students now are majoring in things that haven't even started yet. That's how advanced technology is," Jason Ho (junior-graphic design) said. "I'm majoring in world peace and minoring in my parents' rekindled relationship."
The night ended with Mark Celeste (senior-English) singing and playing his guitar. He opened with a song about Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, in which the bouncy animal became very depressed for being the only Tigger. A cover of "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's became "Hey There Vagina" as he filled in words he felt conveyed the same emotions.
The comedians were well received after the show. Many of the audience members stayed after the conclusion to talk about how the performance went and to congratulate them.
"They were really funny. I've been to a bunch of shows. They just keep getting better," Rebecca Eisenberg (senior-film) said. "Tonight was long, but it was continuously entertaining."
Second Floor Stand-Up will perform in Carnegie Cinema, 113 Carnegie Building, Nov. 4 from 10 p.m. to midnight. Anyone who wants to be updated on upcoming performances should join the Facebook fan page.
Last semester Wolf started performing jokes with a few friends in his second floor apartment. The group moved from the dorms to downtown when the crowds became too big.
"Some of these people have never performed comedy before. They only had two months to practice," Wolf said. "It was positive energy. It was a great, amazing time. It was mind-bogglingly awesome."
