For those who are looking for a form of self-expression, community, or just for fun, a student-led and operated improv troupe on campus at Wichita State may be for you.
“I would encourage anybody who’s interested in improv, Off the Cuff is the place in the university to get involved, even just to watch the shows or get to know any of it,” Trevor Andreasen, a senior who serves as the troupe’s showrunner said. “People look for ways to decompress, to let some steam off and improv is just a great avenue for that.”
“Off the Cuff Improv” is a student-run improv troupe which lives inside the Wichita State University School of Performing Arts. The troupe was founded by seven members in the spring of 2024 under the original name of “Audience Choice Improv.”
Originally named “Audience Choice Improv”, the name “Off the Cuff” came a semester after the troupe’s founding, in the fall of 2024. The name came from a running joke that founder and showrunner Ian Moore and current showrunner Trevor Andreasen could never name anything. Eventually during an improv game at rehearsal, the name sprung up and it stuck.
And with the approval from other troupe members, “Off the Cuff” stuck around for its organic creation. “It came out of a moment in rehearsal, so I felt way more attached to the new name because of that.”
The troupe is now entering its third year, and fourth semester with seven members. “Off the Cuff” is a project under the Empty Space Theatre at Wichita State.
The troupe focuses on hosting rehearsals which are open to the public and go over improv exercises, games and activities that prepare the troupe for shows. The troupe also wants to increase the number of shows it hosts for the public.
“This year I would like to up how many shows we’re doing … we’re doing one in the fall but I’d like to do three in the spring,” Andreasen said.
With more shows the troupe is looking forward to having “more people to have scenes with and get their input on, because it’s very audience-interactive and I’m really excited,” co-showrunner Pashence Adkins said.
For Adkins, entering the troupe was about developing herself as an actor.
“It’s a great exercise, improv, in general for figuring out your character’s intentions and building upon that,” Adkins said. “I’ve seen it help me figure out the intentions of characters anyways because when we’re going through scenes or I’m building a character on the spot, we go over the where, what, why, who are you and all of that really kind of helps me figure out my acting process and what I’m doing.”
But for many troupe members the community that improv provides is a standout.
“We get up, we do whatever, we have fun and that’s just the best part,” Carreno said. “It’s been great to get to know people in the troupe a bit more and get to hang out with them more. It’s just a fun time.”
As showrunner, Andreasen leads weekly rehearsals and acts as a coach for many of the improv exercises and games. He is also preparing to leave the troupe in capable hands by training Adkins and Colton Farmer, who serves as co-showrunner alongside Adkins. Teaching the pair how to lead games, exercises, go through scenes and refine their technique to get the troupe in good position for their shows, is something he does.
“I’d never been in (an improv troupe), so I wanted to do that and instead of going out for a troupe, Ian and I wanted to create opportunities for people in our school to do that as well,” Andreasen said. “I think community is a huge focus and definitely was a focus between Ian and I when we first were thinking about starting the troop. And it’s just good fun.”
Despite most of the cast being Performing Arts majors, Andreasen and the troupe welcome all students to give improv a try.
“Absolutely I encourage people who are in any department or school or college in the university to come to rehearsals if they want, to try out for the troupe in the future. It’s not a closed space, rehearsals are open,” Andreasen said. “The majority of rehearsals already this semester, we’ve had guests, who aren’t in the troupe showing up.”
Founding troupe members and seniors, Andreasen and Moore plan to leave something strong behind them. With their work in the troupe being focused on longevity and building up their younger troupe members.
Andreasen is also working on creating a constitution or set of guidelines for “outlining the function of the troupe” Andreasen said. He is working with real improv professionals in Wichita to come and share their own knowledge with the troupe. All in hopes of having it so that the troupe can stand on its own and function without Andreasen.
The decision to have two co-showrunners was intentional; “Because I started out with a partner, I’m thinking, trying to set a precedent of having people work together to run the improv troupe will also increase its longevity instead of just having one person constantly in charge, having multiple people and having it be a little more democratic, so that’s kind of my goal,.” Andreasen said. “I would come by and visit a lot if that happens. I just want the troupe to remain a place where people can have fun, let loose, be creative, get to know each other, that’s the big thing.”
“It’s such a beautiful place to connect with people, because that’s what improv is. You have to trust the person you’re doing it with and you have to know each other on some level,” Moore said. “I need to know who you are and just talk to you and that absolutely builds up a community and I think our bonds have deepened because of that.”
The troupe has plans for its fall show to be on Sunday, Nov. 23rd hosted by the Welsbacher black box theater, on 29th and Oliver. All official details will be released on Empty Space’s official instagram.
