Dylan Olive
This Fall, Studio Box has continued performing live shows, following restrictions at the beginning of spring due to COVID-19.
Last spring was Studio Box’s first time back with in-person performances since the start of COVID-19, but in order to maintain safety standards amidst the pandemic, Studio Box events were held outside. This year, the club is back at performing and practicing inside.
Studio Box is Florida Southern College’s on-campus improvisation group. Shows are twice a month on Friday nights in Branscomb Auditorium, and shows typically have a theme for audiences to participate in. The team is made up of current FSC students, and they perform throughout the school year, at Scholars Weekends and other on-campus events.
“Studio Box performances this year are wildly different from the past few years because we’re slowly returning to pre-covid conditions,” member Rory Tracy said.
The team still has to be cautious while performing because of COVID-19 precautions.
“We have to be more cautious of how close we are to each other and how much we can interact with the audience. This year is all about getting people back into our audiences,” member Abby Almond said.
Studio Box plays a variety of games including short-form improv games: Film Noir, Party Quirks, Last Line, Cellphones and Studio Box, the game from which they are named after.
“We play guessing games, witty one-liner games, and games that could last 15 minutes,” Almond said. “We try to keep it versatile because every boxer has different strengths and every audience member has a different perspective on what is funny.”
Almond went on to say her favorite game is Film Noir, “It’s a game where two boxers pretend they’re outrageous characters in the ’20s and they can step out to make asides to the audience. It’s heavily based on one-liners.”
The first show of the year was on Sept. 3, the show being 80’s themed. The second show was “career day” on Sept. 17, and Oct. 8 was Rory’s 21st Birthday Party. Most recently was the “Spookio Box Show” on Oct. 29 where audience members were able to dress up in costumes.
President of Studio Box Stephanie Berger said that a typical audience consists of 250 students.
“They’re very fun! It’s a great place to laugh off the stress of the week and just enjoy yourself with friends,” audience member Delaney Thurston said.
Another audience member said “I feel like [the shows] were funny for the most part. Some of it is inappropriate but we’re kids, what do you expect.”
When asked about their experience in Studio Box, members had nothing but positive things to say.
“I know it’s cliche but we really treat each other like a family. We make sure to hear everyone’s opinions on how shows and games go regardless of seniority,” Almond said.
“I immediately felt at home and supported because we all had the same love of making others laugh,” Tracy said.
“So far, being in Studio Box has been my favorite experience on campus at Florida Southern,” new boxer Lilly Brewster said. “It is so special to be able to meet up with friends twice a week just to laugh.”
“Studio Box is special because it is a group made up of very different people, majoring in anything from theatre to accounting, but despite these differences, we all share a love of making others laugh.”
Auditions for Studio Box are once a year in the Fall, but President Stephanie Berger says they are holding additional auditions in the Spring as well, and encourages everyone to come out and audition!
The next Studio Box show is Friday Nov. 19 in Branscomb Auditorium.
