For the past four years the improv group Mission iMPROVable has brought top-notch comedy to colleges around the country.Although the Chicago-based group focuses mainly on schools in the Midwest, Saturday night will be the first time the artists will perform at Notre Dame. Mission iMPROVable is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. in DeBartolo 141. The show will be free and open to all students.The fresh-faced young actors of Mission iMPROVable have been called "the Backstreet Boys of Comedy" and the "N'Sync of Improv." However, this group has also been praised for the intelligent, subtle and insightful humor that probably goes farther towards making them popular on the college circuit.Since starting their college tours, the group has not performed regularly in Chicago. This is a change of pace for the members of Mission iMPROVable, who began their career in 1998 as regular performers at Improv Olympic. Improv Olympic, an organization that works with improv comedy much the same way that Second City works with sketch comedy, has helped start the careers of many prestigious performers such as Mike Myers and Tina Faye.The six founders and six new members of Mission iMPROVable now alternate going on tours, sending five members of the group for every performance.Mission iMPROVable is also working on turning their stage show into a television program. Original group member Aaron Krebs is currently living in Los Angeles to work on designing the show, and the group plans to send camera crews to some of their shows to collect live footage. The group is not yet sure when their show will air or which network will air it, but more information will be available on their website at www.missionimprovable.com.Like many improv groups, Mission iMPROVable uses short games and audience participation to keep their shows lively. For an extra twist the performers take on secret agent names for the performance. As with any comedy group, the interaction group dynamic is as important to Mission iMPROVable as the individual performers."It's about all of us setting each other up, so we all come out looking the best," four-year Mission iMPROVable member Sean Monahan said."I think we all just love taking the stage to make people laugh," Monahan said. "Our goal is to have as much fun as possible, because if we are having fun the audience will too."
