Mission IMPROVable Performs for SAC’s New Event, Comedy Murder Mystery Night

Concordia students and Mission IMPROVable members interact in SAC’s new event, Comedy Murder Mystery. Photo by Adam Christiansen.

by Benjamin Middendorf

The Student Activities Council hosted a night of suspicion, sleuthing and spontaneity at the Comedy Murder Mystery show on Friday, Nov. 11, performed by Adam Higgins and Caleb George, members of the California-based group Mission IMPROVable.

As students entered the Cattle Conference room, they received name tags with code names and three mobster families, such as “Pride Akira,” “Chilla O’Ryan” or “Panther Ƶuböv.” Once inside, they began asking other students icebreaker questions to determine who seemed suspicious or untrustworthy.

Higgins and George then led the group through several improvisational games, encouraging them to get into the role of the member of a mobster present at a banquet hosted by Bruiser, the Bulldog mascot.

“I think it was just fun to watch fellow students act just right on the spot,” senior Angie Steinbacher said. “I’m always really impressed when people can do that, because I can’t.”

Higgins and George turned the tables when they revealed Bruiser had been murdered that very night and began soliciting accusations from the assembled students. Charges against fellow students ranged from catnapping to espionage, but eventually the three crime families divided into groups to create the true story of the night’s events.

The members of Akira related that a lamp had murdered Bruiser, through the use of “Mega Love.” Higgins, George and members of the audience created a reenactment of the crime, and the night ended with the apprehension of the culprit.

“(My favorite part was) seeing a lot of people that maybe I wouldn’t have seen in the improv group or the drama group getting out there, coming out of their comfort zone, and doing something fun,” junior Marcel Hallaert said.[Text Wrapping Break]Mission IMPROVable has presented Comedy Murder Mystery at colleges, schools and events across the country.

“Me and my buddy Pat (Kiely) created this show back in 2013 just as a way we wanted to get to play around with students more and do something that’s really fun,” Higgins said. “We started out and we were doing about 15 or so a year, and now I think we did 37 this year. It’s gotten bigger and bigger.”

“I love the fact that I think people unknowingly are doing improv, the way that the show is disguised as a show, and then suddenly people are up on stage,” George said. “We’re kind of giving the power over to these people that didn’t intend to be on stage, and now here they are, and they’re being goofy, and they’re being silly. I think that that’s an awesome empowerment thing that comes unbeknownst to them.”