Upright Citizens Brigade is performing tonight at UNC

The spontaneity of improvisational comedy can leave a room buzzing with laughter and energy.

The nationally acclaimed Upright Citizens Brigade will bring that buzz to UNC tonight.

For the third year, the Carolina Union Activities Board is hosting the company, which was created by former “Saturday Night Live” star Amy Poehler and three others.

CUAB comedy events like this have been some of the best attended. More than 450 people showed up for the comedy show in the spring that featured “Saturday Night Live” writers and performers, as well as comedy music group Axis of Awesome.

About 300 people attended last year’s Upright Citizens Brigade performance.

Vinny Tagliatela, chairman of CUAB’s comedy committee, said having student comedians who know about the current comedy scene helps to bring such reputable groups to UNC.

“It’s in a very large part due to the enthusiasm of comedians here on campus,” Tagliatela said. “Whether it’s standup or improv or sketch, I think that comedians here strive to be visible.”

Carter Edwards, director of the UCB Touring Company, said UCB is arguably one of the largest and most prestigious comedic communities in the country.

With two theaters in New York, one theater in Los Angeles and large training schools in both cities, UCB performs and teaches long-form improv and sketch comedy.

Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh transformed their Comedy Central show to create the UCB theaters and schools in the late 1990s.

Some of the leading comedy writers for shows like “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live” came through the UCB Theater.

“The absence of a safety net is what people find intriguing and striking,” Edwards said.

“You realize very quickly that these guys are just doing this, they have no idea what’s going to come next and anything that comes they’re just going to react to it and then they’re going to build on it. There’s no one to save them except for each other.”

Brandon Gardner, who has been performing with the UCB for five years and will be performing tonight, said he likes the immediacy of improvising and the idea that it always leads somewhere new.

“The UCB has this motto — ‘Don’t think,’” he said. “The trick is to focus a lot on the person you’re playing with and the goal of the scene.”

Many UNC alumni have joined a UCB Theater or formed nationally renowned improv groups after graduating, Tagliatela said.

Charlie Todd founded New York-based Improv Everywhere in 2001 after graduating from UNC. He has also been with the UCB Theater in New York for 10 years.

“It’s always fun to make something out of nothing,” he said. “Because there are no costumes, sets or budgets, it’s always fueled by imagination and there are no limits.”

Edwards said the best way to get involved with UCB is to see the shows and take the classes.

“It’s a really large theater, but it’s a really tight-knit community of people who are coming up together, who are learning the ropes, getting jobs,” he said.

“With comedy, with any art, it’s all about persistence.”

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.