The sixth annual Oberlin Improv Conference took place last weekend. Festivities started Friday for this one-of-a-kind event with registration in Wilder. Students could buy weekend passes that granted them access to a whirlwind of events. Professional improv-ers and teams checked in to perform and run workshops, and the Improv Conference 2006 was under way. Friday started with workshops and was finished up with The Big Show part 1!

Senior Ben Sinclair, who ran the event this year, opened the night with some promising words. “It’s been a lot of work but we’ve got some very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very funny people here tonight!” And with the use of no less than eight “verys,” we were assured the night would be funny. And it was.

The Big Show part 1! opened with a group of Oberlin alums who called themselves The Party. They performed a skit centering on four guys trying to make the rugby team who consequently formed a new sport in place of rugby called drugby. This improvised sport was made so that people who enjoyed both rugby and drugs could do both without suffering the consequences of drug testing.

Next up were two performers, Mark Sutton and Stacy Hallal, who did an improv skit for us called “In Every Life.” This performance was a comedy, tragedy and romance all in one. Up last on Friday night was The Reckoning, a group completely new to the Oberlin Improv Conference, but not new to making people laugh.

Saturday was packed all day with workshops where, with a purchased ticket, anyone could learn to do improv. There were professional- and student- taught workshops; hopefully, Oberlin kids are funnier people because of it.

The Big Show part 2! came Saturday night with the group BassProv performing a skit with two fishermen talking about everyday life and news over beers and fishing. It was wildly entertaining, and the whole hour was laughter-filled.

BassProv informed us that Dr. Phil is a pervert, paying taxes is unnecessary and news should really be called “olds.” But more importantly, their hour of random comedy reminded us that laughter is all you really need to have a good time.

To finish up the conference, “Improv till you’re dead!” ran all the way until 3 a.m., with a midnight performance by the Sunshine Scouts — a satisfying, and exhausting, way to end a weekend of laughter.