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Comedy is hard, and improv students wouldn't have it any other way

Two improv comedy students intent on making a difference get a break from their more serious work by learning to make people laugh at the Improv Shop in The Grove neighborhood.

There’s nothing funny about domestic violence or mass incarceration. But two improv comedy students intent on making a difference get a break from their more serious work by learning to make people laugh at the Improv Shop in The Grove neighborhood.

“Let’s give Kylee and Emily a suggestion,” said improv instructor John Langen.

“Sandals!” someone yelled. Improv comedy student Kylee Mattoon suddenly becomes a child afraid of putting her feet into water where fish are swimming.

Mattoon is a first semester law student at Washington University. Pretty stressful, right? “After a few years of working as a domestic violence advocate, this is actually a lot less stress than that,” said Mattoon.

Mattoon appears to have mastered the art of time management, making time for rigorous law studies and her passion for comedy.

“I’m doing a show every Saturday at 10:15, a sketch show. We have practice for that twice a week,” said Mattoon. “I’m on an independent all woman team called Jane Doe. I have practice for that once a week. It helps me decompress. I have always used comedy as a way of processing and a coping mechanism. It’s been really helpful for that.”

Kennard Williams is a community activist with MORE, Missouri Organizing for Reform and Empowerment. “We’re a social justice organization. The program that I do focuses on ending mass incarceration.”

Why improv comedy?

“It was a good switch up from every day work,” said Williams. “You become a team. You work as one unit and learn how to put on shows, make people laugh.”

Langen has been an improv instructor for six years. He says improving communication is a common reason students turn to comedy.

“There’s a skill they want to develop for their career, whether it’s public speaking or just speaking at all, and being comfortable with themselves.”

After a year of improv classes, Mattoon and Williams plan to continue learning the craft of comedy, two people serious about being funny.

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