On Saturday, Staff Writer Henry Golub made his way up two staircases, a ramp, and another staircase to see Third Wheel Improv perform in Lerner. They were even funnier than last time.

Not this.

In my last review, I recommended that you all see Third Wheel perform for yourselves. I’m glad I did, because last night exceeded my expectations.

The troupe returned in full swing. New skits kept the show as lively as last time, and once again, the troupe leaders nipped stale jokes in the bud. Everyone’s stage presence, voice impressions, and jokes had the audience laughing straight through the hour.

The troupe guided the humor using three open-ended skits centered on theme suggestions from the audience. My favorites were a slam poetry round based on “industrialism” and a long-form bit about “turbulence” that morphed into a satire about the unsavory actors, executives, “juris doctors,” and visitors roaming around Disney World.

I’ve learned that he’s not actually smiling under that thing.

Each member of the troupe performed well and contributed to the show. Some standouts include first-year Harris Solomon, whose debut last night exhibited a noteworthy versatility in voice impressions (his Lindsay Graham impression was particularly funny); co-leader Jacob Kaplan, whose acting and wit stood out among the talented group; and a junior/senior in a Gloria Steinem halloween costume (whose name I didn’t catch), who kept a joke about being a copyright lawyer funny for longer than most good jokes last.

As someone who has seen both funny and terrible improv, I can assure you that Third Wheel is worth seeing. Fortunately, you can watch them perform alongside Columbia’s other improv troupes and troupes from other schools in two weeks at the third annual Spare Tires Improv Festival. You can also keep up with the group’s events at its Facebook page.

Two Wheels via Pixabay

Mr. M. Mouse via Max Pixel