LBK Now

While scientists are trying to utilize alternative fuels to reduce pollution and conserve energy, Alternative Fuels comedy troupe is finding different ways to make people laugh. That’s what the Texas Tech comedy troupe is all about. A group of twelve students love to make people laugh, and they do it with witty improv.

When I sat down to talk to this energetic bunch, they told me that the best part about the whole thing for them was making the audience feel uncomfortable. David Woodward, a Texas Tech Advertising major, further explained that, “we put people out of their element and try and make them laugh.” The troupe is full of diversity and diverse types of humor. All of their improv is on the spot and requires audience participation. A series of clever games is the usual format, and they are hoping to slowly move more in the direction of sketch comedy in the near future.

In the fall, they perform on TTU campus as part of their Fall Campus Comedy Tour and in the spring, they venture to bars and coffee shops to show off more of their chuckle skills. Legend has it that the name Alternative Fuels was completely random, as one of the former troupe members saw a sign with nothing but that name on it while traveling on I-20. They decided at that moment to call themselves a random, but very fitting name.

Just as alternative fuels is a cleaner way to approach transportation, Alternative Fuels works best when the content is clean. They mentioned that they don’t rely on cheap jokes to get by and sometimes audience suggestions are hard to accommodate without going too far. Drunken volunteers can be a bad thing, but for the most part, it helps to draw the crowd in and increases the fun. It has to be exciting to be in this group, where your hobby is making people laugh and excuses for not showing up to rehearsals are as easy as telling someone you have some shopping to do that day.

I asked them how they deal with personal stuff and still deliver good performances at their shows. They told me they used to do something called “airing grievances”, but had to stop because people were wasting large amounts of valuable rehearsal time to discuss what was bothering them. They have just three performances left this semester. Their next show will be this Wednesday, inside Horn Knapp Lobby at Texas Tech, starting at 8:00 PM. They will also be performing October 29th at Chitwood Weymouth and November 5^th at the Escondido Theater. For more information about Alternative Fuels visit their website.