For fans of improv at Lafayette College, Thunderground is ready to say “yes, and” to a new beginning on campus.
“This is a space where you can just be yourself and enjoy everything that’s going on,” said Adam Fox ’27, the sitting president of Theater Underground, more commonly known as Thunderground.
The club is a revival of Lafayette’s improv — a type of improvised comedy theater — group, which shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clare Socolow ’27, a member of the club, said that Thunderground meetings begin by playing around with acronyms for Thunderground before the club transitions into a warm-up game, like Zip Zap Zop. Club members continue with improv and improv games.
Socolow joined the improv club due to her interest in comedy and a friend’s invitation.
“It’s a frame of mind,” she said about improv.
“If someone says something in a scene, you can’t just ignore it because it’s not where you wanted to go,” Socolow continued. “You have to incorporate it. Build off.”
The club welcomes students from a wide variety of experience levels.
“I’ve done improv before, but we have people who are totally new, never done it before, just showed up and stuck with it,” Fox said. “I think it just adds something that you can look forward to every week.”
Fox said that about 10 people show up on a weekly basis and that Thunderground would be happy to welcome a larger group.
“It was a very welcoming community,” Gareth Schuster ’27, another member, said of his first impressions of the club. He first joined Thunderground in his freshman year.
“Every time I come back, it’s always just a fun experience,” he said.
Meetings are on Fridays after classes. Many of the club members say they have bonded with others in the club.
“You’re worried about embarrassing yourself, but there, once you get more used to it, you realize that all these people are like-minded if everything’s embarrassing,” Schuster said. “By becoming more comfortable, you make funnier moments.”
“When I’m leaving, I’m always in a better mood and I’m always laughing,” Socolow echoed.
Ian Brown ’24 and Cormac Hurley ’24 revived Thunderground in the spring of 2024. Along with co-president Leonardo Ontiveros ’26, they set out to create a format for the club that promoted a friendly and inviting environment. After Brown and Hurley’s graduation, Fox and Ontiveros ran the club together.
“It’s just this time to be silly,” Schuster said. “Like an outlet.”