Issue date: 3/12/02 Section: ARTS

Matt Nachtrieb Staff Photographer Cold Turkey played its stand-up and sketch comedy Sunday night in the University Union. [Click to enlarge]

Cold Turkey, a comedy troupe comprising five NT students, received a warm reception and a lot of laughs from the audience during its Sunday evening performance at the One O’Clock Lounge in the University Union.

The group specialized in improvisational comedy similar to that shown on “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?”

In fact, when people ask Jared Hollenbeck what Cold Turkey is, he’ll ask them, “You ever seen ‘Who’s Line Is It Anyway?’ That’s what we do, except live, on stage and funnier.”

The group got its start in 1996 when Hollenbeck, Dan McMahan and Neal Bridges, all Mansfield sophomores, met in high school and started performing comedy.

In 2001, it added Ed Grune, Mansfield sophomore and Landon Kirksey, Houston freshman to its lineup.

Kirksey does a stand-up comedy bit before the group’s performance and also serves as the group’s prompter during the show.

“He’s the Drew Carey,” Hollenbeck said, in comparison to “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?”

While Kirksey dresses in a black suit, the other members of the ensemble wear matching striped polos.

After Kirksey finishes his stand-up comedy set, the group then takes the stage to perform, using everything from props to audience members to make its performance everything that it can be.

“We play games and perform skits based entirely off audience suggestions,” Hollenbeck said.

“So basically, if there’s two people in the audience, there’s gonna be a show. If we have a dead audience, we have no show.”

After Kirksey’s set, the audience applauded to welcome the other members onto the stage and Kirksey promised that the audience would have a good time.

“We’ll see how much of that applause lasts until the end,” he said. “We’re gonna wear you out.”

The ensemble’s performance consisted of skits ranging from a Student Government Association presidential debate to a the top of a jungle tree where an adult monkey taught its two children to climb while they flung “poo” at each other.

In that particular skit, McMahan, Grune and Bridges were all given places (a treetop, a car wash and a dollar store) in which to perform. The venues were selected by the audience.

Before getting started, Kirksey told the audience, “Don’t get attached to these guys because they’re about to die.”

Then, in each of the scenes, out of the performers would die as a result of the others’ jokes pertaining to that location.

The crowd of 100 laughed wildly at the performers and their exaggerations.

Although the group does not have any imminent performances, they have no thought of quitting.

“At the moment, it’s a great hobby — a great hobby that I’d like to make into a career someday,” McMahan said.

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