Every September, NYU students with a passion for acting, writing or class-clowning dive headfirst into the comedy audition circuit. All sketch, improv and stand-up groups look for new members, with aspiring comedians attending their auditions. For each troupe, there are only two to five coveted open spots. The process is competitive, stressful and exhausting — it’s NYU’s very own Bama Rush.

There were 12 comedy troupes open for auditions this year, including The FalseSettos, known for its musical sketch comedy, Bechdel Test, an all-female and nonbinary comedy group and After School Improv, which focuses on spontaneous comedy. For Tisch sophomore Aydan Hynes, auditioning for collegiate comedy is the first step on a path toward comedic success.

“I’ve always researched all of my comedic icons,” Hynes said. “Where they started and how they got to where they are now, and for most of them it was improv groups or sketch groups.” 

The prestigious and successful reputation of NYU comedy troupes makes showing up to auditions even more daunting. Many comedy troupe alumni have broken into mainstream comedy after graduating — whether that be on SNL or sitcoms like “30 Rock” and “Community.” Hammerkatz, NYU’s premier sketch group, has an especially famed list of alumni, including Donald Glover and Jack Quaid.

Max Frankel, a Wagner sophomore and member of Home Improvment, a troupe focused on improv-style comedy, helps cast new members. He said that “humanity” and the ability to “make a fool of oneself” make a prospective member stand out.

“People never go to a comedy show to see a perfect person,” Frankel said. “They go to see a funny person.”

While each troupe has its own style — for example, the Astor Place Riots specializes in individual stand-up headliners — they all frequently collaborate together. Frankel attested to this intergroup camaraderie, and said the NYU comedy troupe community is a “family” that came together for an independent show to support and promote each other at the beginning of the semester.

Even amid a reputation of excellence and fierce competition, both collaboration and inclusivity remain some of the foremost values of NYU comedians. Sammy White, a Tisch sophomore and member of both Friends with Dads and Pasadena Golf Club, said that NYU’s comedy scene is “fun, funky and communal.” A world where laughing is currency must not be taken so seriously. After all, this isn’t actually Bama Rush.

“Even in unsuccessful auditions, you make friends in that group because people are very open to connecting and collaborating,” Frankel said.