The departure of most of Barren Mind Improv's veteran cast members last spring had director Chuck Thursby worried.
Thursby believed Barren Mind, an ASU improvisational comedy troupe, often depended on the experienced members to perform a great show with no script, no characters and no ideas.
Now, an incoming group of freshmen and sophomores would be filling their spots and carrying scenes on their own.
But after their first performance on Sept. 1, Thursby let out a sigh of relief.
"Due to the loss of so many show veterans, I thought we would be one step back," Thursby said. "But, I realized today that we were pretty much two steps ahead of what I thought the show could be."
Barren Mind and its scripted counterpart Farce Side Comedy Hour were created by students, for students.
Farce Side was created in 1985, while Barren Mind came along in 1994 through the ideas of two different ASU students.
With a similar approach to the TV show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Barren Mind chooses a group of characters to act in scenarios and have character personalities chosen by audience suggestions.
With suggestions like "chicken factories" and personalities of "Jihad-ish" and "constipated," cast members never know what they will be thrown next.
Steve Nielsen, a journalism freshman, is one of the new Barren Mind cast members.
"We all have a lot of fun," Nielsen said, "We're a young team and full of spunk."
Another new member, political science sophomore Alex Petrusek, enjoys performing with the 11-member Barren Mind.
"I just like how everyone's personal style blends together so well to form the show," Petrusek said.
As for their first show of the season, veteran cast members were surprised by the more than 150-person audience.
Political science junior Trevor Thon -- member of both Farce Side and Barren Mind -- has performed for two years for the Memorial Union basement audience.
"The crowd was great and the cast energy was up," Thon said. "The seats were packed for our first show of the year. It usually takes three or four [shows] to get people to come down."
Thursby was also pleased.
"This was one of the best first audiences I have experienced," he said.
The two shows are free of charge, but they are not for just anyone.
Signs are posted with the start of each show that warn the audience of its sometimes sexual nature and strong language.
Thursby said the signs were required a few years ago after an audience member complained about a tradition the cast members performed at the end of each season.
"They [the men] used to strip down as a joke," Thursby said. "We had an issue of a sock not fully covering a cast member's area. We obviously can't do that anymore."
