Audience members did more than take a passive role in Cometry’s act last Friday. Through interactive games and improvisation, attendees heightened the comedy and intensity at the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union’s 7^th Street Underground.

Cometry is a combination of poetry and comedy with performances typically done with a stand-up comedian and spoken word selections.

With a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” stuffed ball, comedian Esteban Gast acted as a seven year-old and engaged the audience through a game of catch.

However, this part of the performance was not just a simple game, but a way for the audience to provide advice about dealing with bullying.

Audience members had to respond as Gast’s mom, dad, bully, principal and assistant principal, but their responses were more hilarious than helpful.

Kiisha Barney, sophomore family and consumer sciences major, played the role of Gast’s mom throughout the skit.

“I was kind of nervous, but I was comfortable because they made it interactive,” Barns said.

Gast had no idea what the responses were going to be but said that uncertainity is what he enjoys the most.

“I love doing improv and just finding something silly in everything they say,” he said. “My favorite part of the show is having the audience feel included.”

Even with the crowd participation, Gast was limited on who to interact with.

The more people, the more ideas, laughs and possible participation, but the crowd was small, which the comedy and spoken word duo had to overcome.

Co-founder of Cometry Ignatius Mwela said small audiences can be difficult because no one likes hear to their own laugh or be seen as emotional, but with the right methods it all works out.

“If we break that ice early we will be good to go,” Mwela said. “It felt good they weren’t afraid.”

Both Gast and Mwela introduced themselves to every member in the audience before the show and even tried to commit their names to memory in an effort to humanize themselves and hopefully set a zone of comfort.

Gast said his motto is to walk into any situation with the mindset that this will be awesome and that positivity will break any obstacles.

“Every situation is the right situation. Everyone was like, this is different than we expected but this is great,” Gast said.

Cometry demonstrated adaptability by adjusting to a smaller audience but also sensitivity and balance.

An activity struck a nerve in an audience member causing him to express how his father was not in his life for years.

This unexpected response caused the audience to erupt in laughter and concern but Mwela had to get the crowd’s attention back as smoothly as possible.

“I jumped off stage because I knew it was not ready. You don’t want to combat it. If you take it away from them then the audience feels that awkwardness,” Mwela said.

Prolonging the spoken word piece allowed the audience to naturally quiet down and bring their attention back to the stage.

Knowing that no audience is the same Cometry caters to the crowd through the serious and funny moments.

Mwela then performed a spoken word about an emotionally, mentally and physically violent moment between him and his father as a young man.

Transitioning from silly to serious Mwela put himself in that moment again through his vivid depiction.

Barns said her favorite part was Mwela’s spoken word about his father because she felt his sadness, anger and frustration.

“You could tell it really touched him and how he was able to express himself through his writing,” Barns said.

Kalyn Hayslett can be reached at [email protected]