On a chilly fall night, Saturday, Sept. 24, Student University Planners and Rowan After Hours collaborated to put together their Annual Fall Comedy Show featuring Punkie Johnson and headliner Craig Robinson. Held at the Student Rec Center, the event was open to anyone 18 and older, but audience members needed a connection to Rowan in order to purchase tickets.
Doors opened at 8 p.m. but the line was so long it took people over an hour to get in. Some audience members were unable to enter until halfway through the show. The line wrapped from the entrance of Esby Gym to behind the building, back almost to Mimosa Hall.
Walking into the gym, security and police were scattered around to keep the line in order and make sure the peace was kept. Once inside, guests were tagged with a marker. After giving their passes to the ticket collectors, audience members were admitted to the show.
Inside the gym, the chairs filled the space all the way to the back of the venue. The gym was filled with attendees of all ages, coming together to laugh and have a great time. Listening to a room filled with laughter after the last couple of years of social distancing was something beautiful to behold.
Johnson’s set was very NSFW but very funny. Johnson was able to integrate her sexuality into her experiences with society, relationships, and her time on Saturday Night Live as a gay woman into an entertaining set and overall hilarious opening for headliner Craig Robinson.
While some of Johnson’s set might not be for everyone, true comedy never is. It is meant to push the envelope and make people uncomfortable sometimes in order to set a tone. Johnson did this very well and a majority of the crowd was very into her set.
When Robinson walked onto the stage, the crowd went absolutely nuts for him. He made sure to take his time and let the crowd’s energy grow. When he sat down at his keyboard, there was a slight pause before he started playing.
He started off with some joke songs and got the crowd involved by having them sing along. Craig even brought out a song from the movie “This is the End,” entitled “Take Your Panties Off.” It is a popular song, as it was his character’s catchphrase in the film and it’s the last thing his character says before making a heroic sacrifice in order for his friends to survive.
As the show went on, he began playing more well-known mainstream music and was able to cut jokes into the songs as he played. Eventually, he asked the crowd to come to the front of the stage and make that area a dance floor.
At this point, people who came to hear a stand-up show ended up leaving as this wasn’t the type of show that they were expecting.
It was a very good show overall and it seemed like a majority of the crowd was pleased with both comedians’ performances.
If anyone ends up seeing Craig Robinson on the street, could you ask him for the secret code to get a free pizza from Pizza Hut? Some of us didn’t get to write it down.
Punkie Johnson and Craig Robinson entertained students during RAH and SUP’s Comedy Night. / Photo via Student University Programmers
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