MONMOUTH COUNTY – The Brookdale Performing Arts Center debuted a new type of show for spring 2026.
The Laugh Lab at Brookdale is a brand-new adult-themed improv series where comedy gets tested, tried, and totally unhinged, according to the show’s website. Those who are accepted for a role in the show have to demonstrate the ability to be creative while thinking on their feet, as they have to come up with funny bits in a series of games featuring unique situations that often require the actors to come up with something or change a significant part of their bit on a dime.
Before the show started, the audience was asked to write down suggestions for the show and what the performers could do for improv. These suggestions included people that the cast can pretend to be, locations for where the scene is taking place, conflicts that might occur between characters, and an activity that the cast could be doing as a part of the improv.
The performance consisted of several different improv-based games. Game one was called First Line Scene, where a person selected from the audience would give the performers the first line of their scene, and they would have to make their own performance based on that line. Rounds of the game were played, including one where the performers robbed the wrong type of bank and one where they were trapped in a Walmart while trying to steal chicken nuggets.
Game 2 was called Party. In this game, there were guests and a host. The guests played characters given to them by the audience, while the host had to guess who they were. Some of the wacky guests included a belly dancer, Tony Stark, Dracula, and Kanye.
Game 3 was called the Letter game, where the actors had to write a type of letter to another actor while both sides played unique characters. This game saw the actors pretend to write a breakup letter to Batman and write a confession letter to Optimus Prime.
The actors participated in six total games throughout the performance.
One of the most interesting games of the night was called Story, Story, Die, where the actors showed off their improv skills in an elimination game. A starting word was provided by the audience while the actors had to find a way to continue the story. The actor who was pointed to by the director had to continue the story from the last word spoken by the actor before them. If they could not do this, they would be eliminated. Three rounds of the game were played, with the winner of the men’s side facing off against the winner of the women’s side in the finals.
John Bukovec, the head of the theater department and director of the show, believes that improv is very crucial to the development of actors, and it helps them to be well-rounded in their field.
“You don’t have to be the best improv actor, but you do have to understand that the concepts of improv help you improve your acting skills. You are developing a who, a what, and a where. You’re developing a character, a scene, and that applies to any form of acting.”
For those interested in attending, the show has dates scheduled for March 12, March 13, May 7, and May 8. All shows are slated for a 7 p.m. start time. Tickets for the show can be bought online through Brookdale’s website: brookdalecc.edu.
