OFF-OFF CAMPUS
THE OLDEST COLLEGIATE IMPROV AND SKETCH COMEDY GROUP
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Located in Hyde Park, Chicago and founded in 1986, Off-Off Campus is the University of Chicago’s premier improv and sketch comedy group.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY YAMINI N.
HISTORY
Off-Off Campus is the oldest student improvisational theater troupe in the country with the first generation dating back to 1986.
The University of Chicago is the undisputed birthplace of improvisational and sketch comedy. In the 1950's, a group of University Chicago students formed the Compass Players on campus, and in 1959, the group became The Second City. In 1986, U of C alum and Second City co-founder Bernie Sahlins (A.B. '43) returned to the University campus in order to begin a south side group to rival his north side creation.
Sahlins trained the first Generation of Off-Off Campus in the art of sketch and improv comedy, and his knowledge and training regiment has been passed down through 37 generations of Off Off Campus. Since 1986 Off-Off Campus has entertained thousands of Chicagoans with its unmistakable mix of improv, sketch, and musical comedy.
STRUCTURE
The training generation is cast in the Fall of each year. After training rigorously for two quarters, they perform improv during the Spring of the same academic year and sketch the following Fall quarter.
In the Winter quarter, Off-Off presents an inter-generational revue. As a culmination of the Off-Off experience, senior members perform in an annual Solo Show as part of the winter season, directed by one of our notable alumni.
Berni Sahlins
NOTABLE ALUMNI
The alumni of Off-Off Campus are truly what have separated the troupe from its peers. Pulitzer-prize winner David Auburn, writer of the hit show, Proof, (now also a feature film), was in the Second Generation of Off-Off, and he has publicly stated that Off-Off was his first training ground in scriptwriting. Sarah Koenig of the podcast Serial was a member of the second generation. Off-Off's relationship with The Second City is still alive and kicking as well. Off-Off campus members and alumns work frequently at The Second City (in both performance and administrative capacities). Further, Greg Kotis, one of the first members of Off-Off, is now best known for penning the Tony award-winning Broadway musical, Urinetown. Off-Off alums can also be seen in improv and sketch groups around Chicago and across the nation. They are writers for TV and film, they create video games, and of course, they are doctors, lawyers, economists, and scholars.
PREVIOUS GENERATIONS
THE THIRTY-EIGHTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2023
Madison Esrey
Shravan Hari
Elliott Husseman
Abby Langer
Ethan Li
Kelli Lynch
Sal Morgan
Himat Sidhu
THE THIRTY-SEVENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2022
Lulu Carter
Lincoln Crockett
Camille Cypher
Samuel Espinal Jr.
Alejandro Garza
Billy Johnson
Rhea Madhogarhia
Jessie Wang
THE THIRTY-SIXTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2021
Urunna Anyanwu
Chris Burkhard
Summer Cramer
London Mahaley
Josh Nkhata
Kate Seiter
Luke Walker
Angele Yang
THE THIRTY-FIFTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2020
Harper Learmonth
Angelina Torre
Gwendolyn Laub
Jacob Schroeder
Maatkara Wilson
Alexander Stern
THE THIRTY-FOURTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2019
Joshua Beirich
Hannah Brody
Nick Demetroulakos
Rae Friedman
Mabel Lewis
Zip Payne
Hank Sanders
THE THIRTY-THIRD GENERATION, CAST IN 2018
Jo Blankson
Joey Cipriano
Bradley Goldsmith
A.J. Kinstlick
Anne Lim
Sofia Nam
Liva Pierce
Alex Rosencrance
THE THIRTY-SECOND GENERATION, CAST IN 2017
Alisa Boland
Matthew Bonanno
Ella Nagle
Priya Gandhi
Ethan MacCumber
Gideon McCarty
Erika Steiner
THE THIRTY-FIRST GENERATION, CAST IN 2016
Ellen Askey
Greer Baxter
Cameron Miller
Yamini Nambimadom
Chinwendu Nwakudu
Andrew Olmstead
Zavior Phillips
Isabella Zanobini
THE THIRTIETH GENERATION, CAST IN 2015
Chase Harrison
Marlo Knapp-Fadani
Sampson Ohringer
Hannah Skaran
Jack Wanberg
Regina Wen
THE TWENTY-NINTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2014
Val Bodurtha
Ryan Boylan
Pearson Goodman
Rahil Khemani
Graham Northrup
Andrea Popova
Milena Pross
THE TWENTY-EIGHTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2013
Oliver Fornell
Collin Lapinsky
Albert Nam
Melissa Needlman
Dee Nitz
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2012
Dan Ackerman
Karlee Esmailli
Jenny Keroack
Peter Moller
Danny Patton
Kevin D Shang
THE TWENTY-SIXTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2011
Davio Cianci
Patrick Ford
Peter Herman
Haley Johnson
Natalya Samee
Will Stack
Eric Stone
THE TWENTY-FIFTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2010
Jacob Becker
Sam Blobaüm
Hilary Clifford
Katie Hunter
Hannah Leskosky
Brent Rappaport
Janet Xu
THE TWENTY-FOURTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2009
Paul Chang
Molly Miller
Ariana Nedelman
Harmon Siegel
Alex Stein
Evan Weiss
THE TWENTY-THIRD GENERATION, CAST IN 2008
Timur Akman-Duffy
Amy Brunner
Kate Cornelius-Schecter
Peter Damm
Ed Hausman
Melanie Kassel
Jane Kehoe
Alex Zorn
THE TWENTY-SECOND GENERATION, CAST IN 2007
Briana Finegan
Michael Guido
Horatio Joyce
Jessica Kadish
Megan Kingsbury
Ben Mizel
Graham Rosby
Allison Ringhand
THE TWENTY-FIRST GENERATION, CAST IN 2006
Bryan Duff
Becca Dorf
Kelsey Glass-Johnston
Chapin Gregor
Aaron Horton
Kit Novotny
Viraj Talwar
THE TWENTIETH GENERATION, CAST IN 2005
Victoria Bartley
David Brent
Melissa Graham
Morgan Maher
Lila Newman
Sarah Rosenshine
Mitch Salm
Lucas Whitehead
THE NINETEENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2004
Katie Bockes
Drew Dir
Sam Guinan-Nyhart
Deena Heller
Lizzie Martinez
Ari Williams
Alex Yablon
Bobby Zacharias
THE EIGHTEENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2003
Harish Amirthalingam
Rachel Austin
Cara Clifford
Francisco Ignatius Colon
Dana Kroop
Simone Martin-Newberry
Jesse Robbins
Benjamin Tuber
THE SEVENTEENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2002
Ramiro Castro, Jr.
David Maher
Rebecca Phillips
Leila S. Sales
Lucy Wall
THE SIXTEENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2001
James Adelman
Jeremy Barr
Amy Biegelsen
Meredith Ibey
Andy Marchesseault
Jose Portuondo
Ria Soler
Courtney Wassell
THE FIFTEENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 2000
Greg Beam
Heather Gillers
J.S. Irick
John J. Lovejoy
Scott Sherman
Damien Stankiewicz
Nathanael West-Rosenthal
THE FOURTEENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1999
Doug Guerra
Rebecca Jarvis
Virginia Killian
Azubah Lauenstein-Denjongpa
Ann Marie Lonsdale
Molly Proue
Nick Zimmerman
THE THIRTEENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1998
Maya Ganguly
Robert Kennedy
Avram Klein
Melanie MacBride
Chani Rajan
Joachem Riesthuis
Justin Seidner
THE TWELFTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1997
Amelia Baxter
Megan Biddinger
Audrey Hannah
Sean Henry
Steve Lund
Dan Meltz
Dawn Roscoe
THE ELEVENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1996
Beth Adams
Heather Goers
Kevin Greenberg
Jason McNutt
Keith Murphy
Julian Stetkevych
Alex Stone
Rachel Thompson
Craig Wiley
THE TENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1995
Catherine Cooper
Sean Foley
Matthew Irvin
Russell Smith
THE NINTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1994
Joe Bell
Erica Charpentier
Nick Green
Katrina Harrison
Will Jones
Sam Schindler
David Stern
Sara Wolfson
THE EIGHTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1993
Sandeep Bhatt
Eleanor Burke
Chris Conry
Jon Darbro
Rachael Neile-McGrew
Eric Pogrelis
THE SEVENTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1992
Dan Goldstein
Colin Johnson
John McCorry
Tami Sagher
Abigail Sher
James Spencer
THE SIXTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1991
John Bourdeaux
Jesse Carnal
Marisa Cohen
Drew Herman
Josh Levin
Gilad Rosner
Celina Schoken
Hannah Simon
Elena Tuskenis
THE FIFTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1990
Dana Allande
Phil Aman
Emily Baird
Brent Brown
An Dinh
Anita Houck
Alex Levine
Alexis Mullin-Mulvihill
Dennis O'Brien
THE FOURTH GENERATION, CAST IN 1989
Kathy Cooperman
Peter Flamm
Henry Kandel
Ben Lorch
Edmund O'Brien
Katie Pearl
Scott Schudy
Nadine Warner
THE THIRD GENERATION, CAST IN 1988
Zannah Bradley
Arielle Eckstut
Derek Hartman
Emily Kadens
Thomas Maeglin
Steve Mitchell
Mike Mulvihill
THE SECOND GENERATION, CAST IN 1987
Dave Auburn
Mark Gerrard
Jeff Hesser
Jeremy Kareken
Sarah Koenig
Lara Marcuse
Jo-Elle Munchak
Arianna Packard
Craig Shaynak
Adam Smedstad
THE FIRST GENERATION, CAST IN 1986
Hilary Barnes
Peter Bernstein
Matthew Denckla
Jacqueline Edelberg
Adam Finkel
Bob Fisher
Bert Fry
Judith Gershon
Larry Hess
Gregory Kotis
Richard Lerner
Bradley Lippitz
Juan Luco
Robert Michael-Bain
Thomas Mulhern
Ellen Nerenberg
Meredith Neuman
Todd Packer
Douglas Ryan
Heather Sampson