Student stand-up comedians to tickle funny bones at Donatos Basement

Buckeye Standup prepares to perform stand-up comedy this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Credit: Hannah Santo | Lantern Reporter

Comedians of the student organization Buckeye Standup Comedy Club will kick off spring break on a humorous note with its first off-campus show of the semester. 

The show — which will take place Thursday in the Donatos Bar and Basement, located at 2084 N. High St. — will feature between 10-12 student comedians and Ohio State and Buckeye Standup alumna Olivia Smith. Christine Rutkowski, a third-year in philosophy, politics and economics and president of Buckeye Standup, said the organization specializes in stand-up comedy, allowing students to work on jokes during meetings with the goal of performing at stand-up events.

Rutkowski said she joined Buckeye Standup in the fall of 2020 as a general member and has since taken on the role of president, which involves organizing shows like Thursday’s event. 

“It’s more or less the same thing, except now I have to plan shows, which I didn’t realize would be a lot of work, but here we are,” Rutkowski said. “Good work, fun work.”

Rutkowski said Buckeye Standup regularly performs around campus, hosting past performances at Kafe Kerouac and in Donatos Basement — also known as Club D — but this show will be the first off-campus show of the spring semester.

Rutkowski, who will make an appearance during the show, said comedy is a release for her and serves as her creative outlet. 

“When I’m having a bad day or, you know, life gets kind of messy, I can always go to stand-up and channel what I’m feeling into a bit and then present it, you know, in front of an audience full of strangers and my friends,” Rutkowski said. “Then hearing them laugh kind of just makes me be like, ‘Oh, these bad experiences were kind of worth it.’ ”

Buckeye Standup aims to foster a supportive space, and Rutkowski said she encourages any interested students to try their hand at stand-up comedy. She said even if people don’t laugh at a pitched joke, students in the group will give constructive feedback, which will allow student comedians to grow.

“It’s a really nice atmosphere where we all have each others’ backs,” Rutkowski said. “So when we’re giving feedback on jokes, it’s like, you know, this is no malice. This is for your benefit because we know you have potential.” 

Audrey Neyer, a third-year in marketing and vice president of public relations and marketing for Buckeye Standup, said she will perform Thursday as well. When she needs inspiration, Neyer said she turns to writing or reflecting on her own life experiences.

“If I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll just write until something funny comes out, just anything that comes to my brain, or allow myself to go down rabbit holes and Google if I find something interesting, and that can spur a whole stand-up,” Neyer said. “Or, if I have a funny story in my life that I feel like other people need to hear, I’ll share that.”

Neyer said she hopes experiencing comedy from Buckeye Standup and Thursday’s show will have a positive impact on the Ohio State community and provide everyone a break from the stress of the semester. 

“I think the ability to kind of do that for other people as well as, like, using it as a way to kind of relieve myself from some stress and bring myself joy,” Neyer said. “I think if other people can find joy, then that’s just great. It just provides everyone a break and realizes that life isn’t so serious.” 

Although Buckeye Standup has an open membership policy and any interested students are welcome to attend meetings, Neyer said students must meet certain requirements before being able to perform, such as attending an open mic event or attending two Buckeye Standup meetings. The group meets Thursdays on the third floor of the Enarson Classroom Building. 

Admission to Buckeye Standup’s upcoming show will be free, and doors will open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. Rutkowski said the group will follow Ohio State masking policies and hopes those in attendance will respect the masking preferences of others.

Buckeye Standup will put on several additional shows over the course of the semester, with another show tentatively scheduled for March 26 and a larger spring show April 1.