If finishing my last midterm was the cake, then watching Upright Citizens Brigade was the icing. And I had my fill when UCB performed its classic improv sketch comedy for an hour and a half Thursday before a crowd of 200.

Walking into the University Ballroom at Sacramento State, I could feel the energy as everyone waited for the show to begin. With UCB's television show long canceled, the only chance for viewing the show is at its Los Angeles or New York City theaters.

While I waited, I remembered a phone call earlier in the week:

"We take 15-22 of the best performers from both theater casts for the touring production," said director and coordinating producer Carter Edwards. "What people see are the best of the best from our talent pools."

Though there are only four cast members at each touring show, they change characters and run around the stage so much that it creates the illusion of 20 more people on stage.

The show was in three acts, with an intermission after the first.

In the first act, an audience member was chosen and given the microphone. Using his statements as fodder, the cast constructed short -- 45 seconds to 4 minute --improv skits that all related to one another.

I laughed uncontrollably as the cast pretended to look for American River College and pick up a hitchhiker along the way. "All sorts of crazy stuff goes on in this town," they said.

Skits centered around pop culture events to which everyone could relate. Topics included video games, snuggies and, my personal favorite, a French robot.

I wandered during intermission to the lobby, which was unusually busy for 8 p.m. A booth in the corner offered energy drink samples, and 10 or so shots later, I was more than ready for intermission to end.

I ran back into the ballroom and searched for my seat just as cast members retook the stage. They don't use many props, except four chairs. I never knew four regular office chairs could resemble a car, phone booth or couch.

The second act began with the audience shouting out movie titles. "Fight Club," a movie everyone had seen, was chosen and cast members began to act out "deleted scenes" lost from a DVD.

As the energy drink pumped in my veins, I laughed out loud at the parody. My favorite bit was about the real beginnings of "Fight Club" and its quest for more members. "It's hard to get members when the first rule states I can't talk about the club."

The last act was my favorite. Audience members were encouraged to share text messages from their cell phones.

Skits involved interrogating a man who just wants to party and a women's quest to label a man a liar for life.

The show was extremely funny, with cast members manipulating characters and plots into a common theme. Cast members cycled in and out of scenes, waiting to be called into the comedy arena.

Cast members were Joel Spence, Colton Dunn, Heather Anne Campbell and Suzi Barrett.

Photo credits: Matthew Ceccato