The Texas Rat Massacre is happening here on campus, tonight in the Lab Theatre on the bottom floor of McComas Hall. The Lab Rats, Mississippi State University’s “one and only” (as they like to put it) improvisational comedy troupe will be holding their October, Halloween-themed performances at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Tickets can no longer be reserved online but will be available at the show beginning as early as 45 minutes before show time.
Senior computer engineering major Matt Hoelter, Lab Rats head director, short form director and member for seven semesters, said this month’s show will continue the same tradition of audience intimacy and participation.
“Improv has a leg up on a lot of other entertainment medias as you have a very one-to-one relationship. Whether the audience realizes it or not, they are another actor; we feed off their energy, and they feed off ours,” he said.
According to Hoelter, the nature of an improvisational show means only about 5 percent of the show is actually written and practiced beforehand. Hoelter said the audience tosses suggestions when incited by the troupe and gets to watch the actors work through them, whatever they may be, resulting in unpredictable performances.
“When we ask for suggestions, the audience has often thrown us for a loop. One of my favorites, we once asked for an emotion and got ‘blind fury.’ That’s something I could never throw out,” he said. “We don’t even know what to expect. One of the beautiful things is that nobody has any idea what will happen.”
The level of interaction is even higher this month, as Hoelter said the October-specific theme (chosen in a Facebook-fan naming contest) will carry with it yet another special contest.
“It’s Halloween-themed; it is October. We’re having a costume contest; the winner will get a very special prize,” he said.
Senior international business major Ben Bailey, member of Lab Rats for six semesters, said despite the general themes, the crowd is the catalyst for the direction of each performance.
“Since most of our games rely on suggestions from the audience, it is frequently up to the audience to influence the style or theme of any scene,” he said.
Megan Kwasinski, junior English major, said although she’s comfortable not doing the shouting, at her three Lab Rats experiences, the ideas came loudly and frequently.
“I’m not really the type to speak out, but sometimes it’s hard to hear; they have to section it off because it gets so loud,” she said.  “It’s really interactive and fun.”
Rather than existing exclusively, Hoelter said Lab Rats consists of a cross section of majors on campus, from engineering and business to graphic design.
Bailey said part of the inclusivity of Lab Rats comes from the universal antidote they provide: laughter.
“We have Lab Rats at Mississippi State because people enjoy laughing. There is a demand for it. Lab Rats, being the industrious young minds that we are, recognize this demand. We thus supply laughter, fulfilling the exchange process,” he said.
For a dose of unpredictability and camaraderie, students can head to the Lab Theater tonight dressed in a Halloween costume. Just make sure to get there early enough to snag a ticket, as the Lab Rats seem to be pulling in demand faster than they can supply their improv-fueled laughter.