I think, though, that status is a subconscious thing that everybody kind of notices. A lot of improv is about things we all kind of know, but it brings them to the fore. In one form or another, improv has been around as long as people have been telling stories. The master of ceremonies has a horn, and when the scene looks like it is failing, she or he can blow the horn and stop the scene. Then, whoever made the offensive comment has to wear a bag over her or his head.
Sponge performances are more free-form.
The performers play improv games in front of an audience, and there is no competition. While TheatreSports keeps the show from getting out of control, Sponge director Karen Bergstrom, a senior English major, said she prefers a less structured approach. It's like bringing the oral tradition to life. What both groups have in common is the games they play, which range from explorations in genre to scenes where audience members directly participate as talking pillars. A professional improv group in San Francisco called Bay Area TheatreSports, or BATS, publishes a book of games which lists more than 300.