Zak Wood / Colorado Daily

Allyx Townend, left, and Evan Duggan practice their improvisation skills during a Left Right Tim rehearsal Wednesday night in Hale Room 270 on the CU campus.

Between balancing a social life with schoolwork and trying to pay attention to the future of the country, life as a University of Colorado student can be both hectic and stressful.

During these turbulent times, however, it's always refreshing to find out there's an entire group of people on campus focusing all of their energy on making their classmates laugh.

The 14 members of improv comedy troupe Left Right Tim devote hours of their time each week to sharpening their wit and fine-tuning their skills -- all in an effort to maximize the hilarity of their bi-monthly performances.

"There used to be a stand-up night at the RedFish, and then it moved to Albums on the Hill, and then there was just nothing -- so that's why we started it," said Matt Barats, a CU junior who co-founded Left Right Tim with senior Richie Alfson in February.

"Almost every college in the country has an improv team, and with all of the arts here in Boulder, we just felt that the CU campus needed it."

Based on the rapid growth the troupe has seen in its audience since debuting, it seems that Barats' and Alfson's theory was correct.

The two report that recent performances -- usually held in Room 270 of the Hale Science Building -- have seen audiences of 120 students or more, and that the troupe's MySpace and Facebook pages consistently see increased traffic as word-of-mouth about Left Right Tim spreads.

"I brought all of the girls from my floor to one of the shows and I usually go with friends from other dorms, too," said Holly Calhoun, a CU freshman who first saw Left Right Tim perform to an audience of 300 freshman at a summer orientation event -- and has been to three shows since.

"Every time you go, it's something completely different and completely new," Calhoun said. "They are all so funny and the dynamic they have together is great. Everyone has a great time."

The level of fun the performers appear to be having on stage may be contributing to the group's success as an improv troupe. Barats and Alfson each said the more fun they have with each other while performing, the more fun the audience will have watching them.

"A lot of it is for us," Alfson said. "We have so much fun practicing and we all trust each other to help complete the scene and add to the story or game."

Although a secret long-form musical project is in the works, Left Right Tim focuses mostly on short-form improv -- doing games and short scenes based on audience suggestions and participation.

Likening the form and frenzied pace to the improv television show "Whose Line is it Anyway?," Barats and Alfson said their brand of humor is more sharply satirical and geared toward a live college audience.

"A live performance is so much better than watching it on TV," Barats said. "We have to get it right the first time and every time.

"Of course, it can also be funny if we get it wrong -- but it's all about spontaneity."