On Tuesday, at 7 p.m. in Washington Hall, Heidi Gardner hosted a comedy performance that included audience interaction and a Q&A session. Gardner is known for her roles in films such as “Hustle” and “Life of the Party”, along with a recurring appearance on the television show Saturday Night Live (SNL).
Throughout the production, Gardner opened up about her journey and navigated through her own life path with jokes targeted at the audience.
Gardner started the show with a comedic skit centered around a character named Lynn Starr who was a college professional, pitching a product she deemed essential for college students.
For one of the skits, she pointed out students in the audience that she claimed looked like they would become college dropouts.
“I know I was accusing all of you of dropping, but I dropped and guess what I got — a boyfriend,” Gardner shared.
She also mentioned to students that success does not have a set timeline, as “What you can’t major in is success.”
Gardner incorporated themes relating to common student experiences and popular brands.
“I was addicted to Celsius,” Gardner said, which brought immediate laughter from the crowd.
She also actively engaged with the audience throughout the performance. “I received a very sweet card from the SUB and they told me that you guys are actually funny here,” Gardner said.
This led to the next session where she asked students for feedback on SNL and allowed students to join her on stage. Some students asked more about the weekly process of putting on the show, in which Gardner described the importance of audience response, referencing the "Duolingo" sketch.
“We included that in the 50th anniversary because we haven’t had something go this big in a long time,” Gardner explained. She discussed that the public often decided which characters and personalities come back each week.
One student asked Gardner about what it is like being a woman in this industry.
“In this industry, you have to fight for your ideas,” Gardner said. “Follow who you are and what your taste is.”
The Student Union Board (SUB), the organization that hosted Gardner, mentioned how events like this offer something different to the community. It also provides the student body with an opportunity to see a performance within their campus.
“Students get excited when celebrities come to campus as they often get stuck in the cycle of school and work. Events like this shake things up,” Emily McDougall, executive director of SUB, said.
This semester, SUB aimed to organize a comedic event to shift away from a regular speaker series and provide an engaging performance. Their goal is to bring in one guest celebrity each semester.
“With SUB, we are always trying to amplify diverse voices and her being such a successful woman comic is rare to see,” Jamil Allan, co-director of programming, said.
The Live Entertainment Committee of SUB responsible for bringing in celebrities to provide memorable experiences for students on campus. They operate through reaching out to the agencies of different celebrities and speakers.
“The production is an exciting way to switch up a normal Tuesday and performers love coming here as Notre Dame has developed a reputation for eager audiences,” McDougall said.
