From a humble beginning to a comedy institution

50 years. 419 performances. 301 cast members. Countless laughs.

April 6, 2024 will forever be known as “Mee-Ow Show Day.” Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss made that declaration as current and past performers gathered on the Evanston campus for a homecoming to honor the longest running college improv and sketch comedy show in America.

While reflecting on Mee-Ow’s 50th anniversary, co-founder Paul Warshauer said, “It is heartwarming to see how many people credit their experience in the show as life-changing, both professionally and personally.”

The first show in April 1974 was called “Just in Time.” Plans are underway for the next reunion, possibly in five or ten years. Organizers already named it “Just in Case.”

The retrospective book “The Mee-Ow Show at 50: From Cultural Rebellion to Comedy Institution” is scheduled for release later this year.  A documentary film is also in the works.

> Read more about the history of “The Mee-Ow Show.”