The Mee-Ow Show

America’s Longest-Running College Improv Comedy Show

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Since 1974, The Mee-Ow Show has been America’s longest-running college improv comedy show — the Northwestern student troupe that launched Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Seth Meyers, Ana Gasteyer, and more.

THE MEE-OW SHOW

What Is the Mee-Ow Show?

The Mee-Ow Show is America’s longest-running college improv comedy show — written, performed, and produced entirely by Northwestern University students since 1974. It began as a bit of comedic rebellion, a scrappy alternative to traditional campus theater, and never stopped. More than five decades later it’s still doing exactly what it set out to do: putting fearless, unpolished, gloriously unpredictable comedy on stage at Northwestern, just north of Chicago.

Here’s how a season comes together. Every Fall Quarter, Mee-Ow holds open auditions for both cast and live band — no experience required, and famously, some of its biggest names showed up with none. The team then spends the quarter writing and rehearsing two completely original productions, premiering in January and February: a high-energy mix of sketch, improv, and live music.

What really sets Mee-Ow apart is who’s come through it. The show has launched a remarkable run of comedy and screen talent, including Saturday Night Live alumni and stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Seth Meyers, Ana Gasteyer, Kristen Schaal, Eric Gilliland, John Cameron Mitchell, Dan Patterson, Pep Rosenfeld, Craig Bierko and Dermot Mulroney. But for the hundreds of students who’ve taken the stage, the real payoff is less about fame than what the experience builds: creativity, confidence, and collaboration that lasts long after the final laugh.

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Past shows

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The 2026 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2026
The 2025 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2025
The 2024 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2024
The 2023 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2023
The 2022 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2022
The 2021 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2021
The 2020 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2020
The 2019 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2019
The 2018 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2018
The 2017 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2017
The 2016 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2016
The 2015 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2015
The 2014 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2014
The 2013 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2013
The 2012 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2012
The 2011 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2011
The 2010 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2010
The 2009 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2009
The 2008 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2008
The 2007 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2007
The 2006 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2006
The 2005 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2005
The 2004 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2004
The 2003 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2003
The 2002 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2002
The 2001 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2001
The 2000 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
2000
The 1999 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1999
The 1998 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1998
The 1997 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1997
The 1996 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1996
The 1995 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1995
The 1994 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1994
The 1993 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1993
The 1992 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1992
The 1991 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1991
The 1990 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1990
The 1989 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1989
The 1988 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1988
The 1987 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1987
The 1986 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1986
The 1985 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1985
The 1984 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1984
The 1983 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1983
The 1982 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1982
The 1981 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1981
The 1980 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1980
The 1979 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1979
The 1978 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1978
The 1977 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1977
The 1976 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1976
The 1975 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1975
The 1974 Mee-Ow Show at Northwestern University
1974
Alumni at the Mee-Ow Show's 50th anniversary reunion at Northwestern University, including Anjali Bhimani, Peter Grosz, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Meyers, Kristen Schaal, and Ana Gasteyer

50Th Reunion

On April 6, 2024, over 150 Mee-Ow alumni returned to Northwestern for an historic celebration of half a century of laughter, creativity, and tradition.

Cover of 'The Mee-Ow Show at 50: From Cultural Rebellion to Comedy Institution' by Joseph B. Radding and Paul W. Warshauer, with a foreword by Seth Meyers

The Book

50 years of MEE-OW history!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I audition for the Mee-Ow Show?

Auditions for cast and band are held each Fall Quarter and are open to all Northwestern students — no experience required.

Where does the Mee-Ow Show perform?

At Shanley Pavilion, 2031 Sheridan Road, on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois.

How can I see a show?

Show dates are announced on Instagram (@meeow_comedy) and on this site. Tickets are $5 for Northwestern students at the door.

When are performances?

The show stages two original productions each Winter Quarter — one at the end of January and another at the end of February.

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