Don’t think twice.

Members of the student improv troupe Great White Narcs will take their moment’s-notice shenanigans to Public Space One on Sept. 27 for their first group show of the semester. The group’s newest member, Ian Zwaschka, will make an on-stage début as well.

Great White Narcs has been active in Iowa City’s improv-comedy scene for five years, alongside troupes Paperback Rhino and Janice. The Narcs also occasionally takes its act over state borders to regional improv competitions and comedy festivals in Illinois.

Co-captains of the group, J.T. Ward and Niko Thiel, who have been practicing improv comedy for three and seven years, respectively, described their beginnings with the Narcs and their thoughts on being a part of an improv troupe on campus.

“When I came in freshman year, I didn’t really know too many people,” Thiel said. “Once you get on the team, you’re immediately in a friend group and a very supportive friend group.”

Ward had a similar story.

“There is a very well-established community that is not only in improv but comedy as well that you’re placed into,” he said. “It’s very welcoming, and an all-around great community to be a part of.”

Ward and Thiel additionally recently inducted a new member, Ian Zwaschka, and explained how the group choses new members.

The auditioning process for the local improv troupes is a short but competitive affair. Over the course of two days, the three local improv teams — Great White Narcs, Paperback Rhino, and Janice — hold initial auditions together. After that, the three teams assemble a call-back list for those who may try out with each team individually. After this second series of auditions, those auditioning rank each team, in order of preference, that they would like to be on.

“We look at their improv, but we also look at them as a human being,” Thiel said, “We’re going to be spending a lot of time with them inside of practice and shows, but we also all hang out nearly every weekend.”

Thiel brought up Ward as an example.

“J.T. had never done improv before, but we looked at him and we saw that he was a great guy — he already had some talent, and he seemed like a very teachable person,” Thiel said.

“And that’s the same thing with Ian,” Ward said.

The two elaborated on the teaching process that they undertake with new members. Looking to renowned improv institutions, Second City of Chicago, and the Upright Citizens Brigade of Los Angeles and New York for pointers, they coach new members on “the rules” of improv.

“It’s mostly just like, ‘be real, and don’t disagree with the reality that your partner has set up,’ ” Thiel said.

The group uses exercises to help prevent bad improv and push for good improv. The group also emphasizes the importance that “game” holds for the Great White Narcs in particular.

“[Game] is the weird thing in a scene that deviates from the norm, or the base reality that [the group] all understands,” Ward said. “Once you get a grasp of the basic things, it begins to become easier.”

Thiel and Ward expressed optimism and anticipation about their début group show.

“Adrenaline,” Thiel said. “When you’re up there, and you can feel when you and all your teammates are doing a really good show, it’s pure joy.”

Ward also noted the camaraderie on stage as being a big factor in performance.

“For me, making the audience laugh isn’t as big of a thing as making my teammates laugh,” Ward said. “For me, that’s what makes it.”

The Great White Narcs will take to the Public Space One stage at 9 p.m. Sept. 27.