The building that was once known as the Cinema Saver movie theater is now home to one of Endicott’s treasures — The Puzzled Players.

Binghamton’s own improv group, The Puzzled Players of Greater Binghamton uses current events, audience participation and improv games in their routines, which caused the tiny theater to erupt with laughter throughout their performance this past Friday.

Russell Swanger, also known as “Russ the BIG Guy,” formed a group 20 years ago, later founding The Puzzled Players after his original group ended. He explained that his passion for improv lies in working with others.

“Everybody’s on their own journey, so it’s different for everybody, but almost everybody here has advanced in some way,” Swanger said. “And since I’m the common thread among everybody, I get to see it. That’s a privilege, and it’s exciting too.”

Throughout the evening, the players went through several improv games. In one, titled “Prompts From a Hat,” audience members pulled scenarios out of a hat and the players had to come up with a response on the spot, similar to the 1998 game show, “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Some of these scenarios included “silly reasons to break up,” “worst thing to say when meeting your spouse’s parents for the first time” and “what not to say at a parent-teacher conference.”

The group was able to seamlessly develop comedic responses and even bring back jokes from previous games, immersing the audience in the layered comedy.

In the game “The Explorer,” two audience members were brought on stage and each one was given a line they could say at any point in the scene. The two lines were “I’m really in the mood” and “when do we cut the cheese?” It was up to the players to develop a scene that not only incorporated these lines but also an audience-determined scene and action.

Erin Watts, of Montrose, Pennsylvania, joined The Puzzled Players this past July. She shared what she loved about improv.

“I get to go play and use my imagination,” Watts said. “It’s been really good for me, my mental health and my general happiness.”

“The Interrogation” was a game where one player left the room while an audience member chose a crime for them to be accused of.

The Puzzled Players perform on the second Friday of every month and are all part of Swanger’s advanced class. He holds free improv classes every Wednesday evening that are open to the public for those older than 16 to build their confidence, play games and have fun.

The Puzzled Players of Greater Binghamton are a group that could brighten anyone’s day. Whether the goal is to develop confidence, meet people, hang out with friends, learn new skills or simply laugh, there is something for everyone.