“Hey, how would you feel about directing Binghamton Night Live with me?” Aubrey Strier, director of BNL 14, asked their co-director, Anne Muha, an hour before the application deadline.

A month later, “14 Going on 40” became a testament to the latent greatness of their spur-of-the-moment decision.

This past weekend, Hinman Production Company (HPC) put on their 14th production of Binghamton Night Live (BNL), “14 Going on 40.” BNL is noted for showcasing the comedic talent that runs within the campus community, and BNL 14 did just that by satirizing the rom-com that is none other than an authentic college experience.

Muha, a junior majoring in political science, expanded on how sometimes the funniest content is sourced from real life.

“In the sketch ‘The Outbreak,’ pretty much all of the main character’s dialogue was based on DMs that I wrote to my friends, and we recontextualized [them] for the purpose of the show,” Muha said. “Everything from ‘God smiles upon the wicked’ to the ‘femcel T-swift style poetry,’ you look into yourself and make fun of yourself a little bit.”

Getting by in college means poking fun at the utter absurdity of each day. A situationship, for example, is a dramatized, all-consuming relationship that avoids the dreaded act of confrontation, an effort feared by many. “The Outbreak,” a sketch written by Muha and Strier — a junior majoring in computer science — themselves, brought the situationship to the stage by portraying it as a deadly disease, rendering the gravity that college students place on their social lives.

Muha discussed how the relatable content was perceived by the cast.

“What was funny is when we were doing the cast read and went through it, there were at least two or three people who said, ‘This is me,’” Muha said. “Again, the best comedy is the most real.”

When it comes to how BNL 14 stands among past shows, Strier touched on how the group merged theatre with reality.

“It’s a very grounded BNL,” Strier said. “There are some sketches that are more fantastical, but overall, many are entrenched in reality and everyday situations that are then escalated with something new and special.”

Creative spontaneity occurred throughout the show, as Muha recalled how Jessica Knaster, actress in BNL 14 and a freshman majoring in psychology, incorporated improv in “Untimely Birthday,” when a kid’s party is ruined by the revelation that Santa isn’t real.

“She asked us and was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if we were Jewish and didn’t believe in Santa Claus?’ And we kept building on that every time we ran the sketch,” Muha said. “More so than other BNLs, there’s a lot of background talking in this one, and a lot of opportunities for people to really just add their own flair and I think everyone killed it.”

While comedy comes from talent and experience, the show wouldn’t have been possible without the time and commitment set aside by everyone involved.

Rachel Pasternack, stage manager of BNL 14 and a freshman majoring in history, recalled what rehearsals demanded of the cast and crew.

“It’s a whole six-week process from choosing the directors to putting on the show,” Pasternack said. “Rehearsals were Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., then tech week was this week from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.”

Needless to say, the hilarious and relatable production was telling of the hard work that was put into the show. From table reads to premiere night, an environment full of passionate students-turned-comedians is bound to elicit a sense of camaraderie.

To Muha, that is exactly what HPC has become.

“To some it might sound silly, like, ‘Oh, it’s just a tiny college theatre group,’ but the idea of being part of this legacy is so incredible to me,” Muha said. “I love [HPC], I love this community, and I truly feel like these people are a family for me here on campus. We only have known each other for a month, and for the sake of sounding like Vin Diesel — we ain’t friends, we’re family here.”