Spouting off everything from movie lines and show tunes to family stories and political issues, actor and comedian David Koechner kept the crowd laughing Saturday night at Muncie Civic Theatre.
Well known for his acting chops as opposed to his standup skills, Koechner entertained a half-filled theater for nearly an hour and a half.
Matt Holt, a comedian from Indianapolis, opened up the evening's comedic stylings.
Koechner kicked off his set by singing show tunes and making quips about the university.
"There are so many jokes about Ball State," Koechner said, laughing.
Throughout the performance, Koechner routinely interacted with the audience and at one point actively kissed all the bald men in the audience on the head, as an act of solidarity.
Reciting lines from "Out Cold," "Waiting...," and "Anchorman," Koechner entertained the crowd with his most memorable lines from the films, as well as doling out the much anticipated "Whammy!"
Cracking jokes about himself, he said several times that people didn't know who "David Koechner" was, rather, he is more recognized by his face than name.
Koechner also touched on politics during his routine, asking the crowd if Indiana was a right-to-work state.
Indiana's right-to-work bill is being discussed at the statehouse with Democratic representatives strongly opposing the legislation.
"Indiana's not a right-to-work state, is it?" Koechner said. "Don't let it be."
The comedian also told stories of his family and interactions with his neighbors.
The show started to take a more serious route when Koechner began to talk about his children.
Koechner and wife Leigh are parents to five children, four via a surrogate.
At three months into the couple's fifth pregnancy, the doctors discovered severe complications and advised them to terminate the pregnancy.
"Look, I make no judgment, it's a woman's body, you can do whatever you want with it," Koechner said. "But for us, we're like, we can't. We had already named her."
As the pregnancy progressed, doctors continued to encourage the Koechners to terminate, yet they refused to comply.
Five months into the pregnancy, doctors discovered that there was nothing wrong with the couple's baby. The surrogate who was carrying the child had been exposed to an illness that had the capability to kill a fetus.
What appeared on sonograms as a genetic disorder was actually the fetus' attempt at warding off the disease.
After the performance, Koechner commented on the positives of performing in a small venue or theater as opposed to a larger area.
"Theaters are fun because there's a different expectation there," Koechner said. "You can be more theatrical, and the show's more theatrical."
After wrapping up his two Indiana performances, Koechner will perform in Springfield, Ill., next month.
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