What started as a spark of creativity in 2015 grew into a beloved campus tradition, but in recent years Campbellsville University’s TNL (Tuesday Night Live) has fallen silent. Students and alumni are reflecting on its impact and what it might take to bring it back.
Hannah Sadler, a 2016 graduate of CU and founder of TNL, discovered a student sketch comedy show at Morehead State University while working as a videographer at a summer camp. She immediately saw the potential for something bigger at Campbellsville.
“I saw their TNL and thought, ‘Oh, we could do this better. It could be more fun,” Sadler said. “It was kind of like a BCM (Baptist Campus Ministries) event where you could do something fun and then have a devotional. I thought, ‘That is great, but I think we can take it further and make it bigger.’”
Back home in Campbellsville for the summer, Sadler recruited friends from across campus, including athletes, theater students, musicians and media majors. They created videos, wrote skits and even built set pieces for their shows.
“It was a lot of people taking their own time and resources to make something great,” Sadler said. “If you can get people together and share a laugh and have common ground, then even if they are not Christians, it opens up that doorway for relationships.”
The first show, held during opening week in the fall of 2015, drew 300 to 400 students to the Ransdell Chapel, a 900-seat auditorium. Attendance and enthusiasm grew as the team refined skits, incorporated music and produced videos between performances.
“I wanted something people were genuinely excited to come to, something fun and silly,” Sadler said.
Sadler emphasized intentional leadership and planning to ensure continuity. Directors oversaw media, music and writing, and were expected to train successors.
“When I left, I did not think that I would see an absence because it was so fun,” Sadler said. “We had a lot of young people trained up. But it was a time commitment, writing skits, getting people involved and producing videos. It is easy for that to fall away when you get busy.”
Cody Chapman took over TNL in 2021, reviving the campus comedy group after a brief pause. The revival began in 2020 but was delayed by COVID-19. The first show back was a Valentine’s Day performance, and excitement was high among cast, crew and students.
“When we first brought it back, they were pretty excited about it,” Chapman said. “We had a pretty good crowd the first night.”
Early shows included live skits and pre-recorded segments. Attendance and participation grew as campus life returned to normal, and recruitment was strong, with about 25 students responding to auditions. Special shows, such as a Thanksgiving collaboration with the Harlequins, packed Gheens Recital Hall.
Despite this, challenges soon appeared. Scheduling conflicts, creative disagreements and audience responses became obstacles. By 2023, Chapman noticed the decline.
“We noticed something wasn’t right,” he said. “We saw the decline, but we just decided to keep it going. I was kind of in denial.”
The final performance took place on Oct. 22, 2024, during homecoming week. Plans for a potential comeback were prepared, but the group currently remains on hold.
“There are talks for it to come back with a new director, cast and crew,” Chapman said. “Some former members may return. I’ve offered to help where needed, but it will be up to the new leadership.”
One of those former members was Jayda Skeens, a current junior at Campbellsville University who plans to bring the group back to life.
“I thought about leading TNL, but I waited because I wanted to consider the possibility and my own strengths and weaknesses as a potential leader,” said Skeens.
Despite the challenge of rebuilding this beloved club, Skeens remains optimistic that mistakes can be learned from.
“Being able to see why TNL struggled in the past will help us build a stronger foundation going forward,” said Skeens.
For Skeens, this means ensuring that the proper resources and support are passed down to the next leadership team when she graduates.
“When I graduate, I will do what I can to support the next director and give them the resources they need,” said Skeens.
In terms of leadership, Skeens also plans to provide opportunities for group members to lead in a variety of different ways.
“We will have a lead writer, a social media manager, a videographer/video editor, a tech team, stage managers and a set/prop/costume design leader,” said Skeens. “TNL will be a place where students can develop leadership skills in a variety of aspects and there will be plenty of opportunities to grow leadership skills.”
The tentative plan is for TNL to return during the upcoming fall semester. In the meantime, planning and recruitment remain the central focus for Skeens this semester.
“We are almost starting from scratch in terms of personnel, but with word of mouth, socials and announcements, we will start recruitment,” said Skeens.
For updates and announcements, follow @cu_tnl on Instagram and keep up with everything TNL.
“I am excited to bring back TNL,” Skeens said. “I am thrilled for this opportunity to lead this group and do my part in helping us succeed.”
