Aragon and Hillsdale tie in 5th annual Improv Olympics

On Feb. 8 and 9, the Aragon Improv Team (AIT) competed against the Hillsdale Improv Team (HIT Squad) in the fifth annual Improv Olympics. The competition was divided into two separate days: AIT won Friday’s show after breaking a tie with rock-paper-scissors, resulting in a 21–20 win, while the HIT Squad won Saturday’s competition 20–15, producing an overall tie for the weekend’s shows.

The competition was held at Aragon’s theatre on Friday and at Hillsdale’s on Saturday. Before starting the performance, both teams took to the stage in what sophomore Mary Fitzgerald says is her favorite part of the show. She remarks, “[The entrances] are always super ridiculous and interesting.”

On the first half Saturday night’s show, the one Fitzgerald performed at, AIT’s entrance started at the house; the team pretended to be normal audience members, then ran onto the stage when it was their turn and took off their jackets to reveal their team shirts. To start the second half, AIT entered with circus music and the members acted as various acts of a circus.

The show included a wide variety of games which involved the audience. These games included “Text Me,” where audience members texted lines for the performers to read aloud. Another game, “Moving Bodies,” used two audience members to control the performers like action figures. In addition, there were some more genre-based acts.

Junior Elisa Han says, “They’re really good at what they do—changing their emotions so quickly. It was really funny to watch. Since they were genre-based, it was really interesting to see how the performers would react in the situations.”

Saturday’s performance included a host of audience-involved performances, including musically-improvised scenes, known as “Mimprov.” Senior Andisheh Kabiri says, “I especially enjoy improv that involves music. We only started practicing Mimprov [with the newest members] right before the Improv Olympics, which made me look forward to the shows even more.” Former AIT member Joey Hassid improvised on the keyboard to accompany the singing.

Kabiri adds, “On Saturday, [sophomore] Parisa Kabiri and I actually ended up in a rap battle of sorts, on the topic of Greek Mythology. The spontaneity is absolutely incredible—for not only the audience but also for us improvisers. Instances like these are what make us love what we do. Where else can you witness two people swapping rhymes about Icarus and Zeus?”

The judging panel on Friday included Senior Guidance Counselor Trisha Liskay and drama director Scott Smuin. Liskay says, “I loved the enthusiasm among everyone onstage and I especially liked the way Hillsdale and the Aragon teams got along respecting each other, appreciating each other, cheering for each other. The students were very creative, very thoughtful, and very passionate about what they were doing. It was a great night.”

She continues, “We were basically given instructions from the leaders of the improv—the adult advisors—that we would vote for the improv piece that [we] believed was well-done. There were no real criteria and usually in improv, there really aren’t criteria. It has to do more with not only the comedy, but how spontaneous the people were in responding back to the topic they were given.”

With regard to Hillsdale, Fitzgerald says, “Performing against Hillsdale is always an exciting challenge. HIT is very good, so they always influence us to do our best as well. They are also all really fun people so it’s super fun getting to play with them.”

HIT Squad member junior Tzveta Stoimenova remarks, “AIT is just such a lovely group of people. I know I’m supposed to want to beat them since they’re our rivals, but they’re all so sweet I find it hard to want to do anything other than cuddle them.”

HIT Squad member and sophomore Charlotte Moir agrees, saying, “It’s so much fun performing against AIT. They’re a very talented bunch and so much fun to talk to and play with. I really enjoy the friendships that I’ve made with them and our friendly competition with the Improv Olympics is just such a great time because of their sportsmanship and talent. When we all go head to head it’s just such a great environment to be a part of.”