The Aragon Improv Team performed a multitude of entertaining skits based on Broadway musicals on May 11 and 12 in the Aragon theater.
Going in with pre-made characters, improv members had the audience pitch numbers and musical names. Members shuffled suggestions in a hat, and randomly selected around 10 ideas to improvise a song. For the second half of the play, improv members told the audience to choose their favorite song, to which the performers then created an entire musical out of the idea.
In this style of drama, being able to connect with the audience and creating spontaneous entertainment is the main goal.
“For me, I think the audience really loved the reincorporation of the song from the first act,” said senior improv co-leader Keegan Huth.
The team worked with mentors, such as Shara Tonn, to improve their improv techniques. Recently, they also worked with a musical improviser to learn tips to enhance their singing.
“The people most involved were our coach Shara Tonn and the musical coach we hired, Joshua Raoul Brody,” said junior Graham King. “We had been practicing since the middle of February, mostly in the theater or band rooms.”
“Everyone [on the team] is very supportive of each other,” Tonn said. “That’s what’s special about this group, is that when they are on stage, everyone steps up to support the other players.
Members work together on different aspects of improv throughout the year to create entertaining skits for performances.
“We work twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays for two hours,” Tonn said. “We basically practice improv skills … How do you establish characters really quickly, how do you establish a setting really quickly, how do you establish an objective, how do you set up a platform. Right now, we’re doing the spontaneous Broadway, with a lot of improvised music.”
The difference between improv and theater is that improv is not scripted.
“Everything in improv doesn’t necessarily have to be gold, sooner or later something sticks,” said senior Improv team member Jordan Chall. “It’s hard to be on the same page as other improvers, because you’re trying to get a story in a certain direction. You think that everyone is going to die at the end, but the people on stage with you think that there will be a marriage at the end … [However, I love it] when [an idea] clicks and when you look at your other teammates and you’re both on the same page and you know what’s going on … it feels great.”
Working together has helped the team build stronger relationships with each other on and off stage.
“The most memorable part about improv for me has been the team dynamic and how much fun we all have together,” said junior Owen Convery. “It’s unlike any other team or club … Improv has always been a fun way for me to express myself and have fun with my friends. No matter what, I can always go to practice and expect to have a good time.”
Improv has been an important part of high school to many of the members, making it a way for people to have fun and relax.
“To me, improv has always been about fun,” Huth said. “We perform for audiences and we hope everyone enjoys it, but the essence of improv is to enjoy yourself and to have a good time with your friends. I’ve been doing improv for four years now, and can say confidently that our performances are much better and significantly more enjoyable for everyone.”
