On Nov. 12, students on the Aragon improv team took to the stage of the Aragon theater to perform their first show of the year. It was, in their own words, “never seen before, and never to be seen again.” The show was filled with humorous sketches, games and audience suggestions.
Members of the improv team meet after school from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on various school days, preparing for their shows by doing a variety of exercises.
“We practice these different games, or what we call formats,” said junior Nick Schick.
These formats are a crucial part of improv shows as they base skits off prompts or other ice breakers that help students form ideas on the spot.
“We got suggestions from an audience or from a random word generator,” Schick said. “We tried to make a scene based off of that and make people laugh.”
“[Improv] tends to be a little bit more humorous, at least with out team”
Sophomore Phoenix Seevers found the team’s practices helpful for their live performance.
“The improv show was pretty much just one of our rehearsals, but we did it for an audience,” Seevers said.
Unlike theater, which is generally scripted and includes dress rehearsals, preparation and memorizing lines, improv is more free and forgiving as there is no script to go off of.
“[Improv] tends to be a little bit more humorous, at least with our team,” said senior Julia Jeck. “It also, in a sense, [involves] a lot less preparation [than] … the musical and the plays. But, … a lot of kids on the team are rehearsing a lot.”
Schick thinks that improv stands on its own as a special part of performing arts.
“Improv is great,” said Schick. “It’s relaxing, unlike theater, which can be a bit stressful [because of] dance routines and everything. [In improv], you can just follow along with your brain and what other people are doing.”
“We’re also hoping to … perhaps do some shows [during] lunch”
The improv team hasn’t been able to perform for over a year due to quarantine, so this was many members’ first in-person performance.
“I actually joined this year, so this was my first year doing improv,” Seevers said. “But from what I’ve heard from my other classmates, it was definitely pretty weird doing improv over Zoom.”
The transition from virtual improv to the stage was an especially exciting moment for those who hadn’t had a chance to step on stage yet.
“I had a really great time,” said improv team coach, Eavan Huth. “This was our first show in almost two years on the actual stage. We did some virtual improv during the pandemic, but this was many of our improvisers’ first time setting foot on the stage. I’m just very proud and excited to be back.”
Huth is an Aragon alumni who has helped the improv team become what it is today.
“Our next shows are coming up, including a collaboration with the Hillsdale improv team, the HIT Squad,” Huth said. “It is going to be taking place on Dec. 9 and Dec. 10 in their Hillsdale little theater, and it will feature our senior players and alumni of the team. We’re also hoping to start creating some more ways to get involved and perhaps do some shows [during] lunch.”
The improv team will perform its next show at Hillsdale on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m.
