On March 12, 2014 at approximately 2:45 pm, a large line of students crowded outside of the Little Theater anticipating the new and improved Improv Show. The Improv Show is cast by a troupe of acting students and aimed to showcase their improvisational talents, all while cracking a few jokes along the way. The theater filled to the rim with about 180 students ranging from freshmen to seniors. Before the show began, Mrs. Barrow gave the crowd a few introductory words alongside Alberto Ramirez, the improv group’s founder.

The show began with a quick and interactive activity performed by two Gables alumni, one of which is Andres Cantey. Both performed a scene all surrounded by the idea of a ‘lost toe’. Following the alumni performance came the first skit performed by the entire Improv Troupe. The group members impersonated a range of people in their skits,from impersonations of Miley Cyrus to some of our own Gables teachers, all in the spirit of fun! The ‘Funaddicts’ even performed a skit involving rap music, where the members had to improvise lyrics to the beat of a Beasty Boy’s track.

“It was a joy being a part of the Improv Show and an experience that I will never forget. My favorite part was “the dating game” because it was funny to see the audience involved and interested in what was going on. I think the audience really enjoyed themselves! The laughs just said it all. I also enjoyed the rapping portion which was very…interesting. I was actually surprised to be in the top 5  because I think everyone knows that I CANNOT rap for my life, so I was a bit shocked,” sophomore Tatiana Taylor said.

Many of the skits involved the audience. At first, audience members would yell out possible scenarios as it pertained to the skit, and later, audience members were asked to come on stage and participate. One student being senior Cole Scanlon. Scanlon was selected from the crowd to participate in a dating-type skit where three troupe members were impersonating  characters, like the famed Lady Gaga, and eventually, had to guess whom they were impersonating. This skit, among other audience-involved performances, caused a number of laughs from the crowd.

“The show was amazing! The audience’s involvement had everyone engaged. It also added to the element that nothing that happened on stage was planned. Being selected made me sure that nothing was planned because I didn’t know I was going to be selected. I really enjoyed being part of it and watching the show made me regret that I have not taken an acting class with Mrs. Barrow,” senior Cole Scanlon said.

Prior to the show, the members practiced as much as possible by playing games where they were given scenes and had to act them out scriptless. Trying to figure out where to take a scene and the technique of acting on-the-spot were key factors that needed to be practiced. Teamwork, another factor for improv acting, was taken into consideration. Knowing how to flow from a partner’s ideas can be difficult, but tends to result in a more successful performance. After several practices, the troupe pulled off an amazing show that was enjoyed by the audience.

“I was honored to be asked to be a part of the group, and I was very nervous because I had never done anything like it. I feel like the older kids definitely had more experience, but I learned a lot from them as we practiced. Preparing for an improv show is very different from a regular show because we are not given a script to rehearse and memorize. We have to work hard to make the scene appear realistic, based on our own judgement, which makes  it much harder,” freshman Julian Elortegui said.

Overall, the show was a success, making an everlasting impact on the audiences, which was gathered by the echoes of laughter all throughout. The Improv Troupe seems to have a lot in store for Gables for years to come. However, this won’t be the last of them for the year! If you missed this show, don’t be discouraged. The troupe is planning to have another show in April, so keep your ears open for extra details as the month approaches!