Improv: Self-run student improv troupe finds rehearsals eniovable
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which is played by two people,
the actors can only speak when
they are touching each other.
The situations created when
actors attempt to act within
these guidelines are often
humorous.
“I laugh so hard in rehearsals
I’ll live 20 years longer than I
normally would have,” sopho
more Rene Regan said.
To rehearse, members of
Absolute Improv get together
and play improv games for
about two hours. Because every
scene they perform is sponta
neous and is dictated by sugges
tions from the audience, the
members rehearse not to learn
lines but to hone their ability to
think on their feet and to work
together to create entertaining
scenes.
“These rehearsals are the only
types of rehearsals I look for
ward to,” junior M. Chandler
Melvin said.
“Show rehearsals become
laborious, and I start to hate it.
But I’ve been doing this for four
months and I’m never, ever sick
of it.”
Govier, a freshman, said he
enjoys improv because it allows
him to release frustration and to
be wacky.
WENDY FULLER/Emerald
Scott Vogel shows off his vacation ‘slides,’ which are portrayed by
Cameo Morningstar and M. Chandler Melvin, in the game ‘Slide Show.’
“It’s hanging out with a bunch
of dorks and being a dork,” he
said. “We’re just a bunch of
goobers.”
“It’s the acupuncture of
actors,” said Honey, a sopho
more.
The members of the troupe
take turns playing different
games while the others watch.
At the end of each scene, the
actors discuss together what
worked about it and how it
could have been improved.
“We don’t have a director or
specific rules,” said Vogel, a
sophomore. “We’re all an equal
part of the troupe.”
Because Absolute Improv is
entirely student-run, the mem
bers have faced several chal
lenges. One is that the troupe
has no fixed rehearsal space.
“We always just go where
some place is open,” Honey
said. “We’ve rehearsed in every
room in Villard."
Another difficulty is setting a
fixed rehearsal time when all of
the members can attend.
“The 14 people in this troupe
are probably the 14 busiest peo
ple in the world,” he said.
The troupe was born four
months ago when Honey,
sophomore John Sanders and
juniors Megan Smith and Matt
Berliner decided it would be fun
to perform improv. Through an
audition they expanded their
membership to 14, and they
gave their first performance at
the Pocket Playhouse.
“The audience response was
great,” junior Cameo Morn
ingstar said. “We had a huge,
full house, and we thought, ‘Oh
my gosh, they really are having
fun.’”
Since then the troupe has per
formed about two shows each
month.
“It’s rewarding to have people
you trust get up there,” sopho
more Holly Thomas said. “I love
seeing my peers succeed, and
it’s the greatest feeling to know
you have that ability.”
Honey said Absolute Improv
got its name from an Absolut
Vodka ad.
IMPROV AUDITIONS
Because several members of
the troupe will be leaving for
Europe, Absolute Improv will
audition new members. The
troupe is looking to take in four
or more people.
■ WHEN: Feb. 24-25
■ WHERE: Villard Hall, room
to be announced
■ HOW: Students who wish to
audition will be asked to play
several improvisational games.
The troupe will look for high
energy and the ability to inter
act well with others.
■ REQUIREMENTS: Anyone
can try out for Absolute
Improv. Prior experience is not
required.
“We where doing posters for
auditions and we were trying to
think of a clever name,” he said.
“We were looking around my
room and trying out things like
‘Pulp Improv.’ Then we looked
in a magazine and saw an Abso
lut Vodka ad. I think it’s a fitting
name.”
“It fits because nothing we do
is planned,” Melvin said.
“Except for the rehearsed
stuff,” Govier added.
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