Improvisation is a type of live theatre in which the dialogue, plot and character personalities are made up in the moment, usually resulting in humorous results. Improv calls for creative and on-the-spot storylines and, although it is made up, it is necessary to learn and practice regularly. Linda Raya, the drama teacher, succeeded in getting two improv coaches to come and run a workshop for her theatre classes.

The first day of the workshop was Sept. 25 and the classes worked on team-building exercises that strengthen the relationships between the students. The main skill in acting is being comfortable with your partner or whoever you are acting with. Without such skills,it is impossible to be convincing to the audience, because you cannot act with your partner.

In improvisation actors must use quick reflexes, and to train for that the instructors showed that students a game in which they practiced quick thinking. The game went where the class was in a circle, save for one person in the middle. This person would call a name and whoever’s name was called would have to duck, and the two people on opposite sides would quickly have to say the opposite person’s name. The first student to say the other person’s name stays in, the other student has to sit down. It continues until there is one survivor. As adrenaline is pumping, it can be hard to focus on the names of those playing the game. This results in many comical mistakes, ranging from calling the person the wrong name to simply making one up.

Comedy plays a huge role in today’s society, so it is important that improv skits include a little slapstick comedy in them. Much of the comedy that happens in improv is a mistake that is played along with: usually from someone tripping, saying a word wrong, or just being plain funny. The number one rule in improv is that nothing is a mistake and everything can be embedded into the story.

The coaches will continue to come in scattered days over the next two weeks, showing the kids the different parts of improv and how to work more creatively with it. The work was at some points during the class difficult but overall the students enjoyed relaxing, taking a break and unwinding with these games that ended up bringing them closer together.