by Leia L. '28, Megan J. '28, Tunner R. '28
Ever wonder what goes on in the Improv Club? Improv Club is where you can be as goofy as you want. You may even discover your inner character. We visited this club one wonderful, wacky Wednesday to find out what it is all about. Improv Club may seem a little silly, but it is meant to be so. There, you can practice improv skills by acting out different situations. On some days, there will be games that will require you to think quickly on the spot. The acting is always hilarious, and there is no doubt you will have laughed by the time you have finished! It is a great way to escape middle school life for a little while.
They play plenty of games in the Improv Club. One game is Genre Switch. Genre Switch is where you start off a scene, but someone (usually Mr. Noelte) keeps switching the genre! For example, the beginning scene may be “The First Day of School.” Students begin behaving as they would on the first day of a new school, then, Mr. Noelte randomly shouts “HORROR MOVIE!”, and the scene turns dark and ominous. Then he may shout “BROADWAY MUSICAL!” Then everyone begins to sing and dance.
Another activity is called New Choice. A person starts to act out a scene of his or her choice. After a few seconds, someone can shout “NEW CHOICE!” and the actor will immediately have to switch. For example, someone may be holding a screwdriver, trying to pick the lock. If someone shouts “NEW CHOICE!” they might use the screwdriver to repair a bike. Then if another person shouts “NEW CHOICE!” the actor will have to come up with another idea on the spot. All of the ideas are creative and always result in laughter.
Freeze is a game where you freeze someone on the stage, take their place, and start a new scene based on your position. For example if someone ends up on their knees, getting ready to plead for mercy, a member of the audience could scream “FREEZE!” and take their place as a cat getting ready to pounce on its dinner. Freeze requires quick thinking and a lot of creativity.
Finally, the game Bus Stop is also hilarious. In this game, there is a timer running for two minutes. You and another person are chosen to sit on a bench in the middle of a stage and talk like you are at a bus stop. One person usually will be the “normal, down-to-earth person”, while the other will be the “crazy psycho madman.” If you are a normal person, you would have to survive the crazy madman until the bus came. However, if you are an insane person, you get to have fun torturing the normal person with your lunacy! To add to the hilarity of the game, the lights are turned completely off and the spotlight is faced directly on the two people. It always ends with a ton of laughs!
If you are curious, interested in acting, or needing a little humor in your day, try dropping by Mr. Noelte’s room on Wednesdays. You won’t be disappointed.